2012 dreams crash for Whitfield
Simon Whitfield’s Olympic momentum came to a halting stop Tuesday at Hyde Park.
Not yet in his cycling shoes after an excellent 15th-place swim in the men’s triathlon, Whitfield (Victoria, BC) got caught up in an early crash, veering into a road barrier and ultimately ending any hope of a medal for the Olympic champion and 2012 flag bearer.
“That is not how I pictured things” said Whitfield after the race. “I hit the speed bump on a funny angle and I’m not sure what happened. “My bike was in pieces and my leg and foot was gashed up pretty good. There was no way (to continue).”I’ve had two incredible Olympics.”
Teammate Kyle Jones of Oakville, ON said he was disappointed after finishing 25th in his Olympic debut. “I got a lot of experience this week,” he said. “I need to build from this.”
Brent McMahon (Vancouver, BC) finished in 27th spot in his second Olympic experience. He said the swim portion was a struggle for him too. “That is racing, said McMahon. “Some days you make those gaps and you are in the lead pack and other days you draw the bad lottery ticket. That’s the way it goes.”
The Brownlee brothers of Great Britain, Alistar and Jonathan earned gold and bronze respectively, while Javier Gomez of Spain earned silver in the 1.5km swim, 43km bike and 10km run.
