Crawford’s sights on continental title

At the conclusion of the South African Triathlon Championships in Bloemfontein, paratriathlete Sebastian Crawford clinched a second consecutive national title in the men’s PT3 category. His sights are firmly set on much bigger achievements in 2017.

Cerebral palsy sufferer Crawford has been competing in triathlons for the past three years and has competed on the international stage, but his focus is on the African Championships in May.

“It’s great that I was able to defend my national title and, to do it in tough conditions, was a huge confidence booster,” Crawford said.

“The swim was very rough, with the wind picking up on the bike leg and then the run was also tough, so I am really chuffed with my effort in the hard conditions. It shows the hard work is starting to pay off, but I need to start focusing on the African champs in Tunisia.”

The Westville-based athlete with a strong swimming pedigree knows his other disciplines need improving.

Having taken up the sport in 2014, Crawford has come on in no time with a number of highprofile wins under his belt. Being able to take on the best in the world later in 2017 will be another major stepping stone.

“My run is definitely my biggest downfall and I am going to be working really hard on improving that element before the African champs and the World champs in Rotterdam in September,” he said.

“If I can win the African Championships and finish in the top three at the World Championships, I will be incredibly happy. My ultimate goal is going to be the Olympic Games in 2020,” he added.