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Ryan runs race of his life

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - JULY 26: Emma Moffatt, Aaron Royle, Emma Jackson and Ryan Bailie of Australia pose on the podium with their bronze medals after the mixed team relay Triathlon at Strathclyde Country Park during day three of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games on July 26, 2014 in Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Bunbury-raised triathlete Ryan Bailie has revealed how his blistering finish to last week’s Commonwealth Games triathlon earned him the responsibility of anchoring team Australia in Saturday’s bronze medal-winning mixed relay.

After completing the cycling leg of Thursday’s race alongside fellow Aussies Aaron Royle and Dan Wilson, Bailie found another gear on the run to pull away from his teammates and finish fifth, just two seconds behind Canadian Andrew Yorke.

“I had a really good swim on Thursday, exiting the water seventh a handful of seconds down from the Brownlee brothers, ” Bailie told the South Western Times.

“Unfortunately the work put in early by myself and Aaron to chase down the front group on the bike wasn’t enough and we made a decision to sit up and wait for the large chasing pack.

“I had a few goes to get away but ultimately knew it would come down to a foot race and backed myself — with the temperature nudging the high 20s the run was always going to play to my strengths as I have always raced well in the heat.”

Bailie’s performance — a full 20 seconds quicker than ninth-placed Royle — led to a team decision to have him complete the fourth and final leg of Saturday’s mixed relay.

“We had a team meeting on Friday after the individual triathlons and that is when I was placed as the anchor, ” Bailie said.

“It was awesome to be put in that position by the rest of my teammates and somehow I managed to deliver under pressure.”

Bailie began the final leg of the mixed relay in third, just one second ahead of South African Richard Murray and Canadian Yorke, and held that position after the swim.

With New Zealander Ryan Sissons (second) fading badly on the bike, Murray pounced to move into the silver medal position leaving Bailie and familiar foe Yorke to battle it out for third in the 1500m run.

“Andrew trained a bit with myself and the rest of my squad last year, ” Bailie said.

“I knew he was a quick finisher in any sessions we did run wise — he has some natural speed and can be hard to catch.”

“From just that little bit of time I spent training with him I knew I had him on the ropes with one lap to go. I just had to go for it and managed to get a slight gap.

“I don’t know where I pulled it from, I just know I didn’t want the team to get fourth as that’s the worst spot to finish.

“It’s a lot different sprinting for the medals as opposed to fourth — you’re always going to have something special when medals are on the line.”

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