MARC Austin can do the maths.
The 20-year-old Scottish triathlete has recently completed his third year of a mathematics degree at the University of Stirling, a course which presumably involves sums as difficult as calculating the probability of landing a Commonwealth medal in an event which will also feature England's formidable Brownlee brothers, Jonny and Alistair, a quicksilver South African, a talented Australian and New Zealand team, and his countrymen Grant Sheldon and David McNamee.
Although Alistair Brownlee is the Olympic champion, Jonny the world No 2 and South Africa's Richard Murray the world No 4, the equation isn't hopeless. Austin has enough talent to take him to a World Under-23 silver medal, and he has shown he can cope with a world-class field in the senior ranks with a creditable fourth-placed finish in Dunkirk last year.
Despite being an individual sport, team tactics are permitted in the triathlon, and fit again after a foot injury, and armed with enviable local knowledge, Austin won't rule out the possibility of winning a bauble to go with a Junior Triathlon bronze medal which he also claimed at Strathclyde Park. Work on the gruelling Lanarkshire course, which combines a 1500m swim, a 40km cycle and a 10km run, has included a major operation to remove algae from the lake.
"It's a bit different for the Games but I have raced there twice previously," said Austin, who hails from Scotstoun but is now based in Bridge of Allan. "I went through two weeks ago to do a recce and we did another one this week. It's definitely a benefit of being in Glasgow, being able to do that. You have to make the most of it by getting some sessions in there and seeing what the corners are like. I've not been in the lake yet but I've swum there before. There's worse places. Usually you have the whole lake but there's just a cordoned-off bit now. That will make a difference. But a swim's a swim. It's the bike and run that make it tough."
The Brownlee brothers are poster boys for an emerging sport, and Auld Enemy or not, Austin has nothing but admiration for two men who he feels are great for his event.
"I've never beaten them but not many people have," said Austin, who will spend the next month competing, first at next week's European Championships in Kitsbuehel, Austria, then at a training camp in Majorca. "It's great to see two brothers who are two ordinary guys, who don't come across as superstar athletes when they speak. People know them in Britain and the rest of the world so they're good ambassadors for the sport. And I like racing them. They make it really aggressive and exciting so I'm looking forward to taking them on.
"I've done a bit of training with them and we get on really well. They can be intimidating in a race but they do look out for us as juniors. When you're trying to come through, you make mistakes and they appreciate that. They don't hold back. In the past, people would sit in on the bike and save it for the run. They don't want to do that. They race as hard and aggressively as they can and they make it exciting.
"But the Aussie team are strong. The New Zealand team are strong. There's a really strong South African, Richard Murray, who's not just a strong swimmer but also a really quick runner. If he's in the race, it will be hard to beat him too. I'd love to get a medal. I don't know how realistic that is, but that's what I'm going to try to do."
One thing Austin cannot be accused of is a lack of ambition. He is bold enough to dream of joining the brothers Brownlee in the Olympic team in Rio. "It's definitely something I want to do but it's two years away," said Austin. "And British triathlon is so strong at the moment. There's a lot of guys going for spots. I don't know where I'll be then."
Triathlon is a demanding business, requiring extreme discipline in terms of diet and practice, but it suits Austin's masochistic streak.
"Ever since I was 10, I've wanted to do this," he said. "I've missed out on quite a bit but what I've gained is huge. It's not like I don't get to do anything at all. We do get a break. But by the end of the two weeks off, I'm missing it."
Stewart Fisher
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