Georgia Taylor-Brown admits it is both ‘scary and exciting’ as she heads into the triathlon unknown with a first crack at middle distance on Friday (November 29).
The 30-year-old British superstar has won Olympic medals of every colour in a glittering career – Mixed Relay gold and bronze in Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024 respectively, and an individual silver three years ago in Japan.
But until now GTB had never stepped up to race at longer distances, however that will all change when she lines up for IRONMAN 70.3 Bahrain on Friday. A 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike and a 13.1-mile half-marathon to finish.
Georgia heads into the Middle East showdown in great form after clinching the supertri title recently following a stellar season which featured wins in Chicago, London and Toulouse.
GTB on IRONMAN 70.3 Bahrain
Now a new test awaits and she admits it will be very much a step into the unknown. Speaking at the pre-race press conference (watch in full at the bottom of this page), she admitted: “I guess I’m a bit of an amateur on Friday and there’s definitely been lots to learn.
“I think I’m quite nervous but I’m also quite excited because it’s a new challenge, it’s something very different . Like I said there’s been so much to learn over the past three weeks of me getting on the time trial bike for the first time outside, so I’m excited but a little bit nervous because I don’t know what’s going to happen – I’m going into the unknown.
“So it’s scary but it’s exciting.”
Georgia will toe the line along with partner and fellow short-course great Vincent Luis on Friday – he won this race two years ago and will now concentrate exclusively on longer distances after announcing his short-course retirement. She says he’s been invaluable in helping her prepare for Friday.
“I made a promise to myself and my partner Vince last year that I would do the race next year, so here I am doing the race.
“He’s told me a lot of things – he’s been the one who’s told me what to buy and all the things I need for my bike and just all of the tiny little things that I wouldn’t really think about because there are so many extra things when it comes to a longer distance race.
“But I think it’s mostly about pacing yourself – I think in an Olympic distance race, a 10k, you can even, if you go out too fast, you can get through it, you can get to the end. But over this distance – doing a half Ironman and a half-marathon at the end – you’ve got to leave something in the tank.”
Vince himself says this could be the only time the pair attempt the same race at longer distances, as he teased what might come next for GTB. He also would love for the pair to both top the podium on Friday.
He said: “I’m going to continue my career into more long-distance races. I’m not sure what Georgia will do in the [next] few years. I know she has some new challenges coming so I’m not sure we will ever step on a start line together [again].
“So it would be good to do that for her first and maybe last long-distance race.”
