Helen Jenkins on making her third Olympics

The two-time world champ answers your questions on her Gold Coast win and her third Games in Rio…

Published: August 19, 2016 at 1:48 pm

Psychologically, what did it mean to you to take that victory on the Gold Coast [where Helen also qualified for Rio]?

Peter Jensen, VIA EMAIL

I think more than anything it proved to me that if I put the training in I can go back to being one of the best in the world.

How does now compare to 2012?

Liam Walters, VIA EMAIL

I’m in a different place and I haven’t been thinking about Rio for the past two years like I did back then in the run-up to London. And there were a lot of little niggles that we didn’t link together until 2013 when we started to piece together my injuries. Whereas now I hope my body is in better shape, and I feel that I’m more able to cope if something does go wrong during the next few months.

How does it feel going into your next Olympics having two under your belt already?

Katherine Holt, VIA EMAIL

It makes me feel so much more confident and relaxed. I think the worst thing that can happen is if you’re one of the favourites and everyone expects you to win a medal, and then you don’t. I’ve been through that, and I’ve learnt that life goes on and I now have a much better perspective. If I go to Rio and finish fourth, I’ll be fine with it. I’m not going to let it break me.

How do you feel going into Rio having not completed the course [Helen DNF’d at last year’s
test event]?

Paul Benson, VIA EMAIL

I guess I’ve done the bike, we always do the course a few days before, and the run is always flat. It’s quite nice to have it in your head how everything is laid out, so I suppose that’s a positive.

The Gold Coast race was so thrilling because you managed to break away. But that’s a rarity, certainly on the women’s side. How would you like to see the sport evolve?

Lucy Johnson, VIA EMAIL

I don’t think the standard is ridiculously high at the moment. People are training on the run and they’re not training hard enough on the bike. Even then, you’re not going to do a decent run if you aren’t strong enough on the bike, so it could bring on a new evolution of boring racing if everyone swims well, sits in a pack and then sees what happens. I like it when I get to ride hard because I train for it. You have to ride like you’re not going to run.