Triathlon Zim engage schools

AFTER hosting the first inter-schools competition over the weekend, Triathlon Zimbabwe have revealed that they are looking at expanding the initiative next season.

Triathlon Zimbabwe held the event in partnership with Hellenic Primary, with the help of their members Paul Denslow and Wayne Davidson. It was held at Mount Pleasant pool on Sunday with six junior schools — Hellenic Primary, Springvale House, Wise Owl, St John’s, St Michael’s and Abbeys School — taking part.

Springvale were crowned champions. Hellenic and St John’s were second and third respectively.

Triathlon Zimbabwe president Ross O’Donoghue said Sunday’s competition was the first official event featuring schools only.

“The whole idea behind the initiative is to expose people to triathlon and get them interested in the sport. And hoping that a lot of those kids will then come and join us in some of our other events.

“Next year we are hoping to have an interschools series where Springvale will be the first race of the season and then this will be the last race of the season. We are hoping to introduce one more race, which will be hosted by one of the other schools but that’s yet to be decided.

“But we are hoping (through) this initiative we can bring younger kids into the sport, identify the talent earlier and then nurture them into the sport, and hopefully up to an elite level,” said O’Donoghue.

Springvale hosts one of the local competitions on the national association’s calendar and Triathlon Zimbabwe are now hoping to turn it into an inter-schools competition instead of an open event.