Late-blooming triathlete Sophie Linn says she's in disbelief at securing selection on Australia's team for the Commonwealth Games.
The 27-year-old Linn and Tokyo Olympian Matt Hauser booked their berths for the Birmingham Games starting in late July with victories at the Gold Coast Triathlon on Sunday.
Hauser's triumph - he finished some 30 seconds ahead of his chief rival Jake Birtwhistle - was true to formlines.
But Linn's victory in the women's race was a surprise, even to the triathlete herself who only started in the sport four years ago.
A former long distance runner and nationally-ranked junior swimmer, Linn had only raced twice since 2019, contracting COVID and then rupturing an Achilles just over eight months ago.
"I'm in disbelief, honestly," she said after winning by 11 seconds from Kira Hedgeland.
"I broke down at the line ... it's like a day that an athlete dreams of when everything just goes perfectly.
"And to do it on a day that counts, it means the world.
"It has really been a tough two years, I got COVID and then soon after I was injured last year.
"I'm still fairly new to the sport and I felt like I have been training hard but haven't had the result really to prove where I am at."
In the men's race, the 24-year-old Hauser carried memories of his fourth-place finish at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
"I had a clear run, leading from the front is perhaps the best offence there is," he said.
"It's familiar territory here on the Broadwater and that fourth place here in 2018 is still in my mind and will be pushing me towards the podium at Birmingham."
Hauser said he now was a more mature triathlete compared to four years ago.
"I have become more professional and changing the mindset about what I have to do to become an elite triathlete," he said.
"Part of that is knowing I am amongst the future of Triathlon Australia and I have that baton to hold going into the next few Games.
"It was against top opposition today and there was a lot at stake."
Sunday's Gold Coast Triathlon was the first of two Commonwealth Games automatic nomination races with the next in May at the Yokohama World Triathlon Championship Series.
