Sky is the limit for Gentle’s evolution
OLYMPIC champion Emma Snowsill has praised Ashleigh Gentle’s decision to link with renowned triathlon coach Jamie Turner, calling it the step she needed to help develop the self-belief that will propel her to a major title.
Gentle yesterday equalled Snowsill’s record of five Noosa triathlon titles, beating world duathlon champion Felicity Sheedy-Ryan and Natalie van Coevorden across the line.
Snowsill said Gentle’s progression this year – she finished second in the World Triathlon Series ratings – had as much to do with her improved mental ability as it did with her fitness and race technique.
“You’ve got to continue to evolve, you’ve got to continue to find ways to get better,” Snowsill said.
“She’s been around the sport for a long time but to be at that very top level is something that’s very different again and she’s honing her other side, which is the mental ability.
“I think she’s really starting to understand what highlevel competition involves.
“You can train physically as much as you need to but when you’re on the starting line, you’re all actually extremely similar, it’s who’s got that mental edge and who’s got the mental ability to have it over the others (that will prevail) and she’s really learnt that this year.”
And she praised fellow Gold Coast product Gentle’s leap of faith to leave home and link with Turner, the man who guided American Gwen Jorgensen to gold in Rio last year.
Gentle said moving to Wollongong and spending more of the year in Europe had been daunting but it had paid off in spades.
“I spent the longest I’ve ever spent in Europe this year, four months nearly,” Gentle said.
“At the start of the year, I didn’t know how I’d feel getting towards September and being so long away from home. But it’s what I chose to do to invest in my career.
“I’m just really happy that I could see the rewards from that quite quickly.”
Gentle was thrilled to win her fifth title and to share it with Snowsill on the finish line, although neither woman was fussed about the record.
“For me, it’s not really about that to be honest,”
Gentle said.
“It’s not about beating people’s records. If it happens, that’s fantastic but it’s not something that really motivates me. Everyone wants to win Noosa tri and I know that every time I come back as defending champion I’ve got a target on my back.”
Instead, Gentle was thrilled to be able to have time to pause on the finish line and blow a kiss skywards in tribute to Noosa triathlon “godfather” Garth Prowd, who died in a cycling accident in Spain earlier this year.