Top pentathletes square up for championships

NMB Modern Pentathlon Association and Pearson High School will co-host the South African National Biathle and Triathle Championships at the weekend.

The event will be held at Pearson High School’s heated pool and rugby fields and will not only reward top performers but also serve as trials to select a team to compete at the World Championships, in Egypt, in October.

The three-day event will start on Saturday with the Biathle first race at 9.30am.

Triathle will take place on Sunday from 9am and Monday will be the final day of the event.

These sports pit speed against endurance in an exciting combination of running and swimming, with Triathle adding the tense discipline of laser shooting into the mix.

Athletes from as young as nine to 70-plus will compete.

Association chairman Shaun Richter said the Eastern Cape would have the secondlargest team at the nationals.

“We are privileged to be able to host so many good athletes,” Richter said.

“Out of the athletes who have confirmed their attendance we will have a combined 45 medals from last year’s World Champs, held in Spain – with a number of these athletes actually reigning world champions.

“Bringing it a little closer to home, the Eastern Cape have entered the second-largest team in the competition.

“A number of Pearson pupils and even a staff member will be looking to make use of the home-ground advantage in pushing for medals.

“In total we have four pupils from Pearson [competing], in Anke Serfontein, Arno van Heerden, Jessica Beukes and Meghan Baxter.

“Serfontein, Van Heerden and Beukes have all toured overseas with the SA team before and will look to make the team again, while Baxter will be pushing for inclusion in her first year in this sport.

“Ryan Peter, a teacher at Pearson, has been taking part in the sport for many years and has also represented his country overseas and will be looking to get over a spate of injuries that have plagued him the last few years,” Richter aid.

“With over 300 athletes and their families making Summerstrand their home for the weekend, the local organising committee has done everything possible to ensure that the event is a success.”

Luke Manthe, one of `the organisers and a teacher at Pearson, said everything was on track for the weekend.

“Everything is in order at the moment. We are ready to host,” Manthe said.

“There is no entry fee for people who want to come and watch the games.

“It would be great if we could get people to come and watch because this is a new sport in SA, so we are trying to grow it.”