A red-hot 2018 proves so cool for tri ace Dixon IN THE LATEST IN A SERIES ON NORTH SPORTS STARLETS WHO ENJOYED SUCCESS IN 2018, GRASSROOTS SPORT PROFILES TRIATHLETE DANIEL DIXON
2018 was, by his own admission, a huge learning curve for triathlon prospect Daniel Dixon, writes TONY HODGSON.
However, the teenage talent from Morpeth believes the experience gained from a hectic but successful year of competition will hold him in good stead for the challenges of 2019.
Dixon, 16, can look back on a year in which he contested the European Youth Championships and European Cup and secured fourth place overall in the European junior elite rankings.
Now the ambitious youngster’s New Year resolution is for more success at European and world level in the coming months.
Dixon said: “I think it was a very good year for me. Not everything went according to plan but I enjoyed all the events I competed in.
“The big positive for me was the fact I learned so much about myself and the sport.
“I was often competing against triathletes older than me and putting myself in situations I had never really been in before.
“That can only help me in the future and I hope to take what I have learned into next year and keep progressing.”
Dixon’s undoubted highlight of 2018 was the ETU Triathlon Junior European Cup in Riga, Latvia.
The youngest competitor in the 17-19 years category, he claimed his first international victory - despite being up against 70 triathletes older than himself.
That followed on from him winning the 2018 British Elite Duathlon Championship at Bedford.
Dixon added: “That event in Riga was just awesome.
“To be on the podium as the best junior was something I will never forget.”
The youngster then suffered mixed fortunes in two events in Greece and Turkey - but kept his cool sufficiently to end his season fourth overall in the European junior elite rankings and the top 16-yearold to boot.
He 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.
He found the weather 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.
His only real disappointment was missing the Youth Olympics - but even that had a silver lining for him.
Dixon added: “Missing the Youth Olympics meant I was able to contest a lot more events like Riga.
“I also heard the Games were not the best organisation-wise so it was probably a blessing in disguise I was not there.”
As for 2019, Dixon said: “My two main targets are the European Juniors in Holland in June and the World Juniors in Switzerland in September.
“I will be looking for top-10 finishes at both but if I can continue to improve I will be more than happy.”
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