TRIATHLON: Former national champion Courtney Atkinson has ended a two-year sabbatical in a bid to become the first Australian triathlete to contest three Olympics. The same goal Beijing bronze medallist Emma Moffatt has.
Atkinson, 35, had focused on endurance ironman and off-road adventure racing after contesting the 2012 London Games.
"It's a decision that's been a long time coming but after two years of new challenges, endurance racing and time away from the Olympic discipline I've spent more than half my life competing in, the spark is back," Atkinson said on a sponsor website.
"I'm more hungry than ever to compete in triathlon and the lure of Rio in 2016 is just too strong to ignore.
"I feel like I'm fitter and more focused than ever.
"I believe I still have my best racing ahead of me and I don't want to die wondering `what if?'"
The former junior world champion and four-time national champ finished 11th at the Beijing Olympics and 18th at London but hoped to do better than ever at Rio.
"I'm committing 100 per cent, full-time to Olympic distance triathlon and my plan is to not just qualify for Brazil in 2016 but come away with my best result yet," he said.
The little voice at the back of his head first got him thinking. Then the little voice beside him convinced him. It was his eight-year-old daughter Chloee.
"I kind of asked her what should I do, and she is at an age where the Olympics mean a lot and she understands it," Atkinson told AAP.
"And she said she would love to see me go (to Rio) so that was a big driving factor.
"How can you say no when your daughter asks something like that?
"Now I have to get out there and perform."
Atkinson concedes it would be a huge challenge to make the Australian team at the Rio Games, with hopefully Australia qualifying the maximum three spots.
He looks set to contest the lower tier Continental Cup before contemplating World Cup and World Series events.
Then there is the local threat of No.1 Australian Aaron Royle and his fellow Glasgow Commonwealth Games squad members Ryan Bailie and Dan Wilson.
"(But) it is not going to deter me from what I want to achieve," Atkinson said of the obstacles.
A top 10 finish at a test event in Rio in August and an ITU World Series race in early 2016 will earn automatic Olympic qualification.
But selectors also have discretionary powers.
And former junior world champion Atkinson believes his experience may prove a huge benefit to the Rio team.
"The Commonwealth Games team were all first timers. That's great for development and moving on from the previous Olympics," he said.
"But having said that, physically I am in the ball park, and with experience in two Olympics I have a lot to offer.
"But that's for others to decide."
Triathlon Australia national performance director Bernard Savage said he would speak with Atkinson to work out a gameplan for his return.
And Savage admitted if anyone could pull it off, it was Atkinson.
"It is going to be a challenge 18 months outside of the Games," he told AAP.
"But if anyone can return to a high level of racing in a rapid period of time then Courtney is certainly one who can do that.
"The young men will certainly be aware of his announcement and that will push them to train harder and perform better and that can only be good for the sport."
Laine Clark
AAP
