Rio Olympics : Triathlon

Open water swimming is perhaps not the best spectator sport...

Last bit of live sport!  And, a good one for me, having actually done a few triathlons - much more slowly than these guys (yes, male athletes today) of course.  Interesting course they've come up with... I'd have expected the swim to be in the Lagoa, but in fact it's the ill-reputed water off Copacabana beach, and then cycling and running up and down the seafront a few times.  Makes for easy spectating, I even get on to the beach to watch the competitors run into the sea.

Biking Brownlees!

Then a bit of a struggle to find a good viewing spot along the front, seems this event has attracted a big crowd, I guess it being a popular location helps.  I manage anyway, in time to watch the lead riders come around for the first time - there are even a few other Brits here, we discuss the events we've seen in between cheering on the Brownlee brothers.  A short course this, they go round eight times, I suppose that means not many places to watch from so maybe that's why there seem to be more people than for, say, the marathon.

Alastair.

The brothers both seem near the front as they ride past for the eighth time, right, off to find a good spot for the running.  Hmm, think I'm confused about the route, looks like they are indeed just running up and down the front, had thought there was an uphill section... well, no matter, I find a spot, pretty near the finish in fact, in time for the last two laps.  Alastair Brownlee is leading, younger brother James in third, in the event they finish first and second respectively, go Team GB!  In fact, this is turning into an incredible medal haul for Great Britain, in the end we garner twenty-seven gold medals, twenty-three silver and seventeen bronze, only the USA doing better.

James.

Sport over, this is my last full day in Rio, well, last visit to Casa Airbnb then.  I don't usually do product endorsements, but thumbs up to Airbnb - I could not have afforded the prices hotels here were asking.  More than that, customer service was good when I had a last minute panic re. getting keys for my room, and the Casa is the icing on the cake, a lovely little place near the Lagoa.  Have been there a few times just to chill and watch some sport on TV, oh and drink free beer, what is not to like.  Have also enjoyed burger tasting, brigadeiro (sweet, chocolatey local specialities) making, and now they have craft beer tasting, oh yes.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.