Jenkins Aims To Be Wizard Of Oz To Boost Rio Hopes

Helen Jenkins is relishing her Olympic triathlon shoot-out with British rival Jodie Stimpson in Australia on Saturday.

The Bridgend ace has to beat Stimpson to have any chance of claiming the final women’s slot in Rio with fellow Welsh woman Non Stanford and Vicky Holland.

The double world champion finished behind her rival when finishing third in the opening round of the World Triathlon series in Abu Dhabi and is ready for the Gold Coast battle.

Jenkins, 32, said: “I have had a great training block since Abu Dhabi and feel like I have moved my fitness on.

“I was happy to come away with a third. I’d had a chest infection and came off antibiotics on the Monday and raced on the Saturday.”

“Now I need to put in a performance that shows I am able to podium at Rio.”

Jenkins, fifth in London four years ago, added: “I would love to qualify for another Olympics and go to Rio.

“Qualifying means a lot, but it’s not going to kill me if I don’t go, I’m a lot more balanced coming in to this Olympic cycle.

“I have a massive desire to go, but have balance in my life so if I don’t go I have other things I want to concentrate on.”