Search
shop

‘Dreams really come true’ – Alex Yee on Olympic silver

Alex Yee said "dreams really come true" after claiming a superb silver medal for Great Britain in the Olympic men's triathlon at Tokyo 2020.
Editor-In-Chief
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Alex Yee said “dreams really come true” after claiming a fairytale Olympic silver medal for Great Britain in the men’s triathlon at Tokyo 2020 early on Monday.

The 23-year-old Londoner was prominent throughout, looking comfortable and assured in the biggest test of his career to date. He was unable to match the finishing kick of Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt, but was able to hold off New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde to grab that silver.

Advertisement

Alex Yee has silver lining

Afterwards he told BBC Sport: “Bit bizarre really, it’s me that’s doing this, I’m just a normal guy from south east London. It’s just crazy that dreams really come true. It’s just amazing.”

Yee coped admirably with the brutal conditions, and felt he was just beaten by the better man on the day.

“It’s been a tough preparation phase for this Games. In training I think I went much harder than I did in that race. Unfortunately he (Blummenfelt) was the better man on the day but I felt as prepared as I could have been. To come away with second was the best result I could have got on the day.”

Yee had catapulted into the public eye since that eye-catching victory in Leeds last month, and he was thankful for the support he had received in the run-up to the Games.

“My mum always says it takes a village to build a person, and I think it’s taken the whole of GB today, so I’m just over the moon. Thank you so much.

Alex Yee celebrates silver during the Olympic Games triathlon medal ceremony.

“I was already deep in the well (when Blummenfelt made that decisive kick). I just had to dig that little bit into my soul. I found a litlte something, It wasn’t enough to catch Blumi, but it was enough to get silver and I’m over the moon with that.”

Paris next for young gun Alex

The fact COVD-19 delayed the Tokyo Games to 2021 fell perfectly for Yee, as he arrived in the big time at the ideal moment. Now he has just three years to wait for another glory bid in Paris.

“In a way I was really lucky with the circumstances of COVID delaying the Games a year,” he admitted.

“It’s obviously an awful situation for everyone but I was really fortunate. I’m really excited for Paris now, it’s gonna be a bit more of a normal time so hopefully more people can watch it. It should be a spectacle.”

Alex Yee Tokyo 2020
Yes Alex, you really did win an Olympic silver medal
Graham Shaw
Written by
Graham Shaw
Graham has been involved with TRI247 & RUN247 since the summer of 2021. Since then he has provided strategic direction for all news and is passionate about the growth of triathlon as a fan sport.
Discover more
Challenge The Championship Marjolaine Pieree
How to qualify for Challenge The Championship – and why it should be on your triathlon bucket list
Cadomotus aero triathlon cycling shoes
Can your triathlon cycling shoes make you faster? How shoe choice could speed up your triathlon finish times
French Riviera T100 bike course Esterel
Is this the ultimate middle distance triathlon bike course? We rode the French Riviera T100 bike course and it’s EPIC
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
latest News
The PTO's CEO Sam Renouf
PTO reveal ambitions of matching Roth and Kona as French Riviera T100 triathlon course details unveiled
Sam Long St George 2024 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
‘No No No’ – Sam Long says he felt ROBBED by swim cancellation at ‘69.1 Chattanooga’
IRONMAN World Championship 2024 Nice Age Group Swim Start
IRONMAN to review World Championship slot allocation model after fears raised for Age Group women
Jonny Brownlee / Jonathan Brownlee - Super League Triathlon London 2023
Did the Brownlee brothers nearly join pro cycling’s Team Sky after 2012 Olympic heroics?
Kristian Hogenhaug interviewed after The Championship 2025
Danish triathlon star highlights blistering bike split as key to The Championship success.
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...