Report by Dr Andy Lane (Cardiff Met Uni lecturer and Welsh Triathlon Performance Centre Coach)

 

On 3rd May 2015 Cardiff Metropolitan University and Cardiff University sent their biggest ever teams to the BUCS Triathlon Sprint Championships. The event in Calne had a record number of entrants, 638 in total, who toughed it out in wet and windy conditions, some of which raced in thunder storms with hail stones. The Cardiff Triathlon Performance Centre athletes racing included Zoe Thomas, Kieran John, Ieuan Cooke, Alex Thorley and Sam Wade.

 

The last few waves of the day saw the majority of the quickest athletes take to the start line and this is where the medals were decided. The women’s field had a number of top international athletes take part, most notably Sophie Coldwell, a first year Loughborough University student who is on the start list for the London World Triathlon Series race at the end of May which see’s her go head to head with the best triathletes in the World. The top 10 was going to be a good battle in the women’s event and Zoe Thomas, a final year BSc Sport and Exercise student at Cardiff Metropolitan University had a great start with a well paced swim and continued to put a very strong performance together. She had the fastest female bike of the day, mixing it with a number of the men and ran well to take the victory and the gold medal by 49s. Sophie Coldwell took home the silver medal and Chloe Cook (Leeds Beckett University) came third, 15s behind Sophie.

 

The mens field was one of the strongest assembled in recent years, all three of last years podium athletes were one the start line for 2015 together with a lot of quality first year University athletes. Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Sam Wade (MSc Strength and Conditioning student) was the victor taking home a well deserved gold medal. Having come very close in 2013 when he won the silver medal, he began well with a good swim, had the fastest bike split of the day and ran very strongly to take the gold medal by 58s. Loughborough University students filled the podium with a great performance from Richard Horton (he has got stronger again this year) and Chris Perham. Sam is showing that he is becoming a very consistent performer having won medals in all BUCS events (Duathlon, Sprint and Standard distance) in the last few years.  

 

In the team competition, Loughborough mens dominated the event winning the gold medal, University of Leeds took home the silver and good all round results from Cardiff Metropolitan University students Kieran John (second year BSc Sport Management) and Ieuan Cook (first year BSc Sport and Exercise Science) collected the bronze medal. Alex Thorley representing Cardiff University finished in 15th place after a strong swim which bodes well heading into the season once he has completed his Maths Degree.

 

A big thankyou to Welsh Triathlon, Cardiff Metropolitan University and Cardiff University for supporting the development of the centre and helping to create the environment for the athletes.