Birkirkara St. Joseph Triathlete Rudolph Agius excels in Challenge Gdansk

Birkirkara St. Joseph Sports Club triathlete and National Champion Rudolph Agius showed his mettle earlier on this month, when after a long absence from long distance racing due to the Covid-19 pandemic he claimed a podium place at the Challenge Gdansk in Poland.

The hot conditions prevalent on the day, did little to hamper Agius’ efforts to register a good result. Following a 1.9km swim in the Baltic Sea, the 90km bike route consisted of three flat and fast laps. The 21km run consisted of a mixed terrain course. Despite weather conditions being hot on the day, Agius was well prepared for such conditions.

Commenting after the race

Agius, expressed his satisfaction at the result achieved, particularly due to the lack of racing experience in the past year an a half. “It was extremely frustrating to see so many races cancelled so it was a real pleasure to be on the starting line again. I kept training in the hope of finding a race. Crossing the finish line and flying the Maltese and club flag is an extremely proud moment for which I am thoroughly grateful. I take this opportunity to thank all those who supported me especially in these difficult times – Birkirkara St. Joseph Sports Club, Attard Brothers, BigMat, Nectar, Pfanner, Rochetta, intersport, Garmin, Tacx, Scott, The Cyclist and Delta Media Services”

Agius’ performance in Poland, where he registered a time of 4 hours, 30 minutes and 55 seconds, saw him qualify for the Challenge Championships which will take place in Slovakia on the 29th August.

Fellow Birkirkara St. Joseph triathlete Josef Bonavia also took part in the race, finishing in fifth place in the same age group in a time of 4 hours 39 minutes and 2 seconds.

Meanwhile, Birkirkara St. Joseph Sports Club will be hosting the second race of the fourpart Go&Fun Sprint Triathlon Series on Sunday 18th July in Salina. Registration is open and more information can be found online - https://bkarastjoseph.com/ind ex.php?id=13