Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
RACHEL O’DONOGHUE stepped up her preparations for the forthcoming Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games over the weekend with her European debut in Latvia.
O’Donoghue made her maiden appearance at the 2026 Europe Triathlon Junior Cup in Jurmala on Saturday, finishing 27th in a field of 38 junior women competitors.
The athletes competed over the sprint-distance format comprising a 750m swim, a 19.1km cycle and a 5km run.
The 16-year-old completed the race in 1 hour, 3 minutes and 35 seconds.
For O’Donoghue, the focus was less on the final result and more on taking another important step in her build-up to the Youth Olympic Games, which will be held in Senegal from October 31 to November 13.
As part of her preparation programme, she had been scheduled to compete in two Junior Cup events in Europe, beginning with a super sprint race in Moletai, Lithuania, a week earlier.
However, the junior women’s event in Moletai was cancelled because of adverse weather conditions, prompting her move to Latvia for Saturday’s competition.
National coach Pamela Fulton, who will travel with O’Donoghue to the Youth Olympic Games, said the European tour had provided invaluable experience.
“These last two weeks for Rachel have been an amazing experience.
“Firstly, in Lithuania where the competition was going to be over a super sprint distance.
“Unfortunately, this did not quite go to plan, but the whole exposure of travelling and meeting new girls she will no doubt compete with in the future will stand her in good stead.
“Rachel was in a good place leading up to her Latvia race as she had her personal coach there as well as her father. She unfortunately did not have the swim that she had hoped for placing 30th out of 38 ladies. This gave her quite a bit of work on the bike in order to try catch the ladies ahead. She was able to work in a pack with other ladies. This experience alone is something she does not experience often in Africa,” said Fulton.
The race was won by France’s Maelis Rolin in a time of 59 minutes and 44 seconds. Fellow French athlete Amelie Piazza finished second in 59 minutes and 54 seconds.
Belgium’s Lia Depret completed the podium places after crossing the line in 59 minutes and 57 seconds.
“She had an exceptionally fast transition off the bike and had a really good run posting the 19th fastest run on the day. This is commendable and very encouraging for her to be able to do this at the end of a hard race, to be both mentally and physically stronger than many of her opposition,” said Fulton.
Looking ahead, Fulton said the team had identified key areas that require further improvement before the Dakar Games.
“We had no idea how strong the opposition would be in Europe, so these races were purely for exposure to see how she fares against them. We knew these races would be exceptionally hard and I personally am pleased with her performance. We now know the areas that require further work in her preparation for Youth Olympic Games.
“For future races, she now knows what to expect when standing on the start line with such a big field and understanding how tough and rough the first few hundred meters of the swim will be, and
how to deal with this kind of situation. As she now prepares for YOG she will be really fired up and eager to raise her level of competition and close the gap between herself and other ladies,” added Fulton.
The junior men’s title was won by France’s Gaspard Chabanel, who crossed the finish line in 52 minutes and 35 seconds ahead of compatriot Gaetan Dedouche.
Dedouche finished second in 52 minutes and 43 seconds, while Germany’s Christian Ache took third place in 52 minutes and 59 seconds.
