Suburban
AFTER hosting the first inter-schools competition over the weekend, Triathlon Zimbabwe have revealed that they are looking at expanding the initiative next season.
Ellina Mhlanga Senior Sports Reporter
Triathlon Zimbabwe held the event in partnership with Hellenic Primary, with the help of their members Paul Denslow and Wayne Davidson.
It was held at Mount Pleasant pool on Sunday with six junior schools – Hellenic Primary, Springvale House, Wise Owl, St John’s, St Michael’s and Abbeys School taking part.
Springvale were crowned champions. Hellenic and St John’s were second and third respectively.
Triathlon Zimbabwe president Ross O’Donoghue said Sunday’s competition was the first official event featuring schools only.
“The whole idea behind the initiative is to expose people to triathlon and get them interested in the sport. And hoping that a lot of those kids will then come and join us in some of our other events.
“Next year we are hoping to have an inter-schools series where Springvale will be the first race of the season and then this will be the last race of the season.
“We are hoping to introduce one more race, which will be hosted by one of the other schools but that’s yet to be decided.
“But we are hoping (through) this initiative we can bring younger kids into the sport, identify the talent earlier and then nurture them into the sport, and hopefully up to an elite level,” said O’Donoghue.
Springvale hosts one of the local competitions on the national association’s calendar and Triathlon Zimbabwe are now hoping to turn it into an inter-schools competition instead of an open event.
“We do have an event at Springvale. This season we had it in November, it wasn’t an inter-schools race, it was just an event held at Springvale and we are hoping that would become part of the schools series next year.
“And then we will have one other event with another school, so we will have a series of three events and then we will crown the champions at the end of the series.”
Meanwhile O’Donoghue is confident of fielding strong team’s at this year’s South Africa Championships. The youth championships are set for March.
With a few selection races to go, some of the athletes have already qualified for the championships. The national association is expected to announce the teams in due course.
They had another selection race over the weekend, with most of the leading youth and junior boys and girls competing.
“This is the second to the last selection event. There are a few kids who are still trying really hard to be selected based on time and participation. Our top athletes have already qualified through points and through their qualification times.
“I think we are going to send a very strong team down to the South Africa Championships,” said O’Donoghue.
Some of the athletes that were part of the proceedings on Sunday include Stanley Chasakara, who is hoping to make the juniors team.
“Currently I am looking forward to going for the South Africa Championships in PE (Port Elizabeth) and then hoping to qualify for Ghana and Egypt. I am also training really hard to get back on track for the next races to get enough points to go for PE.
“And then I would also like to get podium at Troutbeck (Junior Africa Cup) . . . Since we are used to being here, competing with other Zimbabweans, it’s going to be quite a good experience to get exposure competing with other athletes (from different countries),” said Chasakara.
The Junior Cup will run concurrently with the Bonaqua Africa Triathlon Cup due to take place on February 17.
