Schoeman scores historic victory in Abu Dhabi

HENRI Schoeman scored more than a victory in the season-opening World Triathlon Series event in Abu Dhabi on Friday – he produced a critical piece of history.

The Olympic bronze medallist became only the second competitor to win a WTS race coming through first in the three legs of swimming‚ cycling and running.

The other is legendary Englishman Alistair Brownlee‚ the Olympic and Commonwealth Games champion‚ who was missing from this field.

Whether Schoeman can achieve similar greatness remains to be seen‚ but this win at least buried the ghost of last year‚ when he ended up in hospital as a precaution after having breathing issues.

“I don’t have a bad experience to remember now‚” Schoeman said this weekend after returning to his Durban base.

But more importantly, it is given him a fillip ahead of next month’s Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast‚ Australia‚ where he is potentially eyeing two gold medals‚ one in the individual race and one in the mixed relay.

“I think this run in Abu Dhabi has given me a real confidence-booster‚” Schoeman said.

The race was a sprint‚ half the distance of the standard Olympic distance to which Schoeman is better suited.

Yet he destroyed a classy field over the 750m swim‚ 20km cycling and 5km run – the same distance they will be racing in April.

“I never thought I’d be a favourite to win a sprint distance triathlon‚” Schoeman‚ who ended second behind countryman Richard Murray at the Discovery World Cup in Cape Town a month ago, said.

“In Cape Town I was not at my peak fitness‚ but the last few weeks the training has gone well.”

The race in Abu Dhabi proved difficult after a rain storm made the course tricky for the cyclists.

Schoeman‚ in the lead group‚ found he had a small gap over the next two competitors after 5km‚ so he decided to push it‚ opening a sizeable gap. The best runners in the field‚ world champion Maria Mola, of Spain, and Richard Murray‚ were too far behind to catch him after that.

Schoeman’s next race will be at the Games.

“I’m working on the end speed of the run. The next few weeks will just be the fine-tuning phase‚ tweaking a little bit.”

When Brownlee produced his three-out-of-three feat in Austria in 2013‚ Schoeman was in his maiden season on the circuit. Is the baton of world triathlon about to be handed over?