MARC Austin decides against touching a medal,“even if it is for media purposes”, writes Stewart Fisher. The gongs in question are the specially co-ordinated ones for this Autumn’s European Championships – a continental showpiece which is now just 50 days away. The athletics may be taking part in Berlin but the other six events – cycling, swimming, rowing, gymnastics, golf and Austin’s beloved triathlon – are all set to take place in Glasgow.
The triathlon brings Austin back to the Strathclyde Park course where he famously mixed it with Alistair and Jonny Brownlee at the 2014 Commonwealths before being blown away, but thankfully this 24-year-old’s story still had a distance to run. Austin earned a far greater claim to fame when he beat both parts of the Yorkshire double act to claim a brilliant bronze medal for Scotland on day one on the Gold Coast.While he finished – unlike either of the Brownlees – at a world series event in Nottingham only this week, and there are two Frenchmen and two Spaniards in the top five in the world right now, Austin still knows that if you can beat either of them you are likely to end up on the podium again.
“Any time you finish ahead of a Brownlee you are likely to be on a podium,” said Austin, whose training partner Jess Learmonth was yesterday unveiled as an official ambassador for the event. “But the sport is really, really tough right now. The level is so high and so well spread there are so many people to look out for. In my opinion their performances in London and Rio are the two best of all time and I know I’m not at that level yet. If they’re at their best they’re pretty difficult to beat but they don’t get to that level that often. I’ll just stand on that start line with an attitude I can podium in the race and if it happens that’s great but if not that’s sport. In a triathlon your mind is playing games on you, but a crowd helps you shut all the negativity out and keep you on a positive roll.”
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