The current world number four in the Maurice Lacroix World Triathlon Championship Rankings Alex Yee kicks off a new series of exclusive interviews on TriathlonLive.tv that will tell the stories behind the men’s and women’s 2022 world title chases and beyond.
For the first edition, TriathlonLive’s Trevor Harris caught up with GB’s double Olympic medallist and one of the main contenders for the year’s biggest prize ahead of WTCS Cagliari, the city where a young Alex Yee suffered a horrific bike accident back in 2017 that threatened to end his fledgling career.
You can watch the full interview here and stay tuned for more episodes featuring the likes of the high-flying Flora Duffy, Georgia Taylor-Brown, Hayden Wilde, Jelle Geens and Kristian Blummenfelt, and watch back all three of Alex Yee’s gold winning races in 2022 as part of his TriathlonLive.tv playlist.
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The return to Sardinia at the start of October was always going to be laden with added emotion for the 24-year-old from Brockley, South London. It was there that Alex Yee had to spend three weeks in hospital recovering from a high-speed bike accident during the 2017 Cagliari World Cup, an incident that at the time left him with broken ribs, vertebrae and a punctured lung, and the legacy of which is a fresh perspective on the rollercoaster ride that his career has continued along since.
“Coming back makes me feel extremely grateful about how far things have come,” says Yee. “There were times in those first three weeks I wasn’t sure I’d be able to run again let alone compete at this level.”
“It was very frightening, I’m astonished he has made the recovery he has,” adds his mum Emma. “To see him now at the level where he is, it’s quite amazing. But he’s a tough cookie and very determined.”
Two years after the crash, Yee got his first Series start in Yokohama, where an unexpected silver behind Mario Mola propelled him onto the path that has taken him to within touching distance of a first world title. Perhaps predictably, it has been far from plain sailing again in 2022, however, with big plans for a second WTCS Leeds win back in June were cut short early on in the bike.
Talking about the crash with Hayden Wilde that took him and Jonny Brownlee out of the race, Yee isn’t keen to point the finger, but knows that there is a collective responsibility towards looking out for his fellow racers.
“Unfortunately, it’s part of the sport… we’re all pushing to the limit and lots of things can happen in that situation. I have respect for everyone, and I want everyone to finish and to race well and at times that means you have to look out for each other and be a bit safer and that’s something that has to be remembered.”
Watch the full interview only on TriathlonLive.tv.
