2XU TRI SERIES - RACE #2 Portsea
What we love about this sport is that no two races are the same. The change of course, the variety of formats, the collection of athletes racing and then throw in the unpredictability of nature and now we have the formula for a triathlon. The conditions down in Portsea were looking magnificent, but this was by no means an ‘easy’ race. The athletes had to brave the notorious tidal currents of Portsea, catching many off-guard. If you don’t know, Portsea front beaches have large areas of sandbars that are crisscrossed by deep channels. This means that with the outgoing tide, comes STRONG currents. Many swimmers had to battle against the tide to reach the turn buoys after initially over-shooting them by a LONG way! The course was changed on-the-go as it became evident the tidal currents were taking their toll. But, once on course and in the current, there were some very fast swims! Following this, athletes had to climb stairs to transition, then head out for over 1km sand running, before hitting the trail to return to transition. For the enduro athletes, jump in and do that all over again!
Tri-Alliance athletes did us proud! Henny smashed the Fun Tri event, coming out of the water near the first pack and holding strong on the run to finish in 2nd place! Not bad for someone who is new to the sport and has just finished our Try-the-Tri program! Emily had a stellar performance in the Olympic distance, backing up from an outstanding result at 70.3 WA the weekend before. With by far the hardest swim conditions of the day, her swimming skills held her in good stead coming out of the water in 2nd and holding that position on the run. Our series competitor had to step outside their comfort zones and take on the swim/run/swim/run format. A novelty at some points, maybe? Or at other times we could see it was more like a sanity check! The girl gang of Simone, Sláine, Lisa and Rachel were all in view of each other and working with grit and determination (and healthy rivalry) to tick through the race. All 4 girls kicked butt and finished on the podium! For Monty this race was going to be a challenge, but one that he took head-on and with that fierce stubbornness we all know and love! And just as we would expect, he kept cutting the course down, whittling it away and making a strong charge to the finish line. And for some family fun, the Burns Family joined us for a bit of everything! Ella finished her first Fun Tri like a little champion after a daunting experience, Paul battled hard in a competitive age group in the enduro to grab 3rd step on the podium and Tegan sensibly raced as part of a team with her girlfriend to finish in 2nd place whilst nursing a slight niggle. Lara did the hard part in getting through the swim leg, but had to withdraw from the run leg due to earlier illness. Outstanding Team Burns!
Well done to all our crew:
Simone Cranage – 1st in AG (Sprint)
Sláine O’Sullivan – 1st in AG (Sprint)
Monty Cooper – 1st in Multiclass (Sprint)
Lisa Zilberpriver – 2nd in AG (Sprint)
Henny Hamilton – 2nd in AG (Fun)
Emily Rowbotham – 2nd in AG (Olympic)
Tegan Burns – 2nd in Teams (Sprint)
Rachel Madden – 3rd in AG (Sprint)
Paul Burns – 3rd in AG (Sprint)
Ella Burns – 7th in AG (Fun)
MOANA TRIATHLON
Over the weekend, Steph headed over to seaside location of Moana South Australia, for an all-important Age Group ITU World Championship Qualifying Race. Steph knows she needs to put in consistent performances across these races, and she did just, finishing 4th place in what also doubled as the South Australian Sprint Championships. Steph has been working hard and strategically planned her races out from the beginning of the season. To qualify for the AG World Champs, athletes collect points from designated races across the season. There are 11 events across the country, starting in October and culminating with the Australian Championships in February (worth double points). An athlete’s best 3 results will be counted, and the team will be made up of 25 males and 25 females across Australia. So far, Steph has a 3rd, 4th and a 5th, already accumulating some very handy points. We continue to wish her well on her quest and will keep following her journey.
