After a summer feeling the heat, win is so cool for Dan A Super end to year for red-hot Dixon!
TRIATHLON
DANIEL DIXON admits he has been feeling the heat in his latest triathlon outings - but that did not stop him from being in scorching form, writes TONY HODGSON.
The 16-year-old prospect from Morpeth was thrown into the heat of late-summer battle in Greece and Turkey.
He suffered mixed fortunes in the two events - but kept his his cool sufficiently to end his season fourth overall in the European junior elite rankings and the top 16-year-old to boot.
Dixon first flew out to Loutraki in Greece for the European Youth Championships, having secured his place by finishing third in the qualifying competition at Hetton Lyons Country Park on Wearside.
The top four were chosen for the championships and what made Dixon’s achievement all the more special was the fact he was competing against 17-year-olds - and was the only 16-year-old boy to gain selection.
However, the youngster found the conditions too hot to handle as he sweated through his swim, cycle ride and run to finish 18th overall.
Dixon said: “I suffered badly from heat exhaustion. It really got to me.
“It was very unpleasant - around 40 degrees celsius - and I was just not used to competing in that level of heat intensity.”
However, the teenage triathlon talent found conditions at the European Cup meeting in Turkey a bit more to his liking as he finished an impressive third overall.
Dixon added: “I went out there to improve my European standing so to end up in the top four of the rankings was very pleasing.
“Of the three lads who are ahead of me in the rankings, two are 19 and one is 18 so to be up with them as a 16-year-old is pretty amazing.
“It was hot out there but not as stifling as in Greece and I really enjoyed myself. I was pleased with how I performed.”
Buoyed by that result, Dixon rounded off his busy season by beating off 32 challengers to win the male youth race at the Super League International Triathlon in Jersey.
He said: “The event was contested over a new format of two races with five minutes between them.
“The swim was just 300 metres with the bike ride and run each of one kilometre.
“It was a short, twisting and very technical course and you were always near to the spectators.
“It was the same course the professionals used.
“I loved the format, it was awesome, and to win rounded off my season in style.”
Dixon had warmed up for his big Euro outing with a superb performance in the ETU Triathlon Junior European Cup in Latvia.
The youngest competitor in the 17-19 years category, he claimed his first international victory - despite Dixon (centre, No 12) emerges from the swim section in Jersey and (below) in the saddle during the cycle race being up against 70 triathletes older than himself.
Earlier this year Dixon won the 2018 British Elite Duathlon Championship at Bedford.
That followed on from the talented teenager claiming the Elite Youth British Triathlon title at Mallory Park in Leicestershire the previous summer.