Earning their spots

Athletes qualify for worlds at Tri-Lobster

Athletes have earned spots at world championships based on their results in Summerside at the Subaru of Charlottetown Trilobster Triathlon.

The draft legal sprint and standard triathlon were official age-group world championship qualifying races for the 2020 International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Triathlon final in Edmonton. The event also paves the way for the winner in sprint draft legal duathlon, standard duathlon, aquabike and aquathon to attend the 2020 ITU multi-sport world championships to be held in the Netherlands.

“It was awesome to be able to host six world-qualifying races and have athletes earn spots to the 2020 world championships here at Trilobster Triathlon in Prince Edward Island,” said race director Marian Grant. “The first-place finisher in each fiveyear age group, both male and female, are eligible to compete in worlds if they completed an expression of interest prior to race day. What an opportunity to race for Team Canada.”

More than 235 athletes from across North America participated in the fifth annual event.

Athletes took to Summerside’s harbour, where they navigated through the designated swim course and then headed to the transition zone to pick up their bikes for a ride along the rain-soaked streets and then a run along the scenic boardwalk to the finish line.

“Initially, I was a bit concerned with the rain, but it did not slow down or dampen enthusiasm for the athletes who enjoyed the flat, fast and scenic course,” Grant said.

SUBMITTED York’s Arend TeRaa recently won the aqua bike division of the Subaru of Charlottetown Tri-Lobster Triathlon in Summerside. The division included a 1,500-metre swim and a 40-kilometre bike. From left are Rob MacDonald of Halifax, who finished second;TeRaa and third-place finisher Greg Edwards of Winnipeg.