A TRIATHLETE from York has been selected to represent Team GB at the Paris Olympics for the first time this summer.

Sam Dickinson will join Georgia Taylor-Brown, Kate Waugh, Beth Potter and double Tokyo Olympic medallist Alex Yee in the French capital.

The former St Peter’s School pupil will be making his Olympic debut in Paris, though, alongside Yee and Taylor-Brown, he was a part of the England mixed-relay team that claimed gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

He also played a key role in Yee's victory in the individual race, sacrificing himself on the bike leg as his teammate took gold.

That same year, he won a silver medal as a part of the Great Britain squad at the World Triathlon Mixed Relay Championships in Montreal.

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Dickinson made his Triathlon World Series debut in Leeds in 2021, at one point leading the bike leg of the race, which was won by GB and England teammate Yee.

Having been scarcely able to believe that he had gone from watching triathlon to competing in his ‘home race’, now life has again come full circle for the Yorkshire talent, who has had his sights set on making it to Paris since. 

His results have been mixed over the last three years, with a highpoint in 2023 of bronze at the World Triathlon Cup.

The 26-year-old still calls Yorkshire home, and now trains from the British Triathlon Performance Centre in Leeds.

And one thing that he will take with him to France is some Yorkshire Tea.

Reacting to the news of his selection, which was confirmed on Wednesday, the York talent said on social media: “Dream big.

“From my first triathlon in 2013 to 2024 Paris Olympic Games selection, it’s been full of highs and lows, but you have to love the journey.

“Important to take a step back and enjoy this moment, as GB has some incredible athletes to choose from. Thank you to everyone involved (big or small) in this dream.

“Not long till the big dance, so will brush up on my French, pack enough Yorkshire Tea and give everything to bring it home.”

Brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee have dominated the sport over the last decade, but neither make the Paris Olympic team.Brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee have dominated the sport over the last decade, but neither make the Paris Olympic team. (Image: Alex Whitehead/PA)

Dickinson’s selection may have come as somewhat of a surprise, having beaten Jonny Brownlee to the final qualification spot - marking the end of an era for the Yorkshire brothers who had dominated the sport.

The Brownlee’s have won five Olympic medals between them over the last decade, with Alistair claiming gold in both London and Rio de Janeiro, and Jonny bronze in 2012, silver in 2016, and gold as part of the relay team in Tokyo.

Dickinson was number 70 in the final Olympic qualification rankings, with 34-year-old Brownlee at 55.

Britain’s three-strong women’s team is led by reigning world champion Potter, with Taylor-Brown hoping to go one better than her silver medal three years ago after suffering a puncture in the bike leg. Waugh, after winning an appeal, will also travel to Paris.

Team GB’s Chef de Misson, Mark England, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Georgia, Kate and Sam to be part of Team GB’s cohort of Paris 2024 Olympians. 

“Triathlon in Paris will be one of the great spectacles of this Olympic Games, and it’s fantastic that once again we have got a hugely competitive squad of athletes taking to the water and the roads.” 

British Triathlon Performance Director and Team GB Triathlon Lead, Mike Cavendish, added: “Throughout the process, realistic potential for winning medals was at the fore, and it’s with this in mind we welcome Georgia, Kate and Sam to join the already announced Beth Potter and Alex Yee.  

“This was an incredibly hard selection process and one that I’m aware brings delight for some athletes but also disappointment for others. 

“The Olympic Games is the pinnacle of our sport and I know just how much it will mean to the five who will compete in Paris this summer.”  

After a 1.5km swim in the River Seine, athletes will take in some of Paris' most recognisable landmarks - including the Champs-Elysées, Arc de Triomphe, Musée d'Orsay and Grand Palais - during the 40km bike and 10km run stages.

The triathlon Olympic programme will begin with the men's individual race on July 30 and women's individual race the following day, with the mixed-team relay taking place on August 5.