adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
THE exciting international Schweppes Water Troutbeck ATU Africa Cup competition, an Olympic ranking points race, will get underway in the undulating terrain of Nyanga tomorrow (Saturday). The annual international event which attracts triathletes from across the globe is had no Zimbabwean participants in the men’s elite class in the previous edition of the event.
That the African Cup is an Olympic Ranking Points race for the Rio Olympic Games add value and competition to the prestigious multiple-stage competition involving completion of three continuous and sequential endurance disciplines – swimming, cycling, and long-distance running.
The accumulated points from June 2014 to the end of June this year for the athletes determine their qualification. Only 65 men and 65 Women will qualify for the Games event.
Media reports indicate that last year, Schweppes Water who were the title sponsors for the Zimbabwe ATU Triathlon African Cup are on board again this season.
Although Triathlon Zimbabwe president Rick Fulton could not pick up calls at the time of going to Press, information gleaned from the website indicate that the water temperature is expected to be around 20 degrees, while real competition will see participants going through standard laps of 750m in the swimming segment.
There will be six laps of 6.6km in the bike competition while all other races divisible. There is also standard four laps of 2.5km in the run segment with all other races divisible.
Interestingly, the two events, ATU Triathlon African Cup and the HAC World View Run, had initially been slated on the same day but risk of athletes clashing on the run ways forced organisers of the latter to move their event to February 21.
Online Reporter