With less than a month before the Olympic Games, Bermuda’s Flora Duffy was joined by Canadians Kyle Jones and Sarah-Anne Brault and Great Britain’s Tim Don at Hawrelak Park, site of the 2012 Edmonton ITU Triathlon World Cup and spoke with the media at the event’s official pre-race press conference.
Under a sun-filled, blue sky, the athletes shared their thoughts on London 2012 and what it has taken over the last year to get to Sunday’s race.
Duffy spoke on how the lead up to London 2012 differs from her first Olympic experience in Beijing, “Going into Beijing, I was suffering with some health issues, injuries - just not in a good place which was really tough for me at 20. I ended up taking two years off after that. I didn’t race. I didn’t really think I was going to get back into triathlon at this level. Then one day, things kind of clicked back in and I started racing again. It’s been a gradual build up until now with some success along the way. I definitely have that belief and confidence back which I certainly didn’t have a couple years ago. I have a totally new perspective on the sport. I’m doing it for myself because I enjoy it.”
Duffy also commented on racing for Bermuda and how she is preparing to compete, “I love representing Bermuda and putting them on the world map. I’m going to give it my best shot. I think it will be a great race, definitely a lot of pressure. It will definitely be quite the experience. I’m looking at it like it’s just another race with the same girls I always race. I just have to do the same thing I always do.”
