Jodie Stimpson vows to make next Olympics
Oldbury's Jodie Stimpson today vowed to go all out to take her chances of going to the next Olympic Games out of the hands of the Team GB selectors.
The triathlon star is in red-hot form after double gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, in both the team and individual events.
It put the 25-year-old firmly on the map and soothed the heartache of London 2012, where she didn't qualify and was then overlooked for the invitational spots.
She said: "It was so important for me to get to the Commonwealth Games. You never know if there will be another home championship in your career and there's been two in a row here.
"Soon, I will be onto the next Olympic cycle. With the depth of talent that British triathlon has, at the minute, it's going to be such a challenge to get on the team.
"I would love to go to Rio, that's the next goal and I will do all I can to get the qualification needed to get myself on the start line.
"It's the pinnacle of every sport and what every athlete strives for. You dream about things and, sometimes, they become reality."
A buoyant Stimpson now come back down to earth to rejoin the circuit in the ITU World Triathlon Series, with dates still to fulfil in Sweden and Canada.
That gives her until the end of next month to overhaul American Gwen Jorgensen at the top of the Elite Women standings, otherwise she will finish runner-up for the second year in succession.
Stimpson said: "There still two races left of the WTS series and they are important, they give me the chance to get re-focussed again. The confidence soon goes when you are back in training.
"You have always got to beat these girls again and it's not an easy thing to do."
