Lewis beat training partner Turner to gold at the 2019 NatWest Island Games in Gibraltar earlier this summer but has never competed in a Super League event, which is growing a reputation for exposing the weaknesses of some of the best triathletes in the world through its gruelling format.
Turner qualified for the 2018/19 championship series in Jersey last September and went on to compete in Malta, Mallorca and Singapore, but failed to earn a spot in the full series for 2019/20. He finished seventh at this season’s Canada Qualifier in Ottawa.
Nonetheless, the Caesarean is overjoyed at being handed a chance to race in front of a home crowd again and is hoping for a role reversal at Lewis’ expense.
‘Out of the whole championship this race is the one I really wanted to race in so to still have the opportunity to do that … it’s the icing on the cake,’ Gibraltar 2019 bronze medallist Turner explained.
‘I’m probably more excited this time around but there’s definitely more pressure because everyone is playing on the Jersey-Guernsey rivalry and it’s on home soil. I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel nervous about letting people down, but it only adds fuel to the fire.
‘I’ll just train as hard as I can and then give even more in the race.’
Discussing his relationship with Lewis – also based at British Triathlon’s National Performance Centre in Cardiff – Turner said: ‘No one goes into a race not to beat other competitors. This season has gone quite well for me, I’ve beaten Josh a few times but he always manages to put it together when it matters most, which is what it’s all about.
‘We have so much respect for each other and we’re always happy to see each other do well but I’m definitely going to try to re-write the record books after the Island Games.’
Lewis added: ‘Ollie and I are very supportive of each other, but of course there is that competitiveness. Everyone is a competitor when you step on to that start line … you don’t really think of friendships when you’ve got oxygen deprivation!’
Super League Jersey returns to the Waterfront on 28-29 September.
