Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga-Zimpapers Sports Hub
RACHEL O’DONOGHUE recovered from a difficult swim to post the 19th-fastest run on her European debut as she stepped up preparations for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
The 16-year-old finished 27th out of 38 junior women at the Europe Triathlon Junior Cup in Jurmala, Latvia, on Saturday.
She completed the sprint distance, comprising a 750m swim, 19.1km bike ride and 5km run, in one hour, three minutes and 35 seconds.
O’Donoghue emerged from the swim in 30th position but made up ground on the bike before finishing strongly on the run.
National coach Pamela Fulton said racing in a large field and working in a cycling pack gave O’Donoghue valuable experience ahead of the Youth Olympic Games, which will run from October 31 to November 13 in Senegal.
“She unfortunately did not have the swim that she had hoped for, placing 30th out of 38 ladies,” Fulton said.
“This gave her quite a bit of work on the bike in order to try to 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.
“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.” France’s Maelis Rolin won the race in 59 minutes and 44 seconds, finishing 10 seconds ahead of compatriot Amelie Piazza.
Belgium’s Lia Depret was third in 59 minutes and 57 seconds.
O’Donoghue’s European tour was expected to include two Junior Cup events, but the junior women’s super-sprint race in Moletai, Lithuania, was cancelled because of bad weather. Fulton, who will accompany O’Donoghue to Dakar, believes the tour provided a useful measure of the teenager’s progress.
“These last two weeks for Rachel have been an amazing experience,” she said.
“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 am pleased with her performance. “We now know the areas that require further work in her preparation for the Youth Olympic Games.
“For future races, she now knows what to expect when standing on the start line with such a big field and under-stands how tough and rough the first few hundred metres of the swim will be.
