Team England have announced the selection of Jonny Brownlee, Alex Yee, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Sophie Coldwell for the Triathlon event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Brownlee - a three-time medallist at previous Commonwealth Games, including a gold in the 2014 Mixed team relay - prepares for the Birmingham event after becoming Olympic champion in the Mixed team relay alongside Yee, Taylor-Brown and Jessica Learmonth.
The 31-year-old expressed his shock as being selected for a third consecutive Games, telling teamengland.org: "I had a change of heart after the relay in Tokyo and so I am really pleased, and surprised, to be selected.
"Birmingham will be a big focus for me next season and I am determined to show I can be competitive in what will be my third Commonwealth Games. Racing at home will be an advantage β the crowds were brilliant in Glasgow, I think they'll be even better in Birmingham."
Yee - eight years Brownlee's junior at 23 - prepares to make his Commonwealth Games debut at this summer's tournament and also became a World Triathlon Series champion in Leeds last year.
The Tokyo 2020 Triathlon silver medallist added: "I'm delighted to be selected. Birmingham was always a target of mine, and I can't wait to compete in a major championship at home. I know the crowd will be brilliant and give us a real advantage."
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β Team England (@TeamEngland) January 25, 2022
We are so proud to announce our first set of selected athletes for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games!!@Lixsanyee@georgiatb@jonny_brownlee@sophiecoldwell
These are are the first #B2022 athletes to be #PartOfThePride π¦#BringItHome pic.twitter.com/rrlU1ymdWw
Coldwell is another competitor with Commonwealth Games experience under her belt, with the 26-year-old finishing sixth in the 2018 Women's Triathlon on the Gold Coast, and she is ready to fight for the podium finish this time around.
"I'm super excited to have been selected, especially to have done it this far out from the Games and with the strength in depth of English triathletes. The whole Olympic team last year were English, so I'm really pleased to have put in performances to achieve selection for Birmingham," Coldwell said.
"It's a home Games and I love having friends and family come and watch but, with Covid-19, that hasn't been possible. It'll be great to have everyone there supporting and hopefully I can put myself in a position to fight for a medal."
Finally, Taylor-Brown - as is the case with Yee - picked up a team gold and individual silver at the Tokyo Olympics, and the 2020 World champion is relishing the prospect of competing in front of the home crowds.
Taylor-Brown said: "When I watched the London Olympics and how the crowd really got behind everyone, I thought it was quite sad that that may never happen again in my lifetime, so to be able to be at a home Games for the Commonwealth Games is quite incredible and something you'll cherish and relish in as the crowds will really get behind you.
"Once we'd won our medals at the Olympics, I think it was Alex that said, 'it's cool that we're now selected for the Commonwealth Games', so that was a nice surprise, not only do we get an Olympic medal, but we're also selected for Birmingham. I'm quite excited about it."
The Triathlon events at the 2022 Games are due to take place on Friday 29 July and Sunday 31 July, with the sprint events taking place two days before the PTVI and Mixed team relay finals.
Ben Knapton
