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ITU World Cup, Auckland, November 22: Exciting Queensland triathlete Ryan Fisher has emerged as a realistic prospect for the 2016 Olympic Games and the 2018 Commonwealth Games after a break through podium finish in the ITU Triathlon World Cup in Auckland last Sunday, conquering the same gruelling course to be used for next year’s World Championships.
After a frustrating six months battling injury, the 20-year-old from Kenmore Hills in Brisbane, mixed it with two of triathlon’s finest in New Zealand Olympians Kris Gemmell and Bevan Docherty to finish with his first ever bronze medal over what his coach described as “the most brutal bike course in international triathlon.”
And in doing so he kept a host of big names including race favourite, Frenchman Laurent Vidal, Jarrod Shoemaker from the USA and Spain’s renown bike-runner Ivan Rana as well as Kiwi youngsters Clark Ellice and Ryan Sissons at bay in the frantic 10km run to the finish.
His coach, AIS Scholarship coach Dan Atkins stood beside Triathlon Australia’s National Performance Director Michael Flynn on the tough Auckland Olympic distance course as Fisher, this year’s Under 23 Australian Champion delivered on all the promise he had shown Australia’s High Performance team in recent years.
Atkins was quick to declare that his charge was now talking about setting his long term goals to represent Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
“He has been reluctant to talk about long term goals but as soon as the Gold Coast won the bid for 2018 he declared he wanted to be part of it so 2016 is certainly very much on his radar,” said Atkins.
After coming back from his injuries to finish 13th in the Tongyeong World Cup in Korea last month and then fifth at the Noosa Triathlon earlier this month, the man they call “Fishman” and coach Atkins set him for a season finale in Auckland.
And Fisher didn’t disappoint, coming out of the water in the top 10 which saw him on the second pack on the bike where he stayed in touch before Gemmell and fellow Kiwi Tom Davison took off up the gruelling bike course with two laps to go.
Atkins had told Fisher he thought the Kiwis would break at some stage but the young Australian kept his cool and stayed with the chase pack and he came out of transition and ran shoulder-to-shoulder with Docherty, the 2004 Athens silver medallist.
Experience told in the end as Docherty surged to edge in front to complete a New Zealand quinella behind an emotional Gemmell, who dominated his prize money to cancer research after revealing his cousin had been struck with the deadly disease.
Gemmell won in 1 minute 59.58 with Docherty just 13 seconds ahead of Fisher 2.01.05 to 2:01.18.
Fisher, who has earned a week’s break in Bali with his mates before returning to prepare for the Australian summer said he had heard just how tough the course was from his fellow Kiwi competitors.
“I was looking forward to coming here (for) such a close race. I had heard all about it from all the Kiwi guys and just how tough it is,” said Fisher.
“It was a great atmosphere so it (certainly) didn’t disappoint. It was a great race and (being) my first podium I’m absolutely stoked.
Asked about the comparisons being made with the Athens Olympic bike course, Fisher said: “Definitely! I had heard a lot a bout it (even though) you never know what to believe.
“We did a ride over the course on Friday and it shocked a lot of people and it was (actually) 10 times harder than what I even expected.
“The corners were amazing and with the likes of Doherty and Gemmell and those kind of guys on the bike, they push it on every corner.”
Asked about the crowd and the lead up to next year’s World Championships, Fisher said: “I can’t image what it will be like next year? To get this many people for a World Cup is amazing, there were three people deep the whole way.
“Looking down the course from the swim start there were people as far as you could see. It definitely creates a great atmosphere; the World Championship final next year should be a great (spectacle).”
Atkins said it was an amazing finale to this stage of Fisher’s career, following the decision to move him to the Gold Coast in December to link up with Olympic coach Craig Walton.
“What an excellent result, we have been aiming for this for six months and we pulled it off, I’m very proud of him,” said Atkins.
“This race is the only thing that has kept him going after spending those six months out with shin splints; it has been a long haul.
“And to master the most brutal bike course on the world circuit was very rewarding in what was a cracker of a race and an hour after we were just looking at each other saying how fun was that?
“It’s not easy keeping young fellas in the game but Ryan has stuck at it in what was a great day, an excellent result, I couldn’t be prouder.”
Fisher will now set himself for the Australian domestic season and a place on the Australian team for the 2012 World Championships in Auckland – and another crack at the world’s toughest bike course, where he will certainly know what to expect.