Super League Triathlon hits Malta for another explosive weekend of racing

After an incredible first event in Jersey just one month ago, Super League Triathlon is back and this time, it’s coming to the stunning, historic island of Malta. In one of the biggest sporting events the island has ever hosted, the USA’s Katie Zaferes and France’s Vincent Luis both go into Super League Malta at the top of the SLT leaderboards after superior performances in Jersey.

Malta, whose capital Valletta was voted the 2018 European Capital of Culture, was the place to watch the world’s greatest triathletes battle it out in contention for the SLT Championship title, as well as the venue for Age Groupers and the local communities to get stuck into the sport. The Super League Aquathlon, presented by Nike, took place on Saturday. This format, comprising a 300m swim followed up by a 4km run, is ideal for those dipping their toes into the multi-sport world for the first time.

Nike’s Super League Fun Run on Sunday was an opportunity to bring the local Maltese community together for a 5km run and is intended for islanders of all ages and abilities.

As with all SLT events, the pro athletes will be taking on two of five challenging SLT formats in this Championship Series event: Malta hosted the two-staged Equalizer on Friday and Sunday, and the Eliminator on Saturday.

The Equalizer is a two-stage challenge of persistence and raw power. Stage 1 was an Individual Time Trial – a swim leg in Malta that will determine the starting time gaps for the second stage. Stage 2 is a rapid swim-bike-runswim-bike-run fight for the top spot. The Equalizer levels the playing field and showcases racing in its purest form.

The Eliminator tests the resilience, stamina and speed of the athletes in a pressure-cooker format where field position proves key over timing. They must finish high enough to not be eliminated while managing their effort against fatigue. The athletes need to showcase their tenacity to endure three stages of the traditional swimbike-run.

The athletes won’t be given much of a breather after Malta, as they head to Spain next weekend for Super League Mallorca for another intense and unpredictable weekend.