Right Royle finish earns shot at Rio Olympics
AUSSIE Aaron Royle has booked his ticket to next year's Olympics after finishing sixth in the test event in Rio.
With a top-10 position guaranteeing a place in the event at he 2016 Games, Royle (pictured) said he was thrilled to earn a shot at his first Olympics after coming in five places behind the winner, Spain's Javier Gomez.
"To be honest, it hasn't sunk in yet," the Newcastle-born, Wollongong-based 25-year-old said.
"It's a really tough bike course but the group we had worked really well together and kept it smooth, which made it a lot easier."
Fellow Aussies Ryan Baillie (14th), Ryan Fisher (21st) and Courtney Atkinson (42nd) will need to qualify through other events.
None of the six Aussie women that competed - London 2012 bronze medallist Erin Densham, Emma Moffatt, Emma Jackson, Charlotte McShane, Gillian Backhouse and Ashleigh Gentle - finished inside the top 10.
