TRI247
Search
shop
SUPERTRI E TICKETS DISCOUNT & VIP COMPETITION
SUPERTRI E TICKETS DISCOUNT & VIP COMPETITION

“It was insane” – Vincent Luis on the Brownlees and London 2012

Vincent Luis returns to Hyde Park to remember the Brownlees and London 2012 during his latest Super League Triathlon documentary.

Editor-In-Chief
Last updated -
SHOP
Watch Potter, Brownlee & Beaugrand LIVE

As he stood in Hyde Park almost misty-eyed, talking with such passion about the Brownlees at London 2012, you had to imagine Vincent Luis was thinking ahead to Paris 2024.

The iconic race which saw Alistair take gold and Jonny claim bronze clearly left an indelible mark on Vincent’s memory. The passion of a home crowd which literally made the ground shake, and the way they cheered their favourites to Olympic glory.

Luis stood again at the starting point for that 2012 Olympic men’s triathlon during filming for the latest episode of his Super League Triathlon documentary series, which was released this week. He remembered it like it was just yesterday.

Vincent Luis on London 2012

“It was crazy, I think they said it was one million people or something. That was insane, that was big.

“I remember they called us on the pontoon for the line-up and everything. At the Olympics you’re not called by your world ranking, but just by the pontoon draw or whatever.

“The French, we were already on the pontoon and then when they called the two brothers, I remember the noise – that was crazy, the ground was shaking. I remember everyone in the pontoon looking at each other, like what the f*** is happening! That was insane.

“These guys, the pressure they had, and they delivered – honestly respect them because they had their names everywhere, pictures on the bus, everywhere – and yet they did it. That was crazy. Eleven years ago. Makes me feel old.”

Luis may feel old but at 32 he is far from done at the highest level – he will be 35 by the time the Olympics lands in his home nation in 2024.

Advertisement

A tiny taste of Paris 2024

He got a tiny taste in a COVID world of what it might be like to enjoy success at home after winning Mixed Relay bronze in Tokyo, courtesy of a post-Japan celebration in Paris. It was not something he was initially looking forward to though after finishing 13th in the Individual race on the back of an injury-hit preparation.

“Obviously before the race I was looking forward to showing the gold medal around but it’s not the case. Beforehand I just don’t feel it’s something useful, I was thinking ‘nobody will be there, it’s gonna be a waste of time’.

“But then you just see the smile of the people, the smile of the kids when they can carry the medal and touch it, and it’s nice for people to actually see the athletes and feel a bit of the vibes from the Olympics.”

Advertisement

(Another) Olympic countdown

Thanks to COVID, the Olympic runway to Paris is already a short one, and thoughts inevitably turn to 2024 and what lies between now and then.

“Next Olympics is three years, it’s really short. You can’t waste weeks and days of training,” said Luis.

“I better make good use of the next three years because they will be the last three years of my short-distance career. I just want to enjoy every single day, just having fun, doing what I love to do.

You can watch the full Vincent Luis documentary.

“Get out and train no matter if it rains or if it’s sunny – doing whatever I want to do and whatever I love to do. And yeah, just making the most of the next three years.”

13th April 2024 - London
Watch Potter, Brownlee & Beaugrand as these triathlon superstars take on the world in the build up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
LIMITED TICKETS - DON'T MISS OUT!
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
Kyle Smith
Watt it takes to win at supertri E – a data dive into how deep the PROs have to dig
Arena Games Triathlon Finals Singapore - Beth Potter bike
The evolution of Esports in triathlon – How supertri brought virtual racing to the mainstream
Beth Potter Arena Games Triathlon Finals Singapore
Lightning fast splits and record breaking performances – relive some of the top moments from women’s supertri E racing
Lionel Sanders Arena Games Montreal game face on bike photo credit SLT
Countdown to supertri E – a look back at some of the most epic moments in men’s triathlon E racing
Challenge Barcelona 2023 - Photo Credit: Jose Luis Hourcade
Brownlee brothers on the costly race day swim mistakes to avoid – plus their own mishaps
latest News
Lucy Charles-Barclay comes home second at the Miami T100.
Lucy Charles-Barclay ‘hungry’ for redemption at the second stop of the T100 Triathlon World Tour
Georgia Taylor-Brown WTCS Yokohama 2023 finish
World Triathlon Indoor Cup Lievin: Start time, preview, format and how to watch live
Kat Matthews PTO Tour US Open 2023
Kat Matthews shares details of race against time to recover from Miami T100 injury
Mixed Team Relay France podium WTCS Sunderland 2023 photo credit: World Triathlon / Petko Beier
World Triathlon confirm initial nine teams to qualify for Paris Olympic Games Mixed Relay
Ruth Astle St George finish line 2022 photo credit Tom Pennington Getty Images for IRONMAN
British IRONMAN Champion on committing to professional triathlon and chasing a T100 Tour wildcard
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
Invalid email address
The SBRX Group

Proudly elevating endurance sports through content, products & services

SBRX
RUN247
Share to...