adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
TRIATHLON Zimbabwe national coach, Pamela Fulton, says Andie Kuipers’ qualification for the 2019 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Lausanne, Switzerland, is a major step towards her dream to make the 2024 Olympic Games.
Kuipers is expected to represent the country at the World Triathlon Grand Final from August 29 to September 1 in Lausanne following her qualification during the African Championships in June in Mauritius.
The 17-year-old will compete in the junior women’s section (Under-19) and her race is on August 30.
Fulton, who will accompany Kuipers for the meet, said it presents her with the opportunity to gain the much-needed experience for her future competitions.
“Andie is only 17 years old, so she is competing in the Under-19 section. It’s going to be a very hard race for her.
“She is probably one of the youngest athletes who will be competing there but she qualified at the Africa Championships.
“South Africa got the first three slots and then Zimbabwe, through Andie, got the fourth slot.
“Only four athletes from Africa can go and compete at this level, so she will be one of them at a very young age.
“But her goal is Paris 2024, so this is all for experience for her in preparation for the next Olympics.
“In the past she has been too young and she hasn’t been able to qualify to compete at the World Championships. It’s a huge achievement for her to qualify and it’s going to be really good experience for her, for the future going forward,” said Fulton.
Kuipers is also a member of Team Zimbabwe for the African Games to take place in Morocco from August 16 to 31 and will compete there before she proceeds to Switzerland.
Online Reporter