Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
TOP Zimbabwean triathlete Andie Kuipers will bounce back into competitive action this weekend when she takes part at the 2025 Africa Triathlon Premium Cup Larache in Morocco.
The event is scheduled for Sunday.
The elite women category has attracted 46 entries and 66 for their male counterparts.
For Kuipers, it will be her second event of the year, having last competed and had a podium finish, winning gold, at the 2025 Africa Triathlon Championships in South Africa, in April.
“Yes, this is my second race for the year and it’s my first Premium Cup, which is a level of competition I haven’t raced before. There are a lot of strong Europeans coming to Morocco.
“It will be a good place to test myself at this level and see how my last few months of training have gone.
“I don’t really have any expectations going into this. I just want to give my best, hopefully get some good ranking points and just take some confidence in my training and in myself,” said Kuipers.
Soon after the continental championships, she moved to Kuwait for work and training while she pursues her passion in triathlon.
“I have settled really well in Kuwait. I am really enjoying being able to work in something that I am passionate about, as well as learning a new culture and living in a new country.
“The hardest challenge has been the heat. It gets up to 50 degrees Celsius every day, so it’s definitely been challenging with a lot of very early mornings to train.
“But I have adapted really well and the heat was always a weakness of mine, whereas now I think I have turned it into a strength, being able to be so adaptable in hot temperatures. So that’s been very positive.” At the time she participated at the Africa Championships, Kuipers was just bouncing back from an injury.
As she braces for the weekend’s race, Kuipers has now fully recovered.
“My training has been going really well. I have got a really good cycling group in Kuwait that I am riding with, and I have just been able to string together some good consistent months of training. I am feeling strong.
“I have fully recovered from my Achilles injury. I am just excited to be able to get back on the start line again with hopefully a good result,” added Kuipers.
The 23-year-old has made it clear; she would want to be part of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
And the event in Morocco is a stepping stone as she would want to race at the World Cup level by next year.
“In terms of my long-term goal of getting to LA, this will just be a small stepping stone as it’s just a premium Continental Cup.
“I do want to be racing at the World Cup level by next year, so this is just a stepping stone towards that to hopefully give me some confidence.
“And just to show me where I am as it’s only the second race of the season with hopefully a few more races to come,” said Kuipers. Kuipers will join athletes from countries such as Australia, Canada, Guatemala, Austria, Denmark, Mexico, Spain, Cambodia, Germany, the USA, South Korea, Italy, Argentina, Ireland, Hungary, Finland, Puerto Rico, Switzerland and host Morocco.
