Wight Tri members Jan Fletcher and Liz Dunlop have both secured slots at the European Sprint and Standard Championship in Valencia.
Jan took part in the Mallory Park Sprint Triathlon on 18th July, which was also a 2022 European Age Group Sprint Triathlon Championships qualifier. With temperatures of over 30c, many athletes struggled and were forced to retire.
The 750m swim took place in one of the lakes within the Mallory Park race circuit. As the weather was so hot, it was decreed a ‘non’ wet suit swim with Jan completing the swim in 14 mins 4 secs leaving her slightly behind the frontrunners in the 45-49 age group.
She completed the bike course, which was 6 laps of the undulating motorsport circuit complete with several chicanes and dead turns, in a blistering 33 mins 56 secs which was the fastest in her age group and brought her back up the pack.
The run was 3 laps of the race circuit, which was an energy-sapping slog in the midday heat. Jan ran out her skin achieving the 2nd best time of 19:18 in her age group and secured 3rd place overall in the 46-49 category to finish in 1:09:57, achieving automatic qualification for the European Sprint Championships, in Munich, Germany.
The following weekend Liz Dunlop travelled to Redcar for the 2nd of the GB team qualification races for the 2022 European Age Group Sprint Championships.
The weekend weather was very different from the previous weekend. Starting with a very rough sea swim in temperatures of 14c made it a very tough race for all competitors. Liz completed the 750 swim in 20:08, the time of which included a long run up from the shore to transition.
Leaving transition in 2nd place in the 65-69 age group, she continued onto the draft legal 4 lap bike route. Unfortunately, she was not able to get into a pack, but still managed to maintain her position with a 40:57 bike split and then finished off with a good solid run of 27:04 for the 5.3km run, finishing in an overall time of 1:30:19. Liz finished in 2nd position in her age group and also qualifies automatically for the 2022 European Age Group Sprint Championships.
This is Jan and Liz’s 3rd GB age group qualification this year, having already qualified for the 2022 World Age Group standard triathlon Championship in Abu Dhabi and the 2022 World Age Group Sprint Championship in Montreal. They are both now due to represent Team GB in the European Sprint and Standard Championship in Valencia, in September this year, with fellow Wight Tri triathlete, Natalie Lawrence representing Team GB for the first time in the European Standard Triathlon.
Liz has also qualified for the 2021 World Age Group Sprint Triathlon Championships on Bermuda in October. However, all events are still dependant on COVID-19 restrictions, with the ladies crossing their fingers that they will take place.
Tavistock Sprint Triathlon
New member Gabriella Hewittt took part in her first-ever triathlon at the Tavistock Sprint Triathlon, which was part of the ‘Cornish Into Tri Series’.
Starting with a 400m pool swim, in the Mount Kelly school Olympic Swimming Pool, Gabriela surprised herself as she overtook several competitors with a good 10:30 split.
The bike course was a single loop around Dartmoor National Park – a very scenic route, with plenty of sheep and cattle grids. However, the course was made more difficult as the rain had set in. Undeterred, Gabriella posted a solid 45:47 for the 18km course.
The 5.4km run headed straight up a steep hill before running back down to the viaduct with the narrow viaduct path making it interesting for passing others but ended with a well-received downhill back to the finish. Gabriella completed the run in 37:40 to complete her first-ever triathlon in a super time of 1:35:46 and 10th/18 female and 39/66 overall.
