Triathlon team braces for Africa Champs

Ellina Mhlanga

Senior Sports Reporter

THE new season for triathlon got underway yesterday at Mount Pleasant Pool with a good turnout that included the team that is expected to represent the country at the Africa Championships in Morocco this month.

The championships are running from September 23 to 25 in Agadir, Morocco.

The team’s departure is scheduled for next Sunday and they took advantage of yesterday’s competition to fine-tune their preparations.

Yesterday’s event included sprint and supersprint races, trifun and trifit as well as duathlon races.

It also marked the first selection race for youth and juniors as they begin accumulating points for selection into national teams that will represent the country in various competitions.

National coach, Pamela Fulton, who is in charge of the team, said they will be reducing the workload this week as they focus on speed and quick transition work.

“Being the first official event of the 2022/23 season, it doubled as the first selection event of the season and also the last time the Africa Championships travelling team could test themselves prior to departure for Morocco.

“The athletes raced well despite some being extremely tired after the first week back at school and the addition of school sports. This week their training mileage will reduce further as their focus will be on speed and quick transition work.

“The team departs Zimbabwe next Sunday and have an extremely long travel schedule whereby we only arrive in Morocco on Tuesday midday. We have the best possible plans in place to help the athletes recover from the lengthy flight, prior to their event,” said Fulton.

The national association also took the opportunity to invite the sponsors supporting the Africa Championships team to attend.

“We invited the four sponsors who have sponsored the kit for the travelling team, to come and watch the team compete – Central Pivot irrigation/Valley sponsored the race trisuits, whilst CFAO Motors, R&S Diesel and Ukhozi Transport, sponsored the team kit,” said Fulton, who is also Triathlon Zimbabwe vice-president.

Some of the team members that graced yesterday’s event included captain George Ascott and Matipa Mawere, who are set to compete in Under-17 Youth A Super Sprint boys, as well as Anje Van As, Tayleigh Taylor and Nichole Madya who are set to compete in the Under-15 Youth B Super Sprint girls

Triathlon Zimbabwe president, David Ellis, was pleased with the turnout and said the competitions they held as part of the build-up to the official start of the season helped get the athletes ready.

“As a season-opener, the turnout for the event was very good as expected in preparation (for) Morocco Africa Championships.

“The events before the season-opener were definitely a big help in preparing these athletes and keeping up the continuity,” said Ellis.

Some of the major events they are targeting for this season include the 2022 Europe Triathlon Multisport Championships, 2022 Africa Triathlon Cup Djerba to be staged in Tunisia, 2022 Africa Triathlon Cup Dakhla, Morocco and the Troutbeck event.

Africa Triathlon Championships Team

Under-19 Sprint ladies

Makanaka Mawere

Emma Lidsba

Brooklyn Tippett

Under-17 Youth A Super Sprint boys

George Ascott

Matipa Mawere

Under-17 Youth A Super Sprint girls

Emma Lidsba

Brooklyn Tippett

Under-15 Youth B Super Sprint boys