Tiszaujvaros Presents A Two Day Challenge For Triathletes
Triathlon New Zealand has a host of young development athletes competing at the next ITU World Cup event in Tiszaujvaros (Hungary) this weekend, with the focus very much on performance rather than results at this stage of their careers.
Racing will be in the relatively new semi final and final sprint format, with athletes having to negotiate semi finals on the Saturday and the final on Sunday if they are good enough to progress. Bryce McMaster (Auckland), Rebecca Kingsford (Tirau), Sam Osborne (Rotorua), Sophie Corbidge (Auckland), Maddie Dillon (Auckland) and Mikayla Nielsen (Waikato) will line up under the watchful eye of Tri NZ High performance Coach Jon Brown.
Brown was appointed in April this year but with his arrival in Spain at the HP training camp has been in a position to cast his vastly experienced eye over the athletes as they prepare for this weekend.
“The team for Tiszaujvaros is young and hungry for international experience or to further what international experience they have already enjoyed. There is a distinction in the group, Bryce and Rebecca are the more seasoned and will be looking to turn in positive results after a good training block in Spain. For Sam, Sophie, Maddie and Mikayla the race will provide them competition appropriate for their age and current abilities. The weekend will present them with an opportunity to be in the mix at the front end of the race and establish racing self-confidence.
“Training for all of them since arrival from New Zealand has gone very well and we all feel they are ready to perform well on the day and further their preparation for the London World Champs next month. Racing in Europe poses new challenges for them outside of competition but they are all soaking up the knowledge that the experience is giving them and are coping well.”
The size of the fields dictates the number of semi finals, with the women having two semi finals and the men four. Brown says the format over the weekend is a challenge for not only the athletes, but the support staff as well.
“With semi finals on Saturday and finals on Sunday we are confident that all the athletes are in a good position to challenge for the final which then presents another challenge for them and us as staff, racing back to back days. This challenge is also one that the support team will have to overcome, with a great deal of planning and precision required. Everyone is feeling very positive and eager to prove themselves at the weekend.”
Brown says the work he has witnessed both in training but also in the culture that is developing within the Tri NZ HP team is pleasing.
“The training camp in Banyoles (Spain) has been successful from my point of view as it provides training and coaching precision but also comprehensive sports medicine and sports science support, all of which further enhances the precision we are trying to achieve.
“For the athletes a positive adaptation to communal living and self management is a strong focus for them. They are learning to be professional and organized in their daily living, this is vital to be able to train and race successfully overseas.
“For those here for the first time it will be an opportunity for staff to see how they cope with stress outside of training and what we need to do to help them manage this; essentially we want them feel confident to effectively operate in any environment or location and feel comfortable to slot into our HP camps quickly and get on with the job.”
The top 14 athletes in each women’s semi final will qualify for the final with another two places awarded to the next two best times. The top seven elite men in each semi final will qualify for the final with another two places being awarded to the next two fastest times.