JERSEY’S leading triathlete says he will ‘cherish’ his second Commonwealth Games appearance for the rest of his life – although not for the performance itself.
Ollie Turner claimed a superb 15th place out of 45 in the men’s sprint event yesterday but he stressed that it will be the support he received from the sidelines that will remain in his thoughts the longest.
Turner’s grandfather, who missed his 2018 debut due to illness, was among those cheering the Islander on at Sutton Park in Birmingham – the benefit of what is effectively a home Games for Jersey’s best.
The 23-year-old, who at one stage held fourth place on the bike leg, clocked a combined time of 52min 44sec following a 750m swim, 20km cycle and 5km run, to finish just two minutes behind English gold medallist Alex Yee.
His rank bettered that achieved at Gold Coast 2018 by 11, while he finished two minutes ahead of his Sarnian training partner, Josh Lewis.
‘In 2018, my grandpa unfortunately became quite ill so he wasn’t able to get out to the Games on the Gold Coast,’ Turner explained. ‘That, for me, has been a huge motivator over the last four years – to get here for him – and to have my family and friends and my girlfriend cheering for me on the sidelines … it gives me goosebumps thinking about it.
‘Running past my grandpa and seeing him there; that’s something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.’
Discussing the value of wearing Jersey colours on the world stage, he added: ‘It’s an absolute honour to represent the Island at the pinnacle of sport for us. To put on the Jersey flag is so special and to be here with Josh, from Guernsey … we’re a Channel Islands team. That’s how we see it. Lots of people back home view it as a rivalry but I have nothing but respect for Josh. We train together every day and he picks me up when I’m down, and vice versa.’
Turner exited the water in seventh place – seven seconds behind New Zealand’s early frontrunner Taylor Reid – before playing a lead role in the chase group on the bike. So much so that BBC commentators praised his efforts in helping Yee, inadvertently or not, to remain in touch with the front three, 20 seconds up the road.
‘Tough race, tough course,’ Turner said.
‘The swim went from the start. There was no let up at all but I came out in the top eight and I knew I was in a good position. My transition out was good and I did a bit of work on the front in the first two laps. Then I looked around and thought that it was a big group so I saved my legs for the hill that I knew I would have to run up.
‘I got off the bike well [in 17th] and from there it was just a case of holding on. I’m very happy.’
