Brockley’s Olympic gold medallist Alex Yee ready for London homecoming in Supertri series

BY ALEX LANCASTER-LENNOX

Alex Yee – born and raised in Lewisham – has had a summer full of extreme highs.

The 26-year-old South Londoner competes this weekend in the next instalment of the Supertri series in West India Quay on Sunday.

The four-times Olympic medallist heads into the event as one of the favourites.

In Paris 2024, Yee achieved his first Olympic gold medal in the men’s individual event, improving on the silver he won in Tokyo in 2021. The gold was later followed by a great effort to help win a bronze medal in the relay event.

But how does the most decorated Olympic triathlete of all time prepare for a home race?

After Paris there was a two-week break before the start of the Supertri series with back-to-back weekend racing in Boston and Chicago.

I asked him how he stays motivated to compete and train after such a big event like the Olympics. He said: “It is my love for racing.”

When asked about his medals and the Olympic title, he said: “It has been a crazy summer. I do not think I have had time to process it. But seeing everyone and being congratulated by people has been great.”

Yee has expressed his gratitude for artist Lionel Stanhope’s mural. Stanhope changed his original art to read “Brockyee” after his Paris heroics which is on display in the borough.

This is not the first time Stanhope has celebrated Yee, having modified the O to be a gold medal, after Alex and his team achieved gold in the relay event in Tokyo 2020.

Yee shared Stanhope’s Instagram work, captioning it: “Beyond proud. This is my home”

Yee has yet to have a chance to get involved in the community since his Olympic success due to his busy schedule. He hopes that when the season calms down then he will be able to go to his old schools and talk about his success.

“I hope I can show young people from South London that they can be like me – to show people that triathlon is accessible to people in the area,” he said.

Inspired by his dad – who had competed in a duathlon (run, bike, run) – Yee, then seven, started at Crystal Palace Triathlon Club and competed at local and national levels.

This weekend is the third instalment of a five-part Supertri series which ends in November. Supertri flips the traditional Olympic triathlon format on its head, creating exciting racing and fierce rivalries.

The fast-paced sprint format of triathlon known as enduro sees the athletes complete three continuous swim-bike-runs with no break. Each aspect is key, as a small mistake can cause big deficits as the race progresses.

“It is important to plan, especially when it is a home event,” said Yee. “Supertri magnifies mistakes so everything has to be perfect.

“I feel incredibly lucky to compete in front of a home crowd but it does add pressure”.

How does he plan to celebrate if he is victorious? A Morley’s.

Yee has an exciting career in triathlon ahead of him as he becomes one of the main figures in the sport. But one thing is for sure, the king of triathlon has not forgotten his South London roots.

PICTURE: PA