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Ellina Mhlanga–Senior Sports Reporter
NATIONAL coach Pamela Fulton is hopeful the team to represent the country at the Africa Triathlon Championships in September will have enough time to get ready for the event despite some limitations since they are now off-season.
The championships are scheduled for September 23 to 25 in Agadir, Morocco.
Zimbabwe are set to field athletes in the Under-19 Sprint Ladies (Elite Junior), Under-17 Youth A Super Sprint boys and girls, Under-15 Youth B Super Sprint boys and girls.
The team for the forthcoming championships was announced on Monday.
Fulton said the postponement of the 2021 Bonaqua Africa Triathlon Cup meant they had a longer season.
The event doubles up as Triathlon Zimbabwe’s national championships and athletes had to train through winter, which is the off-season.
Soon after the Troutbeck event the 2021/2022 season began and ended on Sunday. This means limited competitive races for the team prior to the Africa Championships and once again they have to train through winter.
“So in a way it has been a long season with them (athletes) having to prepare to be 100 percent fit and peaking for last year’s national championships, then just carry on training again.
“So this year’s Africa Championships are in September, which in one way is not ideal for our athletes because once again they have to train through winter to be able to peak at the beginning of our summer and the beginning of our season.
“And probably not having the best pre-race preparation with actual triathlon race to be peaking for.
“But in a way with the season being so long, our athletes now have the opportunity to be able to come off their peak, have a bit of a break mentally and physically and be able to then build-up again for Africa Championships.
“So in a way it is actually a really good thing that they can be mentally prepared and strong for the next Africa Championships,” said Fulton.
Most of the athletes participated in the South African Championships, and in Nyanga when Zimbabwe hosted the annual Bonaqua Africa Triathlon Cup.
“So the selection criteria for Africa Champs was based on two events. The athletes had to come within 10 percent of the event winner at either South Africa Championships or at Troutbeck being our national championships,” said Fulton.
Brooklyn Tippett and Emma Lidsba attained qualification for both the Under-19 Elite Junior Sprint and Under-17 Youth A Super Sprint. They have the option to race in the sprint or the super sprint.
Makanaka Mawere is going to compete in the Under-19 and has indicated that she will be out to redeem herself at the continental showpiece after missing the podium at the Bonaqua Africa Triathlon Cup.
She came fourth in the junior women category. “I am just going to be pushing myself even more because I really want to do well at the African Championships and kind of redeem myself.
“So I will definitely be trying my best to train as hard as I can, as much as I can, so that I can do better at the African Championships which will be much harder than this,” said Mawere after the Africa Cup.
Africa Triathlon Championships Team
Under-19 Sprint ladies: Makanaka Mawere, Emma Lidsba, Brooklyn Tippett
Under-17 Youth A Super Sprint boys: George Ascott, Matipa Mawere
Under-17 Youth A Super Sprint girls: Emma Lidsba, Brooklyn Tippett
Under-15 Youth B Super Sprint boys: Rohnan Nicholson, Callum Smith
Under-15 Youth B Super Sprint girls: Anje Van As,Tayleigh Taylor, Nichole Madya
Online Reporter