International Racing This Weekend
Irish triathletes are racing in Australia, South Africa and Spain this weekend as the international season swings into full flight.
Donnacha McCarthy & Sean Husband Down Under
Donnacha McCarthy and Sean Husband are on the road and will be hoping to follow up their outstanding win in Abu Dhabi just a few weeks ago with a strong performance at World Series level this weekend in Devonport.
Triathlon Ireland Performance Director Gordon Crawford outlines what lies ahead for the pair;
“They have settled in well to Australia after the long travel from Abu Dhabi and their training has been progressing nicely. They are in good form and had their best swim in Abu Dhabi as well as a very strong bike performance. Going into the race as number one ranked and delivering the performance as well as the win was a great confidence boost under this kind of pressure.”
“The race in Australia has a very solid field. There is another great opportunity to perform and compete for the podium. They have adjusted to the heat and their surroundings and are ready to race. They have the race momentum now and have planned for the two races well.”
The 2023 World Triathlon Para Series Devonport will be live on TriathlonLive.tv. Tune in from 20:45 on Friday, 17th March in Ireland.
Edgar in South Africa
James Edgar has been based in South Africa for training camp since late February, and the trip has already produced some promising results, with Edgar finishing third in Maselspoort at the end of the month.
This Sunday, 19th March, Edgar will start in the 2023 Africa Triathlon Premium Cup Nelson Mandela Bay. Gordon Crawford gives his breakdown of what to expect;
“This weekend James is ranked ninth in the field and there is some real quality in the form of Jamie Riddle, Richard Murray, Alois Knable, Emil Holm and Andrea Salvisberg. It will be a great opportunity to race against some Olympians and seasoned professionals. With James’s strong swim and in this field there is a strong chance of a breakaway and as we have seen James is a very strong runner.”
“This weekend will be an exciting race and the chance for James to gain more points and significantly improve his world ranking. This season James will be looking to race consistently at European Triathlon Cup (ETC) and World Triathlon Cup (WTC) level, and get in position to perform at the European Standard Championship in Madrid and the European Games.”
Visit triathlon.org for more.
Europe Triathlon Cup Melilla
Ian Manthey has started his 2023 season off with a solid top ten finish in Maselspoort and is in Spain for the Melilla European Cup this Sunday. It could be another top ten for Manthey this weekend, as Gordon Crawford explains;
“Building on the first race Ian is fit and well, and ready to race in Melilla. It is a large field in Melilla but there is an opportunity to perform and build on his top ten placing in Maselspoort.
“After Melilla, Ian will race the ETC in Quarteira the following week. The Portuguese race is at standard distance, has a very strong field and is over a challenging course.
In terms of Manthey’s goals for the season;
“For the first part of the season Ian will be looking to race consistently at ETC level, start racing at WTC and potentially race at the European Standard Championships in Madrid and qualify for the European Games team.
