Just shy of 250 competitors, featuring some of Wales’ top Elite and Age-Group athletes, will take to the start line this weekend for the Welsh National Sprint Championships at the Tuska Sprint Triathlon in Porthcawl.
The race will also be the final round of the 2017 National Series, a competition run over the Welsh Championship events for Aquathlon and Sprint, Standard and Middle Distance Triathlon.
Full rankings after 3 races can be found HERE
Welsh Triathlon’s Ones to watch this weekend:
Men’s Field:
A strong field has assembled for this race with the current top 3 in the series all lining up for the final round. Ross Simpson (Onit Sports), already Welsh Middle and Standard Distance Champion, will be hoping to add a third senior title and the overall series to his existing accolades this weekend. However, there will be strong competition from Gareth Hodgson (Team Cranc) and Anthony Bannon (Cardiff Triathletes) who sit second and third in the series respectively.
This race has also attracted elite talent and those hoping to take the win on Sunday will include Morgan Davies (Aim2Tri), the 2015 British Elite Champion, current NTPCW athlete Deri Stewart (Triathlon Coaching Wales) and Sam Wade (Sense Core Race Team), who arrives in South Wales following a 2nd place finish at Zurich 5150 last weekend. A fast swimming Kieran John (Caerphilly Tri-ers) should also feature.
Expect those named above to be challenged by a good crop of Welsh Youth and Junior Academy athletes including Lewys John, Tomos Nesham (Pencoed Tri Club) and Nathanial Harries (Cycle Specific).
The race also features World, European and British Age-Group champions and medallists throughout the categories. Current British Age-Group Sprint Champion Andy Martin (Pencoed Tri Club) will be looking at add a Welsh title in the M40-49 category. He will face competition from current series leader in the M40-49 category Craig Flannery while Triathlon England member Iain Robertson (TORQ), who was a 2014 European Age-Group Champion in Kitzbuhel, will provide strong opposition for the overall win.
The M50-59 race will be an open affair, with none of the current series leaders present. Expect Bill Snowden (Cardiff Triathletes) and current series leader Paul Bennett (Port Talbot Harriers) to be the lead protagonists in the M60-69 race. In the M70-79 event Roger Kiernan will be hoping to add a further Welsh title to that won at the Aquathlon Championships last month.
Women’s Field:
The women’s field has similar strength in depth in what should be an intriguing series finale.
In the Senior Female race the National Series leaders aren’t present, meaning that a strong performance on the day could be enough to win the overall series prize. 2014 Commonwealth Games athlete Carol Bridge (Rhondda Tri Club) will be one of the favourites and should face strong opposition from Emily McLoughlin (East Grinstead Tri), who has international elite racing experience. Triathlon England member Becky Schofield (Tri-Anglia), a 2013 European Age Group Champion over this distance, should also be in the mix.
In the Youth category current Welsh Academy athlete Laura Sharp (Cadence Tri Club) will be looking to add another Welsh medal to her Aquathlon win last month and could feature strongly in the overall race as well.
The F40-49 category looks to be an open race, meanwhile the F50-59 Welsh title could also go to various athletes. Beverley Lewis (Cardiff Triathletes) is the highest ranked athlete in the F50-59 series standings. However, strong swimming Ceri Thomas (Pencoed Tri Club) will provide strong opposition, meanwhile Dawn French (Rhondda Tri Club) will be in the running to upgrade from her 2016 Welsh Championship silver medal at the sprint distance last year.
As is the way with Age-Group racing new athletes emerge and surprises happen, meaning that there will be a competitive fight and some fast racing for the Welsh Championship medals, which should provide a fitting finale to the 2017 National Series.
Registration takes place on Saturday afternoon from 12pm at Porthcawl Harbour, with the race the following morning at 6am, due to tide times.
Welsh Triathlon’s twitter account @WelshTriathlon will be providing coverage of the race.
A full start list is available here:
https://resultsbase.net/event/3813
Results will also be available from this site shortly after the finish.
