Nicole van der Kaay says Tokyo course 'brutal', proud of her Olympics effort

New Zealand Olympic triathletes Tayler Reid (left) and Nicole van der Kaay at the Tokyo Olympics. Photo / Supplied

It's 7pm Canada time but feels like 1am for Taupō's Nicole van der Kaay who has just flown in from Amsterdam.

Post Tokyo Olympics, Nicole is looking forward to the start of the Canadian triathlon season and expects to be back in New Zealand in September.

Tokyo was the first Olympic games Nicole has competed in, having represented New Zealand at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast where she won a bronze medal in the mixed relay and finished seventh in the women's triathlon. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Nicole placed 29th in the women's triathlon and, along with Hayden Wilde, Tayler Reid, and Ainsley Thorpe, was a member of the mixed relay team that came 12th.

With tough restrictions in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, Nicole said she was not sure what to expect beforehand. She said the Tokyo Olympics were extremely well organised and said there was an incredible atmosphere.

Her events were held in challenging weather conditions, very hot and very wet, but Nicole said pre-Olympics training in Queensland prepared her well.

"We did heat training, but the rain made the course treacherous. You had to be careful on the bike.

"I was really proud of how I raced. At times it was brutal out there. In the individual race a lot of girls got lapped out and a lot didn't finish."

She said the course was hard, the weather was extreme, and on top of that "every athlete is peaking and all going after the gold".

She hasn't decided if she is going to get an Olympic tattoo, saying she hasn't yet had a break from training or travelling.

"But my partner [NZ Olympian Tayler Reid] is getting one."

The pair have similar training and matching event schedules, and both have their eye on selection for the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Following that, thoughts will turn to the Paris Olympics in 2024.

"Tokyo was just the beginning. Paris is next!"

Nicole says she wants to thank her sponsors, Cheryl and Phil London, "and I want to thank the whole of Taupō for all their support as it means so much when I am overseas".

Nicole is not sure where she will base herself this summer. It may be Cambridge where she was previously based, but she says it will be in the same place as other athletes and trainers.