First international podium 'amazing' for Turner

Ollie Turner is focusing on longer distance triathlons

Jersey triathlete Ollie Turner says he is "lost for words" after claiming his first podium finish in an international race.

Turner was third in the Shanghai Ironman 70.3 event in China on Saturday.

The 27-year-old, who finished 15th for Jersey in the last Commonwealth Games triathlon, finished the course of a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, a 56-mile (90 km) bike ride, and a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run in a time of 3:41:19.

"It's something that I did truly believe I was always capable of," Turner told BBC Radio Jersey.

"I'm a bit lost for words if I'm completely honest, but it's given me a lot of confidence.

"It's something I believed in, but now I've done it hopefully I can get some momentum and try and start racking them up and maybe even get on that top step eventually."

Turner (left) raced against 2024 Olympic champion Alex Yee at the last Commonwealth Games in Birmingham

Turner has been racing internationally for the past seven years, with 2025 proving to be especially challenging as he recovered from a serious blood disorder.

He contracted Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura, which lowers the amount of platelets in your blood, which are vital for clotting.

It led to him having to tail back his training early in the season before being given the all-clear.

"I had a bit of a difficult start to the year, but these things happen," he said.

"All I can really do is focus on what I can control, which at that time was the small amount of training that I could do.

"I never once gave up on what the job was, which was to be back competing as soon as possible.

"Obviously it paid off because I've had my best season to date so I guess just focus on what I can control."

Turner has raced at the last two Commonwealth Games for Jersey - finishing 26th as a teenager in the 2018 Games on Australia's Gold Coast.

But with the sport having been dropped from the slimmed-down programme for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, his dedication will be on longer-distance events for the foreseeable future.

"At the moment I'll be focusing on the long course triathlon and I can represent Jersey there, which is kind of unique and cool," he said.

"So I want to make it to the world champs and my aim is to kind of put Jersey on the map in that way.

"If I could get a top 10 at a world champs that would be absolutely amazing.

"I've represented Great Britain 30-plus times over the last five years, and I would choose to represent Jersey any day of the week," he added.

"That's where I'm from, I'm proud to be from Jersey and to put those colours on - there's nothing more special to me.

"I'm always trying to get the commentator to say I'm from Jersey, not Great Britain."