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14 • Touchline • Issue 15
eter Robertson was the last man to win a world
triathlon title for Australia back in 2005. In fact, his
dominant running ability resulted in him winning
three ITU Triathlon World Championships.
He now has his eyes set on a new goal, eight years after his last
World Championship. Australia’s greatest male triathlete over
the Olympic distance is re-launching his career by upsizing to
the half ironman distance - a gruelling 1.9km swim, 90km cycle
and 21km run race, with the ultimate goal being to compete in
the Hawaii ironman - a 3.8km swim, 180km cycle followed by a
42.2km marathon.
Sportscover’s Martin Kelly took the opportunity to find out more
about his career and his comeback during his training session
with the Sportscover triathlon team in Melbourne.
Martin Kelly:
How did you get into the sport of triathlon?
Peter Robertson:
A few mates from school just decided to go
along and do a little junior triathlon about 20 odd years ago
now, so that’s how I got involved, just went along.
I ran as a kid and always had a push bike. The swimming was a
bit of a challenge at the time but it was something that I wanted
to deal with over the years of racing and training.
MK:
During the run up to Sydney 2000 you suddenly won the
qualifier. Up to then you were doing reasonably but suddenly
you became one of the top triathletes. How did you cope with
that?
PR:
The Sydney experience was massive, it definitely launched
my career as a professional athlete and it was an amazing time.
But for me it was something that I wanted and believed I could
achieve. It wasn’t actually such a big surprise for me when it
happened, but definitely something I will always cherish and
I was really proud about how I went about it. It was definitely
a challenge. The whole process just to qualify for the trials,
and then to win the trials, then to be the first Aussie to qualify
for any Olympic team in triathlon was an amazing feeling and
still the highlight of my career, even overshadowing my world
championships.
MK:
So, making the Olympic team overshadows being crowned
the best in the world?
PR:
It does and the reason behind that is my dream as a
child was to go to the Olympics. On that day that I qualified
for the Olympics I achieved a childhood dream which is an
amazing feeling. I never received the same feeling from a world
championship win as I did on that day.
MK:
You retired in 2010. Why was that?
PR:
I wasn’t prepared to do all the things that I was required to
do to be a professional athlete, so the time was right for me to
retire. I was still fairly active. I ran a marathon the year after I
retired.
MK:
Now you’ve decided to make a comeback. Why?
PR:
I guess it was a big decision. I spent a good couple of years
trying to convince myself that I was retired. I was involved in
a coaching programme with Triathlon Australia, working with
some of the best talent in junior athletes here in Australia which
really peaked my interest again in triathlon. I guess I got my
passion back. I also feel like the time is right for me to return
to racing again.
P
TOUCHLINE INTERVIEW:
IRON MAN
PETER ROBERTSON