JAN AND LIZ QUALIFY FOR THE 2025 AG WORLD STANDARD TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS

Talented triathletes Jan Fletcher and Liz Dunlop took on the Big Cow Calfman Standard Distance Triathlon, which was held at Emberton Country Park, Milton Keynes last weekend (4th August). This was also the final Team GB qualification race for the 2025 Age Group Standard Distance World Championships in Wollongong, Australia, so the pressure was on them to perform to their best on the day to achieve one of the 4 automatic age group slots. The event kicked off with a 1500m 2-lap swim in the Emberton Park lake with a deep water mixed gender mass start with 200 male and female competitors.  As the water temperature was 23 degrees, wetsuits were banned for all athletes under the age of 60. This meant that Jan lost the advantage of swimming with the buoyancy of a wetsuit but Liz was still able to use hers but had the disadvantage of having to take time removing it in T1. On the day, Jan was racing in the 45-49 category but, as she is moving up an age group in 2025, was aiming for qualification in the 50-54 age group, with Liz in the 65-69 category. Both swam well with Jan exiting the lake first of the two in a solid time of 27 mins 4 seconds with Liz not far behind in 28 minutes 27 seconds. Quick transitions from  both saw them leave T2 in 2nd position in their respective age groups. The 40km undulating bike course was 2 laps on the local roads and open to the  traffic. There were some cheeky, challenging but short lived inclines but the course was generally fast and flowing and both athletes posted some of the quickest times in their age groups, with Jan completing it in 1hr 12mins 30 seconds and Liz 1hr 20mins 28seconds. Jan was still 2nd in the 45-49 category but had overtaken the leader of the 50-54 age group, with Liz also still 2nd in the 65-69 category as they headed off on the final leg. This was an undulating 10km two lap run, consisting of a mix of largely off road and tarmac making it one of the toughest run courses they have encountered. Given Jan’s lack of consistent run training due to injuries she was pleased to be able to complete it pain free and finish in an overall time of 2:31:42, 2nd from 7 in her current 45-49 age group and 15th female overall, but she also topped the 50-54 age group to take the 1st qualification spot for the 2025 World Championships. Liz did not have her best run as she struggled throughout with back spasms but still managed to overtake the leader of her age group at the end of lap 1 to finish in 1st place in the 65-59 age group and 49th female overall in 2:53:10. She took the 2nd world qualification spot as an athlete in the younger age group will move up for 2025. Both Jan and Liz have already qualified for the 2025 Age Group World Sprint Distance Championships, which will be held in Wollongong also, so they now have the opportunity to compete in both events if they so wish. Also joining them is Helen Scholes, who has recently joined Wight Tri, as Helen also qualified for the AG World Sprint event earlier in the year. Both Jan and Liz are heading off to the 2024 European Age Group Triathlon Championships in Vichy, France in September where they are competing for Team GB age group; Jan taking on the Sprint Triathlon and Liz racing in both the Sprint and Standard Distance Triathlons.Helen has also qualified for the first time ever for Team GB at this years AG World Sprint Triathlon Championships in Torremolinos in October. Both triathletes would like to thank Wightlink in the Community and also the IOW Council; with Jan also thanking Amanda Buggy-Soft Tissue Therapy & Nutrition and  Jenni Jones Sports Psychology for their ongoing support.