Riddle giving all in pursuit of Olympic debut
Star triathlete Jamie Riddle has taken a step closer to achieving his ultimate dream after his latest win in Gqeberha put him in prime position for a ticket to the Olympic Games in France later this year.
While the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) is yet to officially name the athletes who will represent Team Mzansi in the swim, bike and run event, the 24-year-old multisport athlete sits with a World Triathlon Individual Olympic Qualification ranking of 71, which puts him within the “Top 140” bracket required by Triathlon SA for athletes to become eligible for selection.
As an added bonus, the Stellenbosch sportsman earned two victories at Africa
Triathlon races in Namibia, and more recently in Nelson Mandela Bay last Saturday.
After closely fought swim and bike legs, 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Henri Schoeman bolted out of the final transition in an attempt to open up a lead over his youthful opponent.
However, Riddle stormed back into contention over the penultimate lap before overtaking Schoeman and holding his nerve on the final lap to storm across the line to loud cheers from spectators.
“I raced so defensively,” Riddle said.
“It was our last chance for the Olympic trials. A puncture would have ruled me out of Paris, anything could have happened, but I always had that fighting spirit.
“Henri Schoeman is a champion in his own right.
“I don’t know what happened in his race and I have the utmost respect for him.
“One day he will take me and on another I will take him, and that is what we want in SA.
“It is not me against Henri, but rather Henri and I against the world.
“We pushed each other to new heights and long may it continue.
“I cannot put into words what this win means for me.
“It is all through the work of God that I could pull off this win. It would not be possible without Him.”
After claiming a respectable sixth place with his “never say die” attitude at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, Riddle will be aiming for a similarly impressive performance if he steps out in the green and gold in Paris.
He will have one more opportunity to ensure his ticket to the home of the Eiffel Tower is stamped if he is selected for the SA squad heading to Huatulco, Mexico, for the World Triathlon Mixed Relay Olympic Qualification race in May.
“At the end of the day you can tick every single box, but it’s up to Sascoc to select you.
“I think I have shown my hand multiple times now, so the next thing is to await for the selection verdict.
“The next big goal is Mexico, where we SA will send a team of four of us to try to qualify for the mixed relay event, so we will see what happens when that squad is selected in May,” he said.