How Lucy Charles-Barclay turned Olympic pain into triathlon superstardom
Lucy Charles-Barclay on how she fell into triathlon stardom and taking a step towards another world title at the London T100 this weekend. In a parallel universe, Lucy Charles-Barclay might be spending the next few days preparing to go for a fourth gold medal in open-water swimming at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Aged 18, the [...]
Lucy Charles-Barclay on how she fell into triathlon stardom and taking a step towards another world title at the London T100 this weekend.
In a parallel universe, Lucy Charles-Barclay might be spending the next few days preparing to go for a fourth gold medal in open-water swimming at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Aged 18, the junior champion had set her heart on competing at London 2012, only to be overlooked for Team GB’s single spot in the event and then, heartbroken, turning her back on it.
But open-water swimming’s loss has been triathlon’s gain, and Charles-Barclay, now 30, has become one the fast-growing sport’s biggest and most charismatic stars.
It hasn’t worked out too badly either for the Enfield-born athlete, who is a multiple world champion and will compete in front of a home crowd at the London T100 triathlon this weekend.
“Swimming, I grew up doing. I dedicated my whole childhood to that sport,” she tells City A.M.
“And then when I didn’t make the London Olympics, I made the switch to triathlon, just thinking it will be a bit of fun.
“I didn’t really think it would be a second chance of a career in sport so I never could have dreamt of the success I have achieved.
“It just feels like a really great opportunity that I managed to jump into with no real intention of being a professional athlete.”
She may have fallen into triathlon stardom by accident but she is now perhaps the most bankable name in the sport, with a legion of sponsors including Red Bull.
That has made her just the right level of famous: known and respected among triathlon heads but spared the sort of intrusive scrutiny that can plague some elite sportspeople.
“I think more and more people now know who I am in London when I’m going out and about,” she says.
“But I also think more people are into sport and fitness and triathlon is growing so much particularly in the city.
“So I feel like most people that spot me probably have some interest in triathlon, but it’s quite nice to be well known when I go and race but then also, when I come home and train, I can just crack on with it and I’m not being hassled too much.”
Charles-Barclay first tried triathlon in 2014, aged 19. By the following year she was an age-group world champion and in 2017 she became a full-time triathlete.
Her upward trajectory continued and in 2021 she won the Ironman 70.3 World Championship.
