What a difference a year makes? Try a giddy six months in James Corbett’s case.
A mid-season change of coach and a run of confidence boosting results hence has the 22-year-old Aucklander itching to keep the good times rolling at Sunday’s World Triathlon Cup opener in Napier.
Up to the Paris Olympics, Corbett was with Craig Kirkwood and will be forever grateful to Hayden Wilde’s former mentor to helping him understand, and for showing him how, to extract unknown run speed out of his lean psyche.
But when he was linked with Australian sports psychologist Grant Giles by chance, initially to tap into the New South Welshman’s mental skills knowledge, something instantly clipped.
Not long after, Corbett went all in with Giles and it paid rich dividends, his breakthrough win on the Asia Cup circuit in Tokyo last September a statement gun-to-tape victory.
The world No. 121 kicked on to finish 16th at October’s U23 world championships in Spain but perhaps got his greatest injection of confidence by running Wilde close at November’s Tinman Triathlon.
That description comes with a caveat. Wilde was training for December’s Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Taupo at the time while Corbett was solely focused on defending his title at the standard distance race and getting his Down Under summer campaign off to a decent start.
It was a win-win for both in that regard as Wilde eased to victory and Corbett enjoyed another tangible example of his training finally transferring out onto the race course.
It hasn’t always been that way, in no small measure to Corbett’s battle with dyslexia, which he shares in this month’s just released edition of Swim Bike Run magazine. You can read his fascinating cover story here and for added context, start here in Dive In which includes more Wilde references.
But back to the Mount and that ding-dong battle with the current World short course No.1 who may, or may not, have been toying with his young Kiwi team-mate. The smile in that passing pic on the run hinted as much.
“That was super fun,” Corbett admits.
“Having him chasing my heels was pretty surreal, one of the coolest feelings I think you can feel. I felt like the man the whole time. Well, for most of the time.”
The sobering bit came when Corbett eventually crossed the line 14 seconds adrift. Wilde shook his hand and promptly trotted off, at speed, for another 5km of training.
“I couldn’t comprehend that he was going out for another 5ks after we’d finished. I was like, oh, I thought we’d trashed ourselves getting here but apparently that was just me [laughs].”
Don’t dismiss the significance of Tinman though to Corbett’s coming of age story.
“It’s pretty cool because Hayden is on this pedestal, but then you also realise how close that actually is. I think that’s what sports taught me is that what you thought was a barrier is never really a barrier when you start believing it’s not a barrier,” he said.
“He’s done a really good job in NZ allowing Kiwis to believe that they can reach the stars because they’ve seen one of their own do it. That’s the kind of role that he’s played with me.
“The closer I get, the more I believe that I can be one of those stars as well.”
Corbett opened himself up for scepticism when his full-throttle style often saw fading finishings accompany those blistering, trademark starts. But the win in Tokyo – by nearly two minutes after a solo 40km bike leg – has helped at least Corbett reconcile his strategy.
He now knows he can race “creatively” which, translated for the triathlon layman, means “send it!” from the get go.
That’s a happy coincidence of the training actually turning up on race days, and the work Giles has done to calm his race day nerves. The old “Turbo Corbo” sweated on preconceived race plans and constantly overthought everything.
Now he’s trying to remain more present in the moment, going with what he’s got at gun time.
“Previously I wasn’t racing as well as I was training. It was like a step down, not a step up,” Corbett said.
“Now I know I can actually step up in races, it’s just given a whole lot of confidence. Like, even going into Napier, I haven’t really raced much before this race, but the confidence is pretty high for it.”
Corbett was coming back from injury in Napier last year where he finished 28th.
He’s determined to comfortably better that as he looks to get more World Cup starts and add to his one WTCS appearance in Cagliari (44th) in October, 2022.
“Previously I haven’t given myself a good opportunity to get after these Oceania races. This year I’m going in with the attitude that I want to show what I can do in this part of the world.
“Then it’s trying to get the results so I can start racing some more WTCS events.
“I’m likely to go back to Asia again this year instead of Europe. It’s a lot easier to race in Asia because they look after you so much better and everything’s a lot cheaper and it’s easier to get around.
“The big plan would be to put together some pretty stellar performances this year, to then allow myself to have the opportunity and freedom to choose those bigger ones.
“At the moment, you apply for a start list and you don’t know if you’re going to make the race until, like…it could be like 10 days out or 5 days out.
“So you just end up kind of floating, trying to hold a good fitness all year round and then racing on top of that. With going to Asia, I kind of know I’ll get those starts and then it’s just about performing.
“Then, hopefully next year, I’ve got a lot more freedom to pick and choose.”
Main pic: Courtesy Tinman Triathlon/Hamish Collie (Venture Photography)
