BUG HITS CT TRIATHLON
A NAMIBIAN training camp has taken a heavy toll on tomorrow’s Discovery World Cup Triathlon Cape Town, with race favourite and home town hero Richard Murray unlikely to compete for line honours and his fiancée, top-ranked Rachel Klamer, also uncertain.
“We had a good training camp but there were some problems,” Murray admitted yesterday. “First I picked up a tendon niggle last Saturday, then had a bike crash on the Sunday and finally picked up a stomach bug on the Monday!
“I was just going to do the swim and bike and not risk the run. But now I’m not sure I will be able to do anything. The build-up to next year’s Olympics is so important and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardise my racing later in the year.”
The biggest triathlon-related event last year for Zimbabwe-born Dutch triathlete Klamer was the announcement of her engagement to Murray during their holiday at the Grand Canyon, and she had looked forward to a good start to the season at the Cape Town event.
“I love coming here,” Klamer admitted. “I first came in 2013 and love coming back to Cape Town. I’ve never been on the podium before and usually see the Cape Town race as more of a warm up for races later in the year. But I’d thought that this year might be different.”
However, Klamer, the highest-ranked triathlete in tomorrow’s race with a 10th placed ITU ranking, also fell victim to the Namibian stomach bug, the effects of which were still lingering yesterday.
In the absence of Murray, fellow-south African Henri Schoeman emerges as clear favourite for line honours. One of the strongest triathlon swimmers on the world circuit, Schoeman has worked hard on his running – his former weakness – and now is competitive through all three disciplines.
“I’m so enjoying the sport and lifestyle,” the 28-year-old said. “Triathlon keeps me disciplined and sane! I’m ready to race and competing at home is awesome. Having home support makes me push just a little bit harder.”
Schoeman, ranked seventh in the world, became only the second athlete ever to lead out of the swim, bike and the finish in an official ITU event when he won in Abu Dhabi, before going on to win gold at the Commonwealth Games in Australia.
Schoeman faces a strong challenge from, among others, fellow South African Wian Sullwald, who placed third in the 2017 Cape Town event.
Among the women, London-based South African Gillian Sanders is anxious to get back in the saddle in 2019 after two bad crashes severely impacted her 2018 season, and realises she needs to be at the top of her game to qualify for South Africa in the Tokyo Olympics next year.
The women’s elite race gets underway from Quay 6 at the Waterfront at 15h15, with the men’s elite race off two hours later. Both races finish opposite the Green Point Athletics stadium.
| Stephen Granger