JOHANNESBURG - Almost a year ago Richard Murray watched the ITU World Triathlon Cape Town with his left arm in a sling shortly after his misfortune in Australia which left his Olympic dream in the balance.
With the scar on his collarbone the only reminder of the crash on the bike leg at the World Triathlon Series in Gold Coast, Australia, Murray looked content ahead of Saturday's sprint event in Cape Town.
“It’s been an interesting build-up - that is for sure, about four weeks ago I was still skiing in Germany, after that my girlfriend asked if I wanted to go to Namibia to train with the Dutch I said 'why not?',” Murray said.
“I was a bit upset missing Cape Town because it was a sprint event and I thought I could win - then I broke my collarbone and I did commentary instead.”
While Murray is keen to kick off his season at home in the Discovery Triathlon World Cup, he is also looking to have some fun in 2017.
“This year fun, next year serious, and the next year very serious. If you always want to be improving something you feel pressure,” Murray said.
“If you are always pushed to improve you will always feel like there is something pushing you from behind.”
Murray made a stunning comeback after breaking two bones in his hand and fracturing his clavicle when he won his maiden ITU Duathlon World title in Avile, Spain two months after his crash.
Two months later the gritty triathlete from Durbanville lined up at the Olympic Games with the hope of finishing in the top-10, never mind getting painstakingly close to a podium finish.
Murray finished in fourth spot, just seven seconds behind compatriot Henri Schoeman, who became the country’s first Olympic triathlon medallist.
Going into the Games, Murray’s swimming which had been his Achilles heel, had further been impeded by the collarbone injury.
Coming out of the water the leading group had almost a one-minute advantage on Murray on the course that started on Copacabana Beach.
Murray launched an incredible running leg, nearly erasing a minute-and-a-half lead Schoeman had following the bike leg.
Demonstrating why running was his strong suit, Murray posted the fastest time of 30:34 over the final event of the race.
“The swimming is starting to pick up, I thought in Rio where it was it would be good enough but the reality is it actually wasn’t,” Murray said.
“I thought getting top-10 and I would be happy, then I probably had one of the best runs.”
Schoeman won the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Cozumel, Mexico a month after clinching the Olympic bronze.
Murray waited at the line for Spanish training partner Mario Mola before crossing in fourth place to earn a fifth-place overall world series ranking.
Looking to have some fun, Murray will be competing in the XTERRA SA Championship in Grabouw at the end of the month, while he is also eyeing a Half Ironman later in the year.