Team Australia announce 2022 Commonwealth Games triathlon squad

The defending Commonwealth Games Mixed Team Relay Gold medallists, Team Australia, have announced the six athletes that will represent them next month in Sutton Park at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Experience

The Aussies have three athletes with previous Commonwealth Games experience alongside three debutants.

On home turf at Gold Coast 2018, Jacob Birtwhistle secured individual Silver behind Henri Schoeman (RSA), just eight seconds ahead of team mate Matt Hauser in fourth. They were separated by Scotland’s Marc Austin.

Birtwhistle and Hauser then joined Ashleigh Gentle and Gillian Backhouse two days later to secure Mixed Relay gold, ahead of Team England and Team New Zealand.

Commonwealth Games mixed Relay Triathlon

Birtwhistle and Hauser will be joined in Birmingham by another Commonwealth Games veteran, Charlotte McShane, who finished 11th four years ago in the individual race. McShane was part of Australia’s World Championship winning Mixed Relay squad in 2017.

Debutants

Joining the experienced names will be three Commonwealth Games debutants, Sophie Linn, Brandon Copeland and Natalie Van Coevorden.

Hauser, Linn, Birtwhistle and McShane all raced together this past weekend at the AJ Bell World Triathlon Mixed Relay Series in Leeds, where they finished sixth in Roundhay Park.

WTCS Leeds 2022 Mixed Relay Jacob Birtwhistle

In the individual race in Leeds this past weekend, the Australian Commonwealth Games team’s finishing positions were 11th (Van Coervorden), 21st (Birtwhistle), 26th (Hauser), 32nd (Copeland) and 40th (Linn). Charlotte McShane only raced in the relay.

Paratriathlon

Previously announced, Team Australia will also have four visually impaired athletes racing in Birmingham along with the guides, where the event will take place on July 31, the second day of competition, which will also see the Mixed Team Relay take place.

Jonathan Goerlach (who will be guided by David Mainwaring) finished eighth at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, while Gerard Gosens – who has been blind from birth – has competed in three Paralympic Games, climbed to Everest base camp and competed on Dancing with the Stars in Australia. He also holds the Order of Australia medal for services to people who are blind or vision impaired.