Noosa will be great’s last tri
TRIATHLETE Liz Blatchford says the time is right to step away from professional racing as she prepares to end her glittering career at the Noosa Triathlon.
The Gold Coaster’s sixth appearance at the Noosa Triathlon on Sunday will be her final professional race after finishing her Ironman career with a 12th place finish at the world championships in Kona, Hawaii, this month.
Blatchford, 38, said she was ready to draw a 24-year career to a close.
“That result (in Kona) was perfect for it,” Blatchford said.
“If I had a better result I may have questioned if I should stick around. But it wasn’t a bad result so I didn’t feel like I ended on a fizz.
“It’s not so much about where I’m at performancewise, but more of where I’m at in my life and being ready to move on and be ready for other things.
“I’m ready and it’s the right decision. Kona was a real focus for me as a serious race and Noosa will be a fun way to finish.
“I really wanted to be part of the weekend because it’s massive for triathletes in Australia. It will be a good place to say my farewells.”
Blatchford, husband Glen and daughter Mahli, 1, have packed up their Mermaid Waters home, where they have lived for 15 years, and will soon move to Ocean Shores in northern NSW.
A third-place finish is Blatchford’s best result at Noosa from five attempts and the long-course athlete isn’t expecting to go against the odds to topple friend and fellow Gold Coaster Ashleigh Gentle, who is competing for a record sixth title.
“I’m not looking at this race as a chance to win or anything,” Blatchford said.
“I’m not delusional that I’m as fast as Ashleigh Gentle these days. I’ll be doing my best to be somewhere in the top 10.
“I used to race with Ash when I used to race in the ITU (World Triathlon Series). She was up and coming and I was in my final years. We have trained together a lot on the Gold Coast and she is a close friend.
“It’s been awesome seeing Ash’s rise and how well she has done this year and the last few years.
“It’s exciting to see and I’m pretty sure she will be unstoppable this weekend.”