PAUL CLEMENTS is hoping a damaged hamstring will hold out for Sunday’s triathlon around Melbourne.

After travelling out to Australia in the autumn, Clements began training full time with the Australian national team but tore his left hamstring during a practice race in December.

Since then, Clements has refused to run a full 10 km – the required distance in the final leg of the triathlon.

And if his hamstring goes during the race, Clements is adamant that he will carry on regardless.

The 39-year-old said: ‘This is a chance in a lifetime and I’m not going to give it up.

I’ve ran a few smaller courses but not a full 10 km because I want to give it as long as possible.’ Despite his injury though, Clements believes he made the right choice going to Australia early.

Sporting a dark tan, he added: ‘These guys that I have been training with are seriously world class.

They are super athletes and I think that’s one reason that I may have torn my hamstring.

I have been trying to keep up with and compete against some of these, but they are all in their 20s and brilliant triathletes.

‘And until the injury it was really helping me improve.

Coming to Australia early meant that I could train without the cold, rain and wind of a winter in Jersey, which has been a big plus for me.’ Clements added that he has found life interesting as a full-time athlete: ‘I also wanted to see what full-time triathletes do when they are not training.

It’s been surprising because many of them just sit around and watch television when they are not training.’ Meanwhile, Tim Rogers, who broke his arm prior to the Games, will not know until the day before the race whether he will be taking part.

Until now he has been wearing a plaster cast on his wrist/lower arm and he knows race officials will not allow him to participate with it.

It is understood he will take the plaster off on Friday and see if the arm is able to take the strain of a 1.5 km swim, 40 km cycle and 10 km run.