Day 1: Men's Triathlon Commonwealth Games

Time to find out if Alistair and Johnny can repeat Olympics says. --

success. Good afternoon everybody on a

sensational afternoon in Strathclyde Country Park. What a start for

England. Two out of three medals in the women's race. Now these

brothers, Alistair, Olympic champion, younger brother, Jonathan.

Looking to add to their tally in the relatively unfamiliar England red

and white. It is scorching here in Scotland. Richard Murray could be

the main rival but needs to have a decent swim. Swimming has been his

Achilles heel. If he gets through in the water, he might get help on the

bike. Sullwald, his team-mate, and maybe Davidson, the New Zealander,

could really do some damage on the bike, that is his specialist field.

But of course, the leaders today are Olympic gold and bronze-medallists,

a very strong field. They will ride five 8k loops around

the park, including one stiff climb at the western end of the park.

There is David McNamee, Scotland. Wearing number 14. Scotland also

represented by Grant Sheldon and others. Russell White and Conor

Murphy go for Northern Ireland. Aaron Harris, the third member of

the England team. There are the 45 elite triathletes, waiting for the

final countdown. One or two of the lesser-known ones being called down

onto the pontoon. It is an international field. There is Tom

Davison, the bike specialist from New Zealand. He is in a different

league on two wheels, but first of all, they have to swim for 1500m.

They will dive into the wind. Handshakes on the pontoon. The two

South Africans next to each other. Australian representation here today

as well. And they are ready to go. The Brownlee brothers, closest to

us. Spectacular dives, as they swim out into this artificial loch,

created by diverging the waters from the River Clyde. Clean and clear and

cool, they will be happy to get in there on a day like today. We expect

the early pace possibly to come from one of the South Africans. And there

is also a guy from Jersey by the name of Daniel Hawksworth, number

35, and he is an ex-youth Commonwealth Games gold medallist in

swimming. So maybe Daniel Hawksworth could make an impact in this swim.

Over to you, Steve. STEVE TREW: I agree with that. I

think he could be very powerful, not just on the swim, but also on the

bike. We look at the smaller nations in the triathlon, and then we look

at the bigger nations, but we have individuals coming through as well.

We had a fantastic performance from Flora Duffy this morning, which was

tremendous. What interests me, Matt, is the way the seeding and the

pontoon positions have gone. Alistair and Jonny have chosen to go

together, really right towards the other end. We have Richard Murray,

and he has chosen to get right next to the other South African. I think

he is trying to get him somewhere decent on the swim.

We will look out for Henri Schoeman, wearing number seven today. There is

Alistair Brownlee, reaching the first of these giant inflatable

buoys. They had up to the second one before they turn left or so it is an

anticlockwise lap. And they will end up back behind the pontoon, before

exiting the water once. The field is spreading quite quickly winning no

surprise. There is one guy in the field today, Christopher Walker,

from Gibraltar, who is 47 years of age. The oldest man in the contest.

We will see how he gets on. He carried the flag in the opening

ceremony last night. Christopher Walker actually competed in the

Commonwealth Games 12 years ago in Manchester, as a young man of just

35 years old! No wonder he has been chosen by his country to carry the

flag. There was a spread of three or four metres between Jonathan and

Alistair at the start, and then Jonny looked up and made an

immediate beeline to get on his feet. , as you say, very nicely

positioned in those first 250 metres, directly behind Alistair. --

henries in. I think the actual spread is going to be very long

indeed. It is going to be absolutely crucial for the athletes to get into

the first pack. There is no doubt that Alistair feels he is in great

shape. He has said that this week. The way the Brownlee brothers race

is to go from the front. The cycle is demanding, and it is not an easy

run off the back of that. Jodie Stimpson proved this morning that it

is the hard, tough athletes who will do well. That is what I am looking

forward to with the Brownlee brothers. Midsummer in Scotland, it

is always like this appear, apparently. Coming up to the next

turn, and there can apparently. Coming up to the next

on these tight turns. It is a relatively small field, just 45. It

has not relatively small field, just 45. It

Alistair, in the red strip of England... They are quickly into

pole position, and they did so within the first 30 seconds of this

swim. It will be followed by a 40k bike and then a 10,000m run in the

searing heat of the afternoon in Strathclyde Country Park. It was a

great dive by Alistair, surfacing about six inches ahead of the rest

of the field. You just know that is what he is looking for this

afternoon, to really stretch out the field, to try to get rid of any

possible competitors as soon as he can. It will be to the advantage of

the Brownlee brothers if they can stretch out the field. Spectacular

scenes, and a beautiful afternoon for sport. Water sport is very much

the key attraction in these parts. It is home to the Herriot Watt

University Boat Club and the Scottish Rowing Centre as well. We

are only three quarters of the way through the first lap, and the field

is spread over 250 metres, maybe even more. We have got the

best-known athletes in that lead group. They are working very, very

hard indeed, as with the women's event. People are desperately trying

to get on the feet of the swimmer in front of them. They do not want to

lose contact. Even at this early stage, we know that the swimmers

will be planning. They will not want to lose any time from the dive back

into the water again for the second lap. Jonny had a problem with his

goggles there, but he has already negotiated the turn. Looking at the

spread of the field, which you mentioned, Steve, I have got a

sneaking suspicion that somebody might be lapped in the lake. I

cannot remember ever commentating on a race where that has happened on a

two leg swim. But there is a guy who is just about turning for the second

stage of the swim now. Looking from the commentary box, he is going

very, very slowly. He might be lapped in the water. I have to

agree. We saw it in the women's race earlier on, to an extent. But this

looks even a bigger stretch. But importantly for the race and how it

will develop a there is a strong possibility of a break, even at this

early stage. Just looking down, 15, possibly as many as 20, but a gap

really beginning to develop after seventh or eighth position. It will

be intriguing watching them coming out of the water, and then going

back in again for the second lap. This is a decent sized group, pretty

well spread. 15 seconds between the first and the last. The first of

them is the younger of the two brothers, 24-year-old Jonathan

Brownlee. Alistair is in second. I would assume that is henries

Koeman, he would be the likely swimmer in third position. And I

wonder if we will see anything from Daniel Hawksworth from Jersey.

The Brownlee brothers are at the front of proceedings. A chance for

Jonathan to look over to his older brother. Just struggling out of the

water, Jonathan first, Alistair second. In third it is Henri

Schoeman. Marc Austin Scotland has had a good swim. The Australian

Bailie is next. Sissons is in good shape. Ransomware is with the

leaders as well. Two of the Scottish athletes making good progress.

Well, we have got a split on that leading pack. The top seven swimmers

have managed to make a break, about five metres only at a moment. And

you're right, Daniel Hawksworth did feature in there. And he is very

strong on the bike as well. He has been racing over longer distances

recently, which will stand him in good stead on this very tough bike

course. Jonathan Brownlee ploughs his way through the water. He has

had a solid, but not spectacular season on the World Triathlon

Series, which runs from the beginning of April, all the way

through to the Grand Final at the end of August. He has been

outclassed most of the time by Javier Gomez of Spain, who is

obviously not here. Alistair has had intermittent appearances on the

World Triathlon Series, but crucially, on the last leg, in

Hamburg, he won. The Brownlee brothers were looking over their

shoulders, and most unusually, there seemed to be a big injection of swim

case. I have looked back and seem there is a possibility of a split

developing, and decided to put the hammer down to try to get away. We

had that group of 11th working together initially, with the women's

race, which quickly established itself. Now, I think both Alistair

and Jonny have looked back and thought, we are not going to be in

that situation, we are going to get this done as much as we possibly

can. On this very, very tight cycle course, it may be better to have a

small working group of between 5-7, rather than around a dozen, that

could really be to their advantage. Interesting racing developing here,

with henries and, the accomplished swimmer, forcing the pace for South

Africa. But the Brownlee brothers are really putting the hammer down.

Still working hard, and all the time, looking around to make sure

they are in a very, very good position. That split has really

developed now. Right from the front to the back of the field, it looks

very, very possible indeed that we could have a swimmer being lapped.

The gentleman at the back of the field doing breaststroke now, we

might get a picture of that. At the front, the pace is fast and furious.

Schumann is having a great performance. He is keeping his eyes

on the Brownlee brothers as well. He knows if he can keep pace with them,

he will have a very good chance of a medal.

The next turn, and the pace is still fast and furious, as the Brownlee

brothers start to do some damage to this field, which is well spread.

There is a gap between the first 12 and the next group. I fear that the

last man in the water may well be lapped. As you say, he is doing

breaststroke. There are two guys actually still on the first lap.

There are a couple of kayakers and paramedics shadowing them, so they

are in safe hands. I think there are only around 220 metres between the

leaders on the second lap and the back marker on the first lap. It is

going to be tight. You have to say that you hope he will not get

lapped, the cars were so many of these athletes, just to make

Commonwealth Games representation is the biggest opportunity they can

have. You do not want people to be pulled out two early in the race.

The women's triathlon took place this morning. A win for Jodie

Stimpson of England. Kirsten Sweetland took the silver for

Canada, and England got bronze, in the shape of Vicky Holland.

water, first back in, he is pushing the pace at the front of the field

here. Then they will switch to two wheels. They will pick up their

bikes and head out to the hills and paths of the Strathclyde Country

Park. Five eight K laps to complete a 40 K cycle distance. Then they

will return to transition to park up the bikes, but on the running shoes

and complete three laps to complete the triathlon with a 10,000 metre

run. It is tough, it is gruelling, they are some of the fittest

athletes in the world. Conditions are glorious. Some will suffer in

the heat, particularly on the run but they are happy to be in the cool

waters at the moment. Henri Schoeman is taking his turn at the front of

the field. Just over three and a half minutes to go. 250 metres

remaining on the swim. We still have two swimmers in the water on that

number one. It will be very close indeed. The leading pack has split.

The pace has been fast and serious. I think there has been more of an

awareness. The athletes have a little bit more space around them to

see what is developing. It is straight line in now and it is

getting very close towards the end of lap number two and the final

swimmer on that number one. This marks the last turn before they hit

the exit point. There is a short-term before they come out of

the ramp and onto the pontoon. They are pretty well spread now. No one

is concerned in this lead group. They are all in good shape. Ill be

adjusting to see how far Richard Murray is behind the leading group.

He has been one of the best triathletes all season, Richard

Murray. He is always a contender and he can run down a lead so you can

never count him out. He will need to get together with a decent group of

riders on phase two on two wheels to try and close down the leaders

because he will be off the pace as they exit the water. I imagine

Murray will be looking around for Tom Davison for company on the

bikes. There is the leading group. Numbering about ten. I think we are

looking at Tom Davison. He is a sensation. Will he be willing to

take Richard Murray. This is getting very tight. I think the safety

canoeist persuading the final swimmer to move out slightly so he

will not be engulfed by the lead group coming through. There is one

swimmer from the first lap, he is doing breaststroke and bobbing

around. I cannot tell you who he is but he has been lapped on the swim.

Unfortunately, for that particular athlete, that has happened but he

will have a story to tell. The last 15 to 20 metres towards the exit

point. Henri Schoeman has led the final stages of the swim. He along

with the Brownlee brothers and a couple of the Scottish athletes,

hopefully, we'll come out of the water in front. Henri Schoeman out

first. Jonny Brownlee out second. Then Alistair two seconds further

back. Marc Austin is out in good shape.

There is calls of anticipation around the transition area here.

Jonathan Brownlee, Henri Schoeman, Alistair Brownlee and Marc Austin of

Scotland head out of transition. They are along with Ryan Bailie and

Daniel Halksworth and Aaron Royle. For Marc Austin, to come out in that

position, it is sensational. There is a significant gap between the

first eight swimmers and the training pack. So much damage done

on lap number two. You know Alistair and Jonny Brownlee will be hitting

it right from the front. To close a gap will be so, so hard indeed.

There are a lot of good athletes back in the second pack. There is

Tom Davison coming out just under a minute down. For anyone else you

would say that is insurmountable but for him you would say he is in with

a big, big chance. We will be keeping and I out for Marc Austin of

Scotland, the 20-year-old. Not only is he Scottish, he was born in

Glasgow, Savary much a local boy. He wears number 21. Keep an eye open

for him. He is in fourth position. He is in the shadow of the

Brownlees on the first lap of this cycle. There is a 15 second gap from

the front group to the second group. Grant Sheldon is the second

of the Scottish athletes. A great opportunity for Marc Austin.

Even with that small group of eight athletes, we saw gaps beginning to

develop. It will take a big effort to close this down. Marc Austin has

put himself in with a great chance. There is only at the moment eight

athletes in contention. There is a huge gap of 20 to 25 seconds. There

are still athletes coming through transition. That will be continuing

for a long time. Richard Murray, 44 seconds down in 16th place overall.

Tom Davison will be looking around and working out what he needs to do.

Ideal conditions for Tom. Marc Austin of Scotland leads the

Commonwealth triathlon. Off into the woods. Shaded areas are very welcome

with the sun at its hottest now in the afternoon.

The Canadian has dropped off, Matt Sharp of Canada. I do not know what

happened to him. Sharpe not with the front group any longer. I think that

is a reaction to the twists and turns on this course. Four athletes

away. The Brownlees will welcome this. Marc Austin will realise what

a great opportunity he has. Henri Schoeman will realise he has a

chance to get on the podium. Daniel Halksworth looks like he has a bit

of a gap he needs to close now. We are looking for big news on Tom

Davison. That does not seem to be the sort of speed we are seeing in

the front group. Final adjustments still being made. Feet being

fastened into the shoes which are attached to the pedals when they hit

transition. That is our leading group of four. The two brothers

looking over at each other. Marc Austin is willing to do the required

work to stay there. We are seeing now the sort of situation we have

got used to when we look at a breakaway pack on the Tour de

France, athletes working closely together, more than happy to do

their work, knowing they can establish a very serious time

their work, knowing they can If they keep working on that, the

opportunity, three from four on the podium, better odds than three from

45. Marc Austin has raced with the Brownlees in Yokohama in round three

of the triathlon series. Alistair and Jonathan finished fourth and

fifth respectively. Marc Austin finished 45th so he was a long way

down. What a swing he has had. These are the chasers, plenty of work to

do. -- what a swim he had. We could almost pick out the lead group after

the swim, we could further establish you would be coming off the bike

together. We take out the Europeans and USA athletes and it makes it a

very different situation. I think it is the different conditions, the

different situation that has made this race is so interesting, so

early. A non-wetsuit swim. A tough bike course and athletes willing to

work so hard. An opportunity for Marc Austin to make his mark here in

Scotland is absolutely sensational. A big group further back. Richard

Murray with work to be done. Ms Jones of Canada little further

ahead. Dan Wilson, Sheldon of Scotland, he is another one who has

been left behind. Grant Sheldon will be hoping to do some damage as this

group of about 12 climb up through the forest towards the highest point

of the course. It will be so disconcerting. They see four

athletes working together. You would think the time gap would be opening

and opening. We have four athletes working together. Marc Austin

possibly struggling as he came round the corner. We have got one down.

Henri Schoeman hit the buffers. Henri Schoeman making a massive

mistake on the left handed turn. He finds himself embedded in the

protective veils. The protection did its work and he appears to be

unscathed and he is back on his bike and riding away but he has lost

track of the group at the front. Exactly what we were saying about

the conditions of the course. A slight misjudgement. He only lost a

few seconds but he has got to start from nothing. Marc Austin has gone

to a situation of one from three. The chances have to be, with this

big, big chase pack, are they going to work together? I don't know. This

has really fallen into the Brownlees lap. Marc Austin,

fantastic. 20 years old, four years younger than Jonny Brownlee but a

man who is seizing his opportunity. This was the crash where Henri

Schoeman just could not make the turn. He went into the bales which

are there to protect him from hitting the woodwork onto the other

side. He is OK but he has lost his place in amongst the leading group.

It will take him at least 12 seconds to re-establish the pace. It will be

a tough call for Henri Schoeman. He will have to try and recapture the

a tough call for Henri Schoeman. He will have to try lead or come into

this big chase group. If that happens, there will be some

demoralisation setting in. Wian Sullwald of South

demoralisation setting in. Wian Sullwald of Africa and Wilson of

Barbados at the back of this pack. -- Wian Sullwald of South Africa.

He was a man who was enjoying swimming and running. He then picked

up his bike and got stuck into triathlon. As we see what happened

to Henri Schoeman. It was later on, when his problems got more

important, as we see Jonathan Brownlee, quick in and out of

transition. Plenty to get excited about for the Scottish fans, because

Marc Austin from Glasgow is riding with the brothers. Up in Stirling,

they have got a very strong triathlon community. Chris took a

strong decision to go out there, and he has developed the youngsters up

there are so strongly, which is being shown right now with a

20-year-old Scot, with two brothers from England, who, already between

them, and a multitude of World Championships, as well as the gold

and bronze Olympic medals. Austin just loses a little bit of distance

on the brothers as they come through the technical terms. You might not

be quite such an accomplished rider. There is Henri Schoeman, who has

already been off his bike, but he is back on two wheels now. Alistair and

Jonathan get out of the saddle and push hard. Royle coming through.

There will be a massive round of applause as they complete lap one.

They will be excited to see the Brownlee brothers at the front of

the field. And listen to the noise when they see that Mark Austin of

Scotland is in third position at the end of lap one! What a start to this

Commonwealth triathlon race, only the third time the triathlon has

been held at the Commonwealth Games. Simon Whitfield won in Manchester,

with Miles Stewart in second, and Hamish Carter third. In Melbourne,

2006, Brad Kahlefeldt of Australia was the winner, beating Bevan

Docherty of New Zealand, with Peter Robertson third. He was from

Australia. There has never been a male Commonwealth triathlon

medallist from Great Britain or Ireland. I just wondered if Marc

Austin is just falling off the pace, or is he just falling back a

couple of metres, so he can watch the line that the Brownlee brothers

are taking into the corner, just to make sure that he can stay with

their pace? 40 seconds, it is a big gap. Grant Sheldon, the other

youngster from Scotland, also there are, as indeed is David McNamee.

They have established such a big lead on the first lap. Can they

continue it, or is the big chase group going to be able to close the

gap? Riding along beside the loch now, on the second lap of five. 31

minutes of the triathlon complete. We will expect the mens rea is to

become pleated in about one hour 50 minutes or a bit over. A couple of

significant climbs on this bike course. Look at how many people have

come out. Well, why wouldn't you, on a beautiful day like today? Soak up

the sun, watch some top-level sport and enjoy the beautiful surroundings

of the Strathclyde Country Park. There is Tom Davison, the bike

specialist. Let's see what he has got to offer. He will be coming from

a long way back, after the swim, but he has got the legs to bring himself

back into contention. There will be a couple of happy faces in the group

ahead of him as they see him arrive, as he can turn things around on two

wheels. He has got the pedigree to move it up a gear and bring the

chasers closer to the leaders. He certainly has, we saw that in

Auckland, where he closed the gap phenomenally. You cannot say that

someone like Ryan Sissons, his countryman, relies on him, but he

certainly takes advantage of what Tom Davidson can do on the bike. --

Tom Davison. The difficulty is, who can stay with Tom Davison, when he

is working hard to close the gap and he has got his head down? He will be

thinking, do I take the chance myself to try to close down on the

leaders? The leading group, Alistair

Brownlee, Jonathan Brownlee and Marc Austin. Marc Austin, just dropping

off by a couple of metres, as we go round a bend, following the line.

This is a man who is gaining experience by the second, working

with two of the greatest athletes in the world. You can bet your bottom

dollar that Alistair Brownlee will be barking instructions at Marc

Austin. That is the way he rides. He does not keep his mouth shut at all.

He will keep him in the picture, he will boss him around, he will bully

him, in a nice way, and keep him out of trouble. When you are the leader

of the pack, that is Marc Austin looks over and says, I will do my

work, because if I do that I can stay with you two guys, and you are

putting me in a strong position. Wouldn't it be great for the

Scottish crowd if Marc Austin can stay there? They are really moving

away. The Brownlee boys are not going to hold back on two wheels,

they will force the pace and give themselves the best possible shot at

medals, and Marc Austin is along for the ride. Austin drops back a couple

of metres again, gets round safely, he has seen Henri Schoeman crashing,

you will have learned from that. All the time, we will get a clearer

vision at the end of this lap, but at the moment, they are still

holding... BRCA1 little bit of concentrated work coming now from

the chasing pack. -- we are seeing. There is the crossover, so what is

the time gap? Here are the front three. The brothers from England,

and the 20-year-old Scot, heading back towards us, via a steep uphill

section. I think if there were any doubts in the young man's mind, they

would have come through by now. But that has not happened. Going through

his mind at the moment is, I had a great swim, I deserved it, I deserve

to be here. As soon as they come out of the saddle, that is what he does.

He is learning by the second. The stature of his racing is going to be

second to none when he goes away from this race. He lists his hero as

being the Scottish swimmer Michael Jamieson, who has not had things all

his way today. If things carry on, it could be Marc Austin who is

making the headlines tomorrow, rather than his hero. Long way to

go. He also lists will Clark and the Brownlee brothers as his idols, and

now he is riding with them. Tom Davison has not quite caught the

chasing pack yet, but I think it is a matter of time. He will then start

to control this peloton. Approaching two laps on the bike, Davison has

moved up. But it is going to be a big effort, with three laps to go.

Depending on what the time gap is. He still has a significant amount of

work to try to establish contact with that big chasing group. He can

see them but he cannot quite reach them.

see them but he cannot quite reach group if he was in control by the

time they came downhill, as Alistair, Jonathan and Marc Austin

descend. A little bit more incentive, if it is needed, for the

two Brownlee boys and Marc Austin, seeing Davison trying to

re-establish contact. Good cornering by Austin. Takes the best line

through, but establishes contact with the back wheel in front of him.

The leading three stay as they are. The chasing group making the hairpin

turn at the top of the hill. As they roll down towards the side of the

loch. 38 minutes done. What a great start to this race. Tremendous

stuff. It is that big term, that 180 degrees turn around, that is where

the extra few seconds get lost. If the group is large, then necessarily

you have to back off going around that turn.

There is Davison, he still has not quite caught the chasing group. He

will. The sooner the better, as far as those hunting down the Brownlees

and Austin are concerned. We are above the chasing group, as they

jostle for position and share the workload at the front of this

peloton. You talked about Alistair Brownlee bossing the front pack,

quite rightly, Matt. If you are bossing just a couple of athletes

who want to be bossed, again, it is one of the critical differences.

Trying to boss a big whoop of 12, when they are thinking, maybe I

should we saving my legs, people respond so much more quickly.

Davison is still trying to establish contact. We know he is probably the

strongest cyclist out on the course, but he has got to move through the

group. Will he try to take it directly from the front? If he does

so, are we going to have the athletes chasing hard, or is he

really going to try to break by himself?

Hawksworth, of Jersey. Schoeman, after his crash, who has joined the

chasers. And it looks like Tom Davison is going to join them as

well. He will slot in, refuel at the back and then try to weave his way

towards the front. It is almost Tom's raison d'?tre in the triathlon

world, to try to re-establish contact. He was really quite ill

couple of years ago, I read. He was bit by a spider. When he started

last season, he said, everything is a bonus now. He probably just once,

I have got nothing to lose. Eight weeks to recover from that spider

bite. The story goes that he was not feeling well, I heard it was here in

Scotland somewhere, he called his mum and she said, go to the

hospital, and he was told he was lucky he did. But he is a young man

with a good future. Excellent rider. Look how he has eaten up the

ground, working on his own, which is always tough. It is not often you

see anyone do this in triathlon. Closing the gap on your own without

anyone to help you. Me up with the chasing group now. Time to drink and

relax for a few seconds at the back of the pack. Hard work still to come

for the man from Christchurch in New Zealand. Marc Austin, again, just a

little gap opens up come before he re-establishes contact. After that

effort by Tom Davison at the back of the pack, we will rejoin the

leaders, the Brownlees and Marc Austin, crossing the line at the end

of lap to! Another cheer, almost disbelieving, that Marc Austin has

managed to stay with the Brownlee brothers. As they head out on lap

three. Absolute lift for Marc Austin. Every time he comes passed

this big, big crowd in the stand, they will lift him. The incentive,

the possibility of a medal. Waiting for the time difference - oh, it is

stretching by the second. Once again, out of the saddle, working

hard up this short hill. Marc Austin stays in contact. Now, has Tom

Davison made a movie at? He is working his way up through the

field. It will be at the start of this third lap, on the flat, where

we will expect to see Davison tried to do some damage and potentially

take one or two of these decent runners with him and give them a

chance of making their way up through the field on the third

phase, the 10,000m run. All of that to come. The time gap has gone out

from 45 seconds to just outside a minute, one minute and five seconds.

It really emphasises what a difference it is when you get

athletes working hard in a small group. If they keep stretching this

out, Marc Austin could be in with a good shot of a Commonwealth Games

medal. Action beginning to start now. A little bit of speed. If we

are going to start working, that time gap will have really woken

people up. They know that they have got to work hard. If they are coming

in with a gap of more than two minutes, even for the good runners,

the chances of getting on the podium would be slim.

in there. Going through is Dan Wilson from Australia.

David Grevemberg me from Scotland is indeed -- David McNamee from

Scotland is at the back of the chasing group. Marc Austin from

Scotland leads the Commonwealth Games triathlon and he is in good

company with the Olympic champion and the Olympic bronze medallist,

Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, respectively. They are halfway

through the bike section. Marc Austin is probably feeling his legs

burning up now. If he can control that and stay with these two boys.

Here he is again. He looks up, bank, here we go again. That lead stays

way, way out there. Just slipstreaming, trying to refuel as

best as he can. Off they go, toward the western side of the loch towards

the motorway and the theme park which is in full swing this

afternoon, doing excellent business on a glorious day. They will make a

hairpin turn and then double back and forth and have a climb. Marc

Austin growing in stature with every single paddle there. He sees the

athletes moving over, goes through. A little bit of acceleration,

something to learn rather than trying to maintain the same speed.

Certainly a man willing to put his percentage of the work into trying

to maintain that lead. 45 seconds from the end of lap one, now they

are closer. Putting in a further 20 seconds. A little bit of work at the

front of the pack. It is a big group. Where is the leader of the

pack as we see the group of three at the friend? Daniel Halksworth from

the Channel Islands Jersey is propping them up at the back. Tom

Davidson has weaved his way to the front of the chasing pallet on. --

pallidum. That was bound to be Alistair waving

at the chasers, saying you will have to catch us. They are heading in one

direction with a massive group of chasers heading the wrong way as far

as the medals are concerned. Alistair Brownlee is coming back

from injury. A lot of people would have said, it is all gone now, they

were writing him off. But he said earlier this week that he feels in

great shape. He feels an beatable. Is that arrogance or is it

confidence? He is dominating along with his brother and Marc Austin of

Scotland, absolutely dominating this race. It is the confidence of a man

who has won everything apart from this, the Commonwealth Games gold

medal. He is the defending reigning Olympic champion. There was not a

triathlon in Delhi. There will be next time I hope. The Gold Coast is

a hotbed of triathlon. David-macro me has had some solid results over

the last couple of years but nothing spectacular -- David McNamee.

Some people make the changeover from junior to senior 's but others take

a bit longer. The governing bodies will be looking at that and the

programmes and the plans. They will stay loyal to the athletes making

the progress. Once again, looking for the line coming round. A little

bit tight for Marc Austin but re-establishes contact out of the

saddle. He knows he cannot afford to get dropped. If he's dropped from

the Brownlee brothers he will be in No Man's Land. No wonder he was

slightly cautious on that turn because that is where he saw Henri

Schoeman come a cropper. Huw was rightly applying the brakes and

keeping himself out of trouble. -- he was rightly applying the brakes.

Around the tight turn. Again, a little bit of caution, perhaps

another couple of seconds lost. Daniel Halksworth is working hard,

trying to maintain contact with that pack. A good race from him, a swim.

Unlucky not to make the first pack but in the chase pack. He will be

pleased with himself at the moment. There is a lack of pace. OK, they

are going downhill but we saw Jonny and Alistair and Marc Austin working

a little bit. There is a sense of inevitability that one of the

Brownlee brothers will win the Commonwealth title here. I think

that's pretty much guaranteed, assuming they on two wheels and does

not break down. He asked the camera to pull clear so he could not

breathe in the fumes and force the pace at the front of the chase

group. I think we are anticipating that Davison will close the gap.

Everybody seems happy to follow him through but how much of that

big-time gap, that one minute five seconds, are they closing when they

have so many athletes to content with. They have got to take their

turn at the front otherwise, Tom Davidson will not be able to close

the gap entirely by himself. 51 and a half minutes down so about an hour

to go or thereabouts before we know who is the Commonwealth champion for

2014. Which one of the Brownlees? With the Olympic Games, you will

remember Simon Lessing was a hot favourite in Sydney in 2000. We did

nothing until the Olympic Games in 2012 and that is where it really

came through. Equally, with the English athletes, fourth place is

fantastic. Now with Vicky Holland, what a fantastic bronze medal to go

along with Jodie Stimpson's gold in the women's triathlon today. It

looks like a strong possibility of two medals for England and a good

possibility of one for Scotland in the men's event. Jonathan Brownlee

takes his turn at the front. Marc Austin is the meat in the Brownlee

sandwich. Alistair is in third position. Some of the scenes today,

I am reminded of seeing the Tour de France in the last couple of weeks,

looking down on spectacular countryside, incredible scenery,

bright blue skies and Bluewater alongside. Absolutely amazing

conditions today at the Strathclyde Country Park. It is a great venue.

So many of the crowds have come out. It is tremendous. The 2012 Olympic

Games in London was a bit of a game changer. We saw thousands of

spectators, it was absolutely solid and we're seeing that again here in

the Commonwealth Games. The end of lap three. They are on their feet

again. The Scottish supporters are relieved and excited in equal

measure to see that Marc Austin is still up with the Brownlee brothers.

Alistair with a couple of words. He will have an instruction or two for

his young Scottish opponent. will have an instruction or two for

chasing group is fragmented with Tom Davison injecting pace at the front.

We have lost one or two. You know what Alistair Brownlee is sent to

Marc Austin, he is saying, you stay with us, you have some work, you

have every chance of a medal at the Commonwealth Games. He's using I'm

sure, the psychology there, we are going to get you working, because if

we do, you will be well rewarded. The chase group is coming into

transition so we will get an accurate idea now of the time

difference between the leading trio and the chasing group. The chasing

group are 61 seconds behind. The input of Davis is significant. I was

expecting that to have opened. -- Davison has taken his opportunity.

Grant Sheldon of Scotland also going through, the third of the Scottish

trio in this competition. Look at the crowds, six, seven deep on both

sides of the road. This is where the strength comes in,

the difficult terms, the inclines. Someone is moving away, who is that?

Is it, Murphy? -- Connor Murphy. The White of Northern Ireland, and

then Barbados. These three coming to complete their

third lap. It is but a field of Bermuda who is the third member of

this trio. -- Tyler Butterfield. It is his third Commonwealth Games. He

has moved up to longer distance racing. Credit to him, changing his

training somewhat to come and represent Bermuda in the

Commonwealth Games. Tom Davison leading the chase group through

transition as they complete their third lap. Just to remind you, this

is phase two of the Olympic distance, last triathlon, with a

thousand metre run to conclude. That will involve 33.3 kilometre laps

around the park, one pretty stiff climb will stop it was a thrilling

finish for the women's race this morning with victory for Jodie

Stimpson of England. Critical, I think for Marc Austin, is what the

time gap will be. He has had a great swim, he has worked so hard on the

bike along with Jonathan and Alistair to maintain the lead. Now

we are seeing some movement in the chase pack. This is where he will

have to dig into concentrate, to stay with the two Brownlee boys. If

it stays within a minute and we have people like Richard Murray in the

chase group, there is a possibility that Richard Murray can close a

minute gap on many athletes. Tom Davison is pushing hard. He has his

head down and he is asking a lot of these guys who are following him

around the streets of the park here. They are well spread. Tom Davison is

attempting to close the gap which was 61 seconds the last time we got

an official time check at the end of lap three. Perhaps Tom Davison has

decided that the only way he is going to close the gap is to take

all the responsibility on himself to lead from the front and try and make

perhaps an honest race of it. To me, this is an absolutely honest race.

We have seen these athletes who have worked from the very first stroke.

We saw Alistair Brownlee takes six inches out of his dive. Absolute

commitment. He took Jonathan along with him. Marc Austin had the

clear-sighted bus to go with them and be prepared to work. Look at the

expression on his face. He is working hard to stay in contact.

The news from Mark Austen is that, yes, he can stay with them for the

moment, adrenaline is keeping him going. What do you know about his

run? He trains under Chris Volley, a methodical coach who will work and

work and work at the athlete's weaknesses. It is very difficult for

a junior to try to match the speed on the run in, that is the one that

makes the difference, but I am convinced his training will have

been geared to maybe having a chance, he has proved he has got a

chance, and I don't think he will be found wanting, he will be focused

and he knows the rewards will be sensational. Some of the stragglers

coming through six and a half, seven minutes off the pace, but every one

of these triathletes welcomed warmly as they hit the blue carpet in front

of transition. Tom Davison of New Zealand injecting as much as Higa,

the leading three already on the downhill slope as Schoeman and the

rest of the chasers attempt to close him down. You feel sorry for him -

one mistake and his chances of a medal or gone. Meanwhile, the

Brownlees and Marc Austin hits the downward slope. If anything, more

confidence from Marc Austin, he got towards the bottom of the slope and

he was out of the saddle. I do not think he would have attempted that

on lap 1 or 2. He has got everything to play for. The Canadian was with

the leaders for a short while at the end of the swim. He could not stay

with them, or maybe he did not fancy it. If you have got the opportunity

to go with the Brownlees, you have got to be prepared to hurt. Who

wouldn't love the opportunity that Marc Austin is getting now? Go,

work, give yourself a chance. The man from Jersey at the back of the

pack, Halksworth. Happy to let Tom Davison do the hard work out in

front. It is Danny Houghton with's opportunity, he knows he will not

get on the podium, but if you can do what he describes, we have got a

breakaway. -- Halksworth. Ryan Bailie has gone with Tom Davison,

the Australian on the right, Ryan Bailie, the New Zealander on the

left in black, Tom Davison. If anyone wants to come with us, now is

the time to go. So far no further takers. As we would expect, systems

or Ryan Bailie leading the chase, maybe Dan Wilson, but I have not

seen him featuring. -- Sissons. Three would be a lot nicer than two

working through. Back with Halksworth, he has to work his own

race, if he has a relatively steady ride and saves his legs, hopefully

he will be able to run through a few of these athletes.

Can they close the gap by the end of lap 4? It was 61 seconds at the end

of lap 3, we will see if they have taken anything out of that by the

time they cross the line in transition just a few moments from

now to conclude lap 4, when they will take that well with one lap to

go. The experienced athletes will know about Marc Austin, they are not

going to be unaware, but there will be a realisation that may be staying

with the Brownlees is very hard indeed, so if they do make this big

effort, a possibility of getting on the podium. Everybody out of sight

in the summer foliage, and now the chase group, depleted in numbers

following the break, and there has been another break at the front.

Marc Austin has been dropped by the Brownlees brothers. Disappointment

for the Scottish crowd. Not a huge gap, but it is by all six seconds

now. The Brownlees brothers have decided that they have had enough

company for the moment, and a little bit of a word from one to the other.

The pace came, and this time Marc Austin could not match it. Well,

big, big tactics, a lot of thought gone into it, I am sure, and maybe

it is not so much the Brownlees really upping the pace a significant

amount, but maybe Marc Austin has worked so hard to stay with them and

is now paying the price. But the important thing to me is that he

went for it. If it doesn't work this time, next time maybe it will. The

experience he will have gained by being with Alistair and Jonny, you

couldn't buy that. He will be a different athlete after this race.

The penultimate lap about to come to its conclusion with the Brownlees

brothers out in front, Jonathan on the right, Alistair on the left, now

it is the other way around. They take the belt with one lap to go.

Last time the gap to Davison's chase group was 61 seconds, we will get an

idea of what the gap is to Marc Austin, who is being roared through,

but he looks a little weekend. He has given it everything in his quest

to stay with the Brownlees brothers. He crosses the line, he is now 19

seconds adrift. He is looking a little shaken. He is fresh out of

juice, I think, Marc Austin, and it won't be long, I imagine, before

Ryan Bailie and Tom Davison catch him. What a shame for Marc Austin,

but what a valiant performance from the 20 old Scot. Guts and

determination, he went for it, he will come back a better athlete. He

knows this cause well, he races here regularly, but will he have ever

raised on a day like today? Scorching afternoon temperatures,

against the best in the world, the answer is no, it was a new

experience despite the local knowledge. The chase pack take the

bell with Davison and Bailie leading them through.

At the back, Danny Halksworth from jersey. The leaders are on their

final lap. With that time gap, that is what the Brownlees need, they

have managed to stay out, they cannot afford to back off. That is

why they have decided to maintain, to go that little bit harder, but

coming back to Marc Austen, I think that young man has been

sensational. He had that pure guts and determination. He didn't want to

take the easy way out, he decided he was going to stay with them, and on

another day he may well have been able to stay with them right the way

through. We are just hearing he is coached by Blair Carter, a strong

runner, but perhaps not as strong today, looking as weary as he did

crossing the line. I remember him as a very strong athlete, a junior

athlete moving up to senior level. The chase as again, Tony Dodds of

New Zealand, David McNamee of Scotland, Jones of Canada, Wilson of

Barbados, the usual suspects. No-one, apart from Tom Davison, Ryan

Bailie, briefly prepared to take it on. We will see if the breakaway was

decisive, whether it puts him into a provisional medal position. Richard

Murray is the man we need news about, where is he positioned at the

moment? Is he in a strong position to fight his way back? He is with

the chase group, 61 seconds behind. Murray, we know, has excellent

running capabilities. At the moment, you'd probably say that if the

brothers shared gold and silver, one way or the other, Richard Murray is

probably, in this situation, favourite for bronze. He has got to

be the favourites to get onto the podium. And we are assuming, of

course, that Alistair and Jonny will maintain this pace and run as strong

as they always do, but things can change.

Familiar faces, familiar riding styles. Alistair is used to wearing

number one, because he is ranked behind Jonny at the moment in the

world triathlon series standings, so he is wearing 3 on his upper arm.

There were five, four, three for a long time, as Marc Austin gave it

everything, but in the NT had to go, and the gap, well, it is

significant now. -- in the end he had to go. Brothers together ride

away into the distance, on their final lap now with a 10,000 metres

foot race between them to come. A couple of words as they change

leadership there, still working hard, maybe a couple of words of

encouragement, they have got to maintain this to take a handy lead

into the final discipline. There he is, Marc Austin, after all the hard

work, feeling dejected, and he will soon be swallowed up by the chasing

group. Third position will vanish shortly, but Marc Austin, a

courageous ride, you could not believe his luck for most of the 40

K, he was able to enjoy it in the company of two of the best in the

world. company of two of the best in the

You have got to recognise that, he could easily have backed

You have got to recognise that, he could easily have off and thought,

maybe I don't deserve to be here. But he worked the swim, he did

deserve it. Somebody has... Is that Halksworth coming through, pushing

at the front? I can see a 3, trying to spot whether it was 35 or 39 on

his arm. It would be a surprise if Daniel Halksworth, from loitering at

the back of the pack, had taken it on himself to make a mini break.

This is a beautiful part of the world, as the brothers soak it all

up. One of Scotland's grandest houses was in Strathclyde Country

Park for a while, a palace stood on the grounds. It was actually

demolished, sadly, as it fell further and further into disrepair.

There is the remains of a IV to and bathhouse in the park, as well as an

arched bridge. -- of a Roman fort. A scenic part of the world, and

history potentially being made here this afternoon. It is, it is

Halksworth, Daniel Halksworth from Jersey, number 35, having a little

go himself. Well, he sat towards the back of the pack for a long, long

time. He has given his legs a chance to, if not have a rest, at least to

take it easier than most of the other cyclists in this group, and

now he has taken his opportunity. Can he stay out there? Does he see

himself with a chance of getting on the podium? That is a very big call.

We saw and enjoyed all the courage shown by Marc Austin, now it is

Danny Halksworth's turn to give him some 15 minutes of fame. He

obviously fancies his chances going into the run but realises he needs a

bit of a head start, and that group includes some strong runners -

Sissons, but the man they need to watch is Richard Murray. These two

looked likely to be picking up the gold and silver medals this

afternoon, Alistair and Jonathan, a chance to check out the chasers as

they head off in the wrong direction, the right one as far as

the brothers are concerned. So now they start to go to work

again, no letup throughout the duration, throughout the last hour

and 13 minutes. Jonathan and Alistair Brownlee have shown the

way. Join for a good portion of that bike by Marc Austin, who is now

tucked in, just a man in a pack now, having had the limelight. Long.

Schoeman is just in front of him, he was with the leaders before he

crashed out. -- for so long. This is a race that has been full of

stories. I guess Marc Austin now is going to have mixed emotions,

thinking back what might have been, but knowing that he did have the

guts to go for it, now sitting at the back of the pack, I am sure his

legs will be agony. He has got to try to stay with the pack as they

come, really, not too far away from the transition area. We know he is a

good runner, he has got a chance to refuel at the back of the pack here.

I can't see that he will have much left in the tank, but it running is

his speciality, maybe, just maybe, he will have something else to offer

to this race. It is going to be a tough call, and the work he did,

when it disappears, wow, we have gone now, you can see the effect it

has had already. That will be a very hard run for the young man. Here

they are again, neither of them are Commonwealth Games medallists, but

hopefully, they will be today. The time on the women's race this

morning, much faster. We were expecting a final time of around

2.07. We had a lot of athletes working

hard. We have seen initially with the league pack on the men's race

with the Brownlees and Marc Austin, that made a difference. They are

maintaining to within a few seconds, that time gap as we approach the end

of the cycle distance. When we talked to the Brownlees before at

the start of the race, they discussed there would not be any

tactics within the English team but they would have some tactics within

the family, and so it has worked out. They had Marc Austin along for

the ride for the majority of the 40 K bike, then they ditched him, or he

could not stay with them any more. Then they said, we will have some

tactics, but when it comes to the ten K run, it will be a race to the

finish of the two of us. Expect some fireworks. They come towards the

conclusion of the two wheel stage, phase two of this triathlon, for the

swim they were in good shape. In the bike, they hit the front, dominated

the two wheel phase and here they are, about to be warmly welcomed

back into transition on two wheels for the final time. They will park

up the bikes. Their feet are ready to exit the cycling shoes. The

Olympic champion and Olympic Ron 's medallist. -- bronze medallist. It

is a zinc is a rival for the Brownlee brothers in transition,

showing the way here at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Their bike

positions are adjacent. They have got get this right. Helmet in the

box and shoes on. It looks like Jonny is just ahead of Alistair but

they are pretty much together as they head out for a 10,000 metre

run. Three laps of 3.3 kilometres to decide who will be the Commonwealth

champion for 2014. Whichever of -- whatever that bike ride took out of

their legs, neither brother is showing it. Within ten or 15, that

their legs, neither brother is gap has closed. I know they are

brothers that sometimes you watch them coming into the transition area

and they look like twin brothers almost. They do synchronise that. I

am sure it is an unconscious thing. What will be the time gap? Daniel

Halksworth takes it. His third into transition.

This is well within Richard Murray's capabilities to put himself

in bronze medal position. Tom Davison's work is done. He is the

best cyclist but a long way from being the best runner. They are

still shoulder to shoulder. So many times we have seen this, two

brothers there. It looks like Alistair is feeling a little bit of

pain. Jonny is looking more comfortable at the moment but looks

can be deceiving, particularly with these two. This could be a first to

see them with no one else for company. People looking for high

fives, there will not be any of that yet. There is a lot of work to do.

They have distinctive running styles.

it is no secret now. The tactics of Alistair and Johnny, they run the

first 2.5 K as if that is all there is to worry about. That is the

tactic. It is proven to work many times. A synchronised transition

here from the brothers. That is the Serena seen in

transition now. That is That is the Serena seen in

unfortunate Tom Davison. He has a lot of work to do in the scorching

heat in Glasgow. He was left out of the water. He will be thanked later

possibly by Richard Murray and maybe by the Australian Dan Wilson. And

maybe by Daniel Halksworth. The brothers are on their first climb.

Three laps. They are on their first lap of three now.

Marc Austin down in 19th position. He was with the Brownlee is for so

long. Richard Murray starts to work his way up through the field.

The early stages on the run and an opportunity on that number one to

see how much the cycle discipline has taken out of the legs. With the

Brownlees, it did not see much at all. They were working hard at the

front. Tom Davison did appear to be suffering tired legs. At the head of

the field, Alistair Brownlee with a grimace still. He is trying to move

away from Jonny but he is not allowing him to at all. Alistair is

pushing along quite nicely. Jonny back in second. There is a bit of a

gap but not significant. Richard Murray makes his way in his first

lap, more than a minute down. He is in bronze medal position. Alistair

and Jonathan have become separated. Jonathan looks to be working

desperately hard to get back on it. Daniel Halksworth from Jersey. Is

that Marc Austin? No, it is Wilson from Barbados.

A shower and a drink for the Olympic champion. Has Jonny closed the gap?

Jonathan is not beating yet. The gap is only a second. It is not a

decisive break from the older of the two brothers. Alistair seems to be

holding that first position. It is not closing like we had expected.

Whichever of the brothers is in second place, they usually close

quite quickly. Alistair is certainly the outright leader now. They have

had plenty of sprint finishes over the years. Alistair has won most of

them. Jonathan has got the better of him from time to time. I thought

Jonathan was coming back on Alistair but it has not proved so. A couple

of checks over his shoulder to see if the gap is staying open.

Obviously working hard to do so. It is roasting hot here this afternoon.

Alistair has struggled in intense heat in the past. He picks up

another drink and gives himself another shower. Jonathan responds.

Is he about to rejoin his brother? Now I am worrying. I am looking at

all the liquid that Alistair is trying to take on and the frequent

glances back. We remember back in Hyde Park, a little while ago, going

into the final 150 metres and that collapse. Surely, he will have

learned from that experience and make sure he is well hydrated

throughout the race. Jonathan has closed that gap back up. Steve

mentioned the collapse. It was in the first Olympic test event in Hyde

Park. It was decided that would be the Olympic venue. Alistair was

leading all the way and then he lost his ability to focus and find his

direction. He was overtaken and ended up in fifth or sixth position.

This man is making his way up through the field. Richard Murray,

the powerhouse of the triathlete. He is at home now in the 10,000 metres.

Andrew Yorke of Canada is next best. Is that David McNamee moving up

through the field along with Aaron Harris of England, the third of the

English triathletes? He has David McNamee for company. Alistair has

had another kick away from his younger brother. This one is

unmatched at the moment. Jonathan is back in second position. He is

watching his older brother move away from him. Very early stages for

Alistair to make that break. It is significant that he has chosen to do

so. He spoke about his confidence at the start of the race. He feels like

he is in great shape at the moment. He made his move early on. The

important thing will be to see what the time gap is as we get to the end

of lap number one will stop. The Olympic champion, the older of

the two brothers is leading the Commonwealth Games triathlon in

Strathclyde Country Park. England have already taken the gold and the

bronze in the winning's triathlon through Jodie Stimpson and Vicky

Holland. Kirsten Sweetland took the silver. Jonathan is five seconds

behind his brother at the end of lap one. Those five seconds have really

opened in the final. It does look like Richard Murray is making

inroads. Appearances can be deceptive.

is where he is at his best, he has had some solid results on the world

triathlon series so far this season, including a third in Yokohama,

second in Hyde Park in London. He is always a man to watch once the swim

is down and the bike has been parked. At the end of lap 1, he is

one minute and six seconds behind Alistair. So we will see how much he

closes that by the end of lap 2. The possibilities are there of course,

but it appears at the moment that the gap is pretty consistent. The

chase group are a further 17 or 18 seconds down. Another few seconds,

and we have Aaron Harris and David McNamee from England and Scotland

respectively, running in seventh and ninth position, good performances

there. The gap is growing further for the Olympic champion. Younger

brother Jonathan, two years is the difference between them, Jonathan is

24. They live in separate houses, they always shared before, but they

were able to move out and have enough space for all their new toys

after they had taken the medals in Hyde Park in August 2012. They still

see each other, I saw a quote from Jonny, they still see each other

five or six times a day for training! Just reading through

that, it appears that Jonny is the one who will persuade Alistair to go

out training, he is always ready to go, and Alistair sometimes needs a

little bit of encouragement. But no disrespect intended there at all,

both absolutely superb athletes. They have proved time and again, and

they are proving it again here at the Commonwealth Games. As Jonathan

comes past the lapped runner... Alistair on his own now, he won't

mind about that. The gap grows even further, brother Jonathan just can't

keep pace with Alistair. Is Richard Murray going to be able

to close the gap? Is it Alistair improving the speed and bass or

Jonny backing off, slowing down gradually? -- the speed and pace.

They can improve very quickly. I think Jonathan Brownlee is hurting

but still running strongly. We have seen many times before when Richard

Murray has closed quite big gaps, can he do it today? It certainly

looks like Alastair Wilson day away, and with Jonny dropping a few

seconds, maintaining a one minute gap from Richard Murray. -- it looks

like Alistair will stay away. Born in Cape Town, he lives in Europe,

based in the Netherlands these days. He had the excellent results,

particularly over the sprint distance, so far this season. His

first win came over the shorter distance in Hamburg in 2012, second

a couple of times in sprint distance races as well. He is very handy over

10,000 metres, the full Olympic distance. His swim is the area that

needs attention. He is never with the first group out of the water. He

knows, a bit like Gwen Jorgensen, the American who leads the world

triathlon series at the moment, he knows if he has got a minute and a

half to make up coming off the bike and into the run, he has always got

a chance. We have seen with Gwen, she is a different animal, she has

learned to develop the swim. Previously with her, it would have

been a wet suit, but we have got used to her losing speed. No more

with Gwen Jorgensen, Richard Murray needs to do that - I'm sure he will.

Number three leads the race, Alistair Brownlee, the Olympic

champion, world champion. He took it on right from the start of the third

phase of this triathlon. He swam well, wrote solidly as a four, a

three, a two. He has another shower, get himself a drink, get into the

shade wherever possible, on his second lap of three. 33 and a half

minutes, we expect the race to conclude around the one hour 50

minutes mark, and it looks as if he will be adding commonwealth gold to

the Olympic title he won in London in 2012. There doesn't seem to be

any slowing down of the leg turnover, very strong upper body.

Still moving well, moving away from Johnny, it appears. I am not sure

what is happening with him, the time gap is closing, but we're not

getting information from out on the course. Alistair Brownlee leads,

Jonny Brownlee and second, Richard Murray of South Africa in the third,

the current standings halfway through the running discipline of

this Commonwealth Games triathlon. Any doubts with Alistair Brownlee,

picking up the pace, head a little higher, stride length good, fast,

powerful arms really dragging the elbows back every single time, looks

good, running fast. He has had his problems with injury in the last

couple of years, appendicitis in 2012 tugging him out for a while. He

has an altitude tent in his apartment that he sleeps in

sometimes, the idea is that it stimulates your body to produce more

blood cells, so he is better at carrying blood. It doesn't cost you

anything, so you might as well do it, that is his commitment to being

as fit as he possibly could be. Both of his parents are doctors, both of

the brothers' parents are doctors in Yorkshire. Alistair won a spot to

study at Cambridge University, a bright boy, but he gave it up after

a term, deciding it was difficult to manage alongside his athletic

career. It was a good decision to pursue his career as a triathlete.

Jonathan, the younger of the two brothers, number 1, holding the

silver medal position here this afternoon in the park.

Well, Alistair flying still as he just accent to its his lead, moving

a bit further away from Jonny. Jonny, if anything, getting a second

wind, picking up a little bit, and they are approaching the end of lap

number two. Richard Murray flying along, he doesn't mind the heat,

clearly comfortable out here, the South African looking solid. The

tail end of lap number two. Murray in a moment, see who is

behind him in fourth. It is a lapped runner there. I was looking down at

that, I am not sure what is happening there. We are further

back, it is Bailie and Yorke. McNamee looking likely to finish as

the best Scot here this afternoon. For quite awhile, it looked as if

Marc Austin would that honour, but at the end of this time with the

Brownlees on the bike, it all went backwards for Marc Austin. We hope

to see better things from him in the future as Alistair gets towards two

thirds distance on his 10,000m run. Well, we did have a glimpse here of

the athletes in fourth to eighth position, good news for Great

Britain overall with another English athlete and one Scottish athlete

there. Good, good news for the future. But here comes our leader,

Alistair Brownlee, second places Jonathan Brownlee at the end of lap

number two with just over ten minutes of running to come. Alistair

takes the bell, 1:37.50 four, kilometres to run. They are on their

feet to welcome him, recognising the greatness of the man, his younger

brother gets encouragement and sympathy in equal measure. 13

seconds behind now, and it will be interesting to see the time

difference between Jonathan and Richard Murray, who is in bronze

medal position. Here he is, Murray about to make the turn, looking over

so he can get an idea of how much he has got to find over the last 3300

metres, but I would suggest Jonathan is too far in front. I agree, Matt,

he had a very good second lap, because there is always a

possibility that a small time gap opens, and as we saw with Marc

Austin, it increases magically. That didn't happen, Jonathan only lost

eight seconds in lap number two, so I'm indication of just how well

Alistair is running. Jonny certainly not running badly, still maintaining

almost a full minute over Richard Murray in third place. That is the

way the medals will go if everybody stays healthy in the last ten

minutes also of this Commonwealth Games triathlon. The gold will go to

Alistair, the silver to Jonathan, the bronze to Richard Murray, but

sport is a funny thing my weird happen, especially in the final

stages of these endurance races. We have seen it many times, in

marathons, triathlons - form, speed, energy suddenly vanishes, and

suddenly medal position change. Yorke of Canada is fourth at the

moment, Bailie is fifth, Harris is sixth, and David McNamee is the best

of the Scottish trio, third position at the moment, nearly two minutes

off the pace Alistair Brownlee. Good to see David at there, Harris in

sixth, because the British triathlon Federation said the selection

procedure was not geared to having a third athlete as a domestique. He

does not appear to be losing many positions on the final lap of the

final discipline. If he stays on his feet and finishes with victory

today, it could represent the first of two gold medals for which

Alistair is driving over the course of these Commonwealth Games, because

on Saturday the first ever Commonwealth Games mixed triathlon

relay will take place, and the way things stand it will be the Brownlee

Brothers going with Jodie Stimpson and Vicky Holland. If those four

athletes are fit and ready to race on Saturday, the British quartet won

the world title in Hamburg just prior to the Commonwealth Games. So

England will go in with those four athletes as the favourites for

Saturday's mixed team relay, which means that Alistair, if he takes

individual gold, could add team gold to that, and Jonathan could get a

Commonwealth Games gold to add to the silver he looks likely to get

this afternoon. It is not just the recovery, but if there is any

likelihood of injury, that is what the athletes and their coaches are

really looking at. Let's face it, just 48 hours to recover from a hard

race, it is certainly going to take its toll, take its stress on the

body. I think they will be looking at that and evaluating, as you said,

with Lucy in on the team in Hamburg for the World Championships. England

are very strong throughout there, and Vicky Holland today was

absolutely sensational to take the bronze medal. She thoroughly

deserves a place. Fingers crossed that everybody comes towards the end

of the day, no injury problems, no recovery problems, England can put

up their strongest team. Alistair Brownlee leads the Commonwealth

Games triathlon, almost done, he is on the final lap, phase three, the

run. 10,000m affair in the boiling heat of the afternoon, past the

beach comes Richard Murray in bronze medal position at the moment, into

the shade. And on his way in an attempt to get near the silver medal

position, but that is looking an impossible task now. He will have to

settle for bronze, the way things stand at the moment. The running at

the front is so quick, only another five and a half minutes and we will

see the finish coming through. To be able to run just outside 30 minutes

off of such a hard, hard bike course, again a measure of the

strength, the ability of the athletes upfront here. Make no

mistake, Alistair and Jonny Brownlee have had to work very hard at the

front of the pack, with a lot of other athletes around not being able

to close the gap by not very many seconds. The guys all jostling for

position, hoping for a top-ten finish. David McNamee of Scotland

amongst them as the leader it is tried once again. He is able to

taste another big championships heading his way.

Plenty of support for Alistair Brownlee. His younger brother here

won the bronze in Hyde Park. Now they are seeing two of the best

triathletes in the world. There is only Javier Gomez to match them for

consistency. Alistair said that the world triathlon series was less

important than the Commonwealth Games because it only comes around

every four years and it might not come around again. He wants this

medal and the way it is going, he will get this medal. There he is,

the leader, the Olympic champion. There has been no one to touch him

in the last three or four years. When he is at his best in full

flow, it is a magnificent sight. Alistair Brownlee is eating up the

ground here. Grant Sheldon of Scotland making a bit of a move. He

has got a long way to go. Marc Austin was with the Brownlees for a

long period of time on the bikes. What a brave performance from him.

Alistair Brownlee is on his way to another gold medal. He is not just

physically strong, he is mentally strong as well. When he is racing

well and not beset by injury or illness, he truly believes he can

beat anybody in the world. He has asserted his authority throughout.

He came out of the swim in the lead pack. When Alistair made his second

move, Jonathan was unable to match it. Alistair does not need to be

heard in like this down. But he wants to prove to himself that he is

over the mishaps from early in the season, that whoever is in the

field, he can win. When you see him grimace and burn like that, you know

that usually there is a gold medal coming his way. I think Alistair

running 30 minutes on what is not an easy course by any means. Jonathan

dropped a few seconds. He does not appear to have closed off. He has

maintained the lead over Richard Murray in third place. We are back

with the leader. Maybe about a minute of running to go. He is

closing in on the title but he's so, so deserves. The last stretch of

this 10,000 metre run for Alistair Brownlee. He is near the water

complex. Just one more check over his shoulder to make sure there is

no one there. Jonny is nowhere to be seen. He will have the bragging

rights in his family again this afternoon. Fiercely competitive

between the two of them. A close family. Excellent brothers but

fiercely competitive when they are out on the roads and when it comes

to attempt has a metre run, Alistair is once again showing who is boss

here. No slowing down at all. He could back off right now. Maybe he

will slow down as he gets into the final straight. The acknowledgement

from the crowd will be absolutely superb. He relishes the crowd. He

feels like it lifts him. All the major championships, even the not so

major races, he reacts to the crowd. He will be inside to the crowd in a

few seconds. He is still looking absolutely superb. He homes into the

final of the big four titles that he has not been able to compete for so

far. He is Olympic champion, he has been world champion and European

champion. Now three becomes four as Alistair Brownlee runs in to take

the Commonwealth title. He picks up the England flag. A flag in each

hand for Alistair Brownlee. It will be an English triathlon double on

day one of the Commonwealth Games. Jodie Stimpson came through to win

the women's race. Alistair is picking up flags from all the

nations. A chance to stroll across the line. He will wait for Jonny to

hit the carpet before he finishes. Alistair Brownlee is now the

Commonwealth champion. He proudly takes the gold medal in Glasgow. His

younger brother Jonathan able to ease out as well, as he adds

Commonwealth silver to his Olympic bronze of 2012. The brothers showing

the way once again at the top level of the sport. The prerace favourites

have done what they came here to do. And it will be Richard Murray who

takes the bronze of South Africa. And they will have quite a wait to

see Richard Murray crossed the line to claim that medal once again.

Mixed emotions here for Jonathan. Happy to get a medal but it is not

the gold. He has had to watch his older brother claim that today.

Richard Murray's connections are there to offer their

congratulations. South Africa take a medal on day one of the 20th

Commonwealth Games here in Glasgow. A bronze for Richard Murray in the

men's triathlon. The South African team are looking quite strong on

Saturday as well. Richard Murray knowing he has given it everything

to take his bronze medal. He is soaking it all up here as he

eventually crosses the line to take the bronze. I think you are right

with the relay coming in a couple of days time. Two men. A couple of

mishaps with the women's race. South Africa will be joining Australia,

New Zealand and Canada as big opponents. Fourth placed there for

Andrew Yorke. Ryan Bayley, the first of the Australians in fifth. The

Scottish crowd are looking out for David McNamee who should be the

first of the Scots to finish. He is just about to hit the finishing line

now. It is a top ten performance for David McNamee of Scotland, on a day

which has been dominated here for the English triathletes.

Johnny, congratulations, Commonwealth silver. We said it

would be an honest race and it was. I am pleased with second. I have got

to say thank you very much for getting out of a wheelchair to talk

to us. Are you all right? It is anything to put you in a wheelchair

after a race like this. It is hot out here. You two make it look easy.

We can see how hard you have to work but tell us how hard did you have to

work on this scorching hot day? It was very hard. I came off the bike

absolutely shattered. It was a contrast to London completely where

we were fresh and it was a fast run. That was not fresh, it was hard. How

much does it mean to be, love silver medallist? I have got the whole set

now, not winning because Alistair has got that. I have read pleased

with Commonwealth silver, Olympic bronze and world champion. That is

great. Thank you, it Jonny. We will let you go and have some more

rehydration. Let me bring in Annie Emerson. You can see how hard he had

to work to get that medal. He was absolutely dead going out on the

run. Richard, come and talk to the BBC, it you are live on BBC One. A

bronze here in Glasgow. I am so glad to get the medal. In the swim I was

a little bit back. I don't know if you could see on the television

shot, I was behind and I had to go round to catch up. I am stoked to

get a medal. You must be stoked in a sport dominated by Australia and New

Zealand, you have sport dominated by Australia and New

South Africa's first triathlon medal at a major games. I was asking my

manager if we had won and medal yet in triathlon. She said No. Coming

down, my hamstrings started to laugh up. I was thinking, just finish. The

body started to laugh up. I was super, super happy. Did you expect

this? I did not know how the body was feeling. I was super motivated.

It was hard to say I have to give it everything I have got. We did not

catch the Brownlee boys. They were picked today. But I am very happy

with third. Well done, Richard. Let's bring in the new Commonwealth

champion. Congratulations, Alistair. Thank you Berry much. It

was tough from start to finish. When you have a small field on good

causes, you get good races like that. Jonny was brilliant. We had

Marc Austin for company for most of the bike. I think he was working

pretty hard. It was good. He was getting a baptism of fire from both

of you, both of you shouting to him to come on. Were you expecting him

to be right up with you? We never knew really. It was what it was on

that course. He did pretty well, really. We just wanted him to do

what he could. We said, if he did not know what he could, we would

attack him! You have had an up and down year with illnesses and

injuries. What does it mean to you to be Commonwealth champion after

being Olympic champion? Absolutely fantastic. It was the goal I wanted

to achieve and now I have done it. I have done everything I wanted to do

so I do not know what I will do now, probably retire! Your family were in

the stands, words? Get, my family and most of Yorkshire. There were

more Yorkshire flags than any other nation which is fantastic. Are a

proud county. You had lots of support even though you were not a

Scottish athlete. We were getting lots of cheers from Yorkshire and

the crowd. It was a nice, sunny day. I think there were more people

trying to take selfies and get on TV than supporting triathlon but we

will take what we can get. A year is a year. Congratulations. Enjoyed the

medal ceremony. Annie, team England totally dominating today. Four

medals, two of them gold. They did what everyone expected them to do.

Anything can happen in triathlon. It is an unpredictable sport. Alistair

has executed as did Jodie Stimpson, the perfect races. I say

congratulations to Jonny for the silver but you can see in his eyes

he really wanted the gold but he said the better man has won. He

seems to be able to dig just a little bit deeper. Triathlons are

over here in Strathclyde Country Park. On Saturday we have the mixed

teams relay. Team England with four medals, do you think they can get a

fifth and perhaps even a gold on Saturday? I do not want to jinx it,

but they will be so hard to beat, they really are. They raised so well

in Hamburg a couple of weeks ago. I do not see anybody being able to get

close. As we say, the mixed triathlon team relay making its

major games debut here on Saturday. The race starts at 12:30pm. Today,

in a sport full of ironmen, it was team England who showed their steely

determination to win, I think. They did. Our congratulations

especially to Alistair and also to Jodie Stimpson. Near Strathclyde

Country Park is the M 74. Many of you will remember from the opening

ceremony, pictures of the Sri Lankan cyclists going for a ride on the

mate away. It is part of getting to know the area of Glasgow because we

have got 5000 visitors from all over the world and some things do get

lost in translation. As you know, Glasgow is a place with a rich

heritage and a rich vocabulary. It is brewed tea at times. It is

certainly very distinctive. We would like you to help translate for our

visitors. We would like to do a word of the day. We would like you to

give a couple of examples. We would like you to keep them clean. It is

all a bit of fun. This is one we are going to start with.

John Baron men's opening number from last night. It can be applied in

many situations. something or frustrated by it. That

would have particular reference to the Prince last night. He was joking

about it today, saying it was a joke. But

something or frustrated by it. That would he cut his finger on a

wonderful piece of Scottish engineering. I think it is fair to

say clean and we will put them in a

commonwealth games context. We will be going to the Velodrome

shortly. It is taking place in the Sir Chris Hawley Velodrome, which is

new. But cycling is not new in Scotland, you could say it is coming

home. Look back into the past, almost two

centuries. You will find here in Scotland, man was creating the first

pedal bicycle. It is an invention this nation grew to love. One which

has opened doors to live is shaped by sports. Chris Doig, I knew

commonwealth games event record. On the streets and roads and on the

track. Here, no single journey but an overlap of steep boards and hard

graft, and a showground for the best in the world. So, this nation gives

thanks to the man who invented this machine of travel and sport. And for

him, we can say this summer, cycling is coming home.

It is and let's show you the home but cycling inside the Velodrome. I

doubt I have ever had the pleasure of introducing a more decorated

team. I have added up the medal count of our guests and analysts,

you have Paralympic titles and Olympic titles the Jonathan Edwards,

Sir Chris Hoy and Dame Sarah Storey. Not bad going. Can I convey

my thanks to Sir Chris Hoy the coming to Prince Imran's aid last

night. I think he now realises his responsibilities of being a night of

the realm. Unfortunately, Chris and Sarah cannot hear you. Hazel wants

to thank you for coming to the rescue of Prince Imran last night.

My pleasure. Somebody had to help him out. It is one of those moments

when you look around and think, is somebody going to help him? I have a

set of cups at home with those names on. Also, another Scottish word is

about spaced out. Nothing spaced out about the action here and the race

we are looking forward to is Sir Bradley Wiggins in the team pursuit?

It is shaping up like a close race. They look like they had something in

reserve. I think they took their thoughts off the gas a little bit.

Bradley is very experienced and they are all Olympic champions. It will

be a fantastic battle. There have been some great races over the years

between the English and Australian teams. Scotland has its first medal

guaranteed. Just not knowing what colour it is? No, Aileen McGlynn is

up in the tandem tandem. Let's catch up with the first race and the

bronze medal race was an all Australian affair. They were knocked

out by the English and Scottish riders in the semifinals. Breanna

Hargrave was the pilot. Felicity Johnson, the visually impaired

athlete. It was a win for Brandie O'Connor and Breanna Hargrave. Now

we can look and see what happens in the first of the gold medal race

office. This is Sophie Thornhill against Aileen McGlynn. Aileen won

the first Paralympic gold medal in Athens in 2004. She won a silver

medal in this event before winning two gold medals in Beijing. She has

huge experience across so many different events and it will help in

this ride. She will need it, Sarah because it is age against experience

against the youth of Sophie Hall -- Sophie Thornhill is only 18 years of

age. Aileen McGlynn will need all of her experience? Definitely, Sophie

Thornhill has been knocking on the door for selection before she was

old enough to compete. She took two gold medals and is piloted by Helen

Scott. Helen piloted Aileen McGlynn in London. There is cross

contamination, if you like. They know each other very, very well.

Great final this promises to be between Scotland and England. Crowd

very much on the edge of their seats. The fact you have six laps it

allows the tension to build as the bikes slowly go faster and begin to

wind it up and gain more momentum. Seems to be a cagey start. Helen is

looking for the higher position, trying to draw Louis up there.

Coaches on the side of the track trying to give a bit of direction.

The height of the track is as advantageous on a tandem as it is on

the solo. Is Helen Scott going to try to make her move? One presumes

in the next lap or so. Aileen McGlynn's head has been tilted to

the right-hand side. Keeping an eye on, sensing her rival's position.

Inside the final two laps. What a turn of pace. Louis glances forward

slightly, Aileen McGlynn could not get the communication to her pilot

and Helen and Sophie Thornhill motored through. Little glance

behind from Helen Scott. Eileen McGlynn is not finished yet. What a

sprint. Desperately close but just taken by England! Sophie Thornhill

just taking it from Aileen McGlynn. Sarah, it was a bit of a surprise?

It was incredible. Helen was watching Louis and constantly

looking forward. When she looked forward with just under two laps to

go, Helen kicked to go out of the saddle and they went past them. You

could see their legs revving up again and bass so nearly got past

them. Was that a surprise the Sophie Thornhill? It probably will be. They

had a couple of qualifying and that should have been enough to come on

the outside. They will need to save enough energy for the last few pedal

revs for the finish. Chris, high margin tax is different on an

individual sprints? Bikes are bigger and you need the teamwork. How much

approach do you need? You need to get to the front early. In the

individual, you can create a lot of speed by following the slipstream.

In the tandem, you don't want to go to early where you waste too much

energy. There is a risk of the other team passing. You have insider

knowledge on the tandem being married to a pilot. The scale of the

pilot and the interaction? It is huge and there is a huge

responsibility on the pilot. You are huge and there is a huge

responsibility on the pilot. looking after someone whose vision is less

than 10% most of the time and sometimes completely blind. You are

manoeuvring this huge machine. There is a wobbly backend that is not

there, like an arm that has gone missing. It is strange to go back on

a solo bike. It is an incredible skill. We were looking at the

close-ups and habitually impaired athletes have their know is right up

against the back of the pilot, almost a communication going on? The

communication happens between the link chain and also through feel

through the handlebars. When they have their knows on the back of the

pilot, they can feel the move of the pilot and they will have

communication between them. Little things they do, which means get out

of the saddle. Have you ever tried a tandem? I have, many years ago, it

was terrifying. When you are used to being in control and knowing what

you are doing, it is hard. I take my hat off to these guys, you have to

put your trust in the person at the front of the tandem. It is shoulder

to shoulder stuff, there can be crashes and you had to put full

belief in your pilot. Your old team-mate, Craig MacLean has made a

successful transfer, we will see him later. They have a great medal

chance. He is in his 40s now, and he has managed to forge this new

career. It is fantastic. Coming back to Aileen, she has moved back to

Scotland, so this is a triumph over adversity but there is a sense she

is coming to the end of her career? Sophie Thornhill is the new kid on

the block who replaced Aileen on the funded Rio Grande. Aileen has come

appear with a point to prove. Largely expected to be Aileen's

retirement after this competition. Ready to go for the second heat. All

Australian affair. . Felicity Johnson piloted by Holly

to cost. Against Randy O'Connor, the world silver medallist with Breanna

Hargrave piloting. It is Brandie O'Connor nearest the camera at the

moment, Felicity Johnson is number five. The first race run by

O'Connor. Felicity Johnson has been a star of para- cycling. Gold

medallist two years ago in London. Stephanie Morton now competing in

the able-bodied sprint, was her pilot then. Johnson and Stephanie

Morton also won the world title together three years ago. Johnson on

the back of the tandem at the bottom up the track, leading out. The

pressure is on her now. These two squads will know each other

extremely well. They have trained to gather throughout the season. They

will know each other's strengths and weak spots. Felicity Johnson's

tandem is at the front at the moment. Brandao, bringing up the

rear. -- Brandie O'Connor. Slowly, the pace increases. Both sets of

rear. -- Brandie O'Connor. Slowly, the pace increases. Both riders

sensing every move on the track. As opposed to the individual sprints,

always wind up on these big tandems. Need a bit more lap to get up to

speed. More of a drag race. Brandie O'Connor starting to try and wind it

up as they go round the outside. It is a Long Way round when you're

riding a tandem. Felicity Johnson not having anything of it so far.

Can O'Connor claim it? Yes, she can. Brandie O'Connor takes it on the

line, claiming the bronze medal in this all Australian race. That was a

good ride for O'Connor and her partner. These longer straights

helping riders if they get caught behind on the second bank. A lot

more distance between the exit of turn four and the finish line. A lot

longer up the finishing straight. Allowing riders time to excel in

rate and overtake. These are big machines to get past. The reason why

they wanted to take control, Johnson wanted the control from the front.

Good racing. There we see Brandie O'Connor in the black. Sorry, the

white gloves. Brought home by Breanna Hargrave. Taking the bronze

medal in straight rides over Felicity Johnson, the Paralympic

champion. We have had some good tandem racing on this opening day of

competition. Here now, a potentially decisive race will stop Sophie

Thornhill, the young world champion, piloted by Helen Scott. Against the