Potter eyes world title after 'toll' of Olympics

Beth Potter says she has felt little unit this twelvemonth arsenic she seeks to clinch a 2nd world triathlon title connected Sunday.

The British Olympic bronze medallist is associated leader pinch defending champion Cassandre Beaugrand of France earlier nan last arena successful Australia.

Potter admitted nan build-up to nan 2024 Paris Olympics and arena itself took its toll.

"I was going successful arsenic 1 of nan favourites to triumph Olympic golden and location was a batch of unit and anticipation connected that 1 day," said nan Scottish triathlete, 33.

"It was really difficult and I felt for illustration I could ne'er really get into my groove past year.

"I struggled erstwhile I sewage disconnected nan motorcycle to consciousness for illustration myself moving and it was really frustrating arsenic location was nary logic for it, because it wasn't for illustration that successful training.

"It conscionable shows really overmuch unit I put connected myself that twelvemonth to travel distant pinch a medal. I don't deliberation I've ever dug arsenic heavy arsenic I did successful that Olympic title to get that badge and it meant truthful overmuch to maine to conscionable get nan bronze."

She won nan World Triathlon Championship Series from Beaugrand successful 2023 earlier roles were reversed past year.

Potter has tried a caller coaching set-up this twelvemonth and spent astir a period astatine altitude successful nan Swiss alpine edifice of St Moritz.

"I conscionable ne'er recovered immoderate portion of my moving easy past twelvemonth and that was nan 1 point I ever relied connected to get myself retired of problem successful races. It took maine longer than I thought to retrieve disconnected nan backmost of that Olympic race," she said.

"Even conscionable to bask doing triathlons again, it took maine a bully fewer months of off-season and getting backmost into nan caller play to really deliberation I wanted to beryllium connected nan commencement statement and race, and bask it. That was rather difficult for maine arsenic it's my job, my livelihood.

"It's taken maine a spot of clip astatine nan commencement of nan twelvemonth to get to grips pinch immoderate caller training and portion of it was mentally getting complete nan toll past twelvemonth took connected my mind and body. I'm really enjoying nan caller training methods and trying thing a small different. It's nan lowest consequence twelvemonth to effort something."

Potter is tied pinch Olympic champion Beaugrand connected 2,925 points but insists Sunday's finale successful Wollangong is "not a two-horse-race.

There is simply a spread of much than 200 points to nan chasing battalion led by Jeanne Lehair, up of Lisa Tertsch and Leonie Periault, pinch 1,250 points connected connection to nan victor successful Australia.

The Scot will beryllium shouted connected by respective family members - including 2 aunts who unrecorded adjacent - arsenic she takes connected nan 1.5km swim, 40km motorcycle thrust and 10km run.

When Potter is pushing to transverse nan line, she will retrieve her friend Sam O'Shea. He died aft being deed by a motorbike while cycling successful France past month.

She recovered information successful nan calamity conscionable days aft it happened erstwhile victorious successful nan Czech Republic, nan first of 2 title wins this season.

"When I was really hurting successful that title and was a infinitesimal down coming disconnected nan bike, a large portion of it was to do it because I could and location was immoderate other information because of Sam," she said.

"It would beryllium bully to do nan aforesaid this weekend, but I conscionable want to spell retired and bask it because I americium capable to."

O'Shea, 27, nan partner of chap triathlete Lucy Byram, represented Gibraltar astatine nan 2022 Commonwealth Games and was portion of nan triathlon squad successful Leeds wherever Potter is based.

"It was a difficult mates of days starring into that race. Sam was rather a large portion of our training group. He was 1 of nan coaches poolside, a motorcycle mechanic who often sorted my bikes out. I spent galore happy mornings connected cafe rides pinch him," she said.

"He was very dry, nosy to beryllium around. He was a awesome support, kind, generous and would spell retired of his measurement to thief different people. He is going beryllium very overmuch missed.

"It was affectional for me, for nan remainder of nan team, conscionable seeing really devastating it had been, particularly for his loved ones. It was really tragic.

"It made maine realise life is really precious and you only get 1 shot."

After nan weekend, Potter is mounting nary contiguous targets though nan 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is apt to beryllium a semipermanent goal.

"I'm taking 1 play astatine a time. I'll get Sunday retired of nan measurement first," she said.

"I've achieved much than I thought I would successful this sport. Nothing will lucifer nan level of unit I felt past year. It almost seems for illustration a spot of a alleviation for it to beryllium 2025.

"I've enjoyed my racing this year. Hopefully I tin bent connected to that shape for a mates of days."