CROSS COUNTRY: Aussies Phil Bellingham and Callum Watson have capped off their debut Olympic Games with a 12th place finish in their semi-final of the Cross Country Team Sprint.
CROSS COUNTRY: Aussies Phil Bellingham and Callum Watson have capped off their debut Olympic Games with a 12th place finish in their semi-final of the Cross Country Team Sprint.
The duo were 2:28.18 behind winners Finland but would have been closer if Bellingham was not taken out early on in the event.
Leading the Aussies out in the 6 lap, interchanging event, the 22-year-old was unfortunate to be caught up in another competitor’s mistake.
“I was feeling pretty good and in the main group.
“The Japanese guy cut across as we were going into the first corner and didn’t quite get in the tracks and face planted right in front of me.”
Bellingham was lucky not to do the same but the interference was a setback.
“I just avoided crashing myself but I’d lost momentum and I was off the back of the group.
“I gassed it to get back in the front group but then going up the second climb I’d hurt myself a bit too much and had to let the group go.
“Once we’d lost contact with the group we were pretty much done.”
Despite the early troubles in the race the duo dug deep and were cheered home by an adoring Sochi crowd.
“We didn’t really have high expectations for the Team Sprint.
“Even if that crash hadn’t of happened we probably wouldn’t have gone to much better.”
In what is an extremely challenging course both Watson and Bellingham were physically exhausted as they completed their legs.
“That is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done,” said Watson.
“As bad a feeling as it was while I was doing it, it is a great feeling now.
“You leave absolutely everything out there which is an accomplishment in itself."
With the racing tight and the stadium rocking the event is one of the most entertaining on the Cross Country calendar.
“Phil and I always say this is the most exciting event and something that we always look forward to finish off with.”
“We went as hard as I we could so I’m happy with it and it’s topped off a great Olympic experience.
In what was an enthralling final Finland knocked off their more fancied rivals to claim the Gold medal with Russia winning the Silver and Sweden finishing with the Bronze. Germany looked set for a medal before Germany's Tim Tscharnke fell on the final descent of the course.
Callum Watson's sister Aimee has one more event to round out the cross country team's racing at the Games. Aimee will race the 30km Mass Start on Saturday.
Watch a review of three-time Olympian Esther Bottomley's Sochi experience here>>>
