Emerging talent on show at .kiwi Tri Series Wellington

5 March 2014

Emerging talent on show at .kiwi Tri Series Wellington

Racing will be competitive on many different levels at the final round of the .kiwi Tri Series in Wellington this weekend, from the social participants aiming simply to finish to the serious age groupers aiming at a personal best or participants looking to get one up on rival clubs in the .kiwi Interclub Challenge.

Few races though will prove as fierce in their rivalry as the U19 Elite National Sprint Championships with some of the best young triathletes converging on Wellington from all parts of New Zealand, including members of the Tri NZ HP Squads and National Talent Programme.

The elite U19 race and the Paratri category both carry national championships status on Saturday’s programme and as such will assume ‘feature’ significance on the programme, coming at the end of the day’s racing that also includes standard distance race, 3:9:3 beginner race, 1:2:1 for the kids, team racing options and the points throughout the day in the .kiwi Interclub Challenge (triathletes earn points in all events towards the trophy).

Amongst the contenders in the U19 Women’s race will be two young Palmerston North triathletes in Jaimee Leader and Elizabeth Stannard. Both 16 year olds are amongst a large group to have shown huge potential in the sport over the past few years and were in the NZ Junior team to take out the Mixed Team Relay at the Australian Junior Series in Penrith in January with Leader also in the winning team at the Oceania Mixed Team Relay Championship at Kinloch in early February.

Tayler Reid (Gisborne) and Dan Hoy (Auckland) were the other members of that successful team in Penrith, with Nicole Van der Kaay (Taupo) replacing an ill Stannard in Kinloch and helping the team again race to gold. All will line up in the individual U19 National Champs on Saturday to make for a fascinating race amongst an emerging generation of triathletes.

They won’t have it their own way by any stretch though, with a host of others capable of earning a place on the podium. Names to look out for include Josie Clow (Auckland), Tri NZ HP Development Squad member Elise Salt (Auckland) and Steffie Holcroft (Hamilton), to name a few in the Junior Women’s.

Fynn Thompson (Queenstown), Jordan McLennan (Australia based), Jay Wallwork (Auckland), 16 year old Dan Hoy (Auckland), Kyle Smith (Taupo), Liam Ward (Auckland) and Sam Elstob (Christchurch) are among a host of contenders with the credentials to perform in the Junior Men’s race.

Triathlon New Zealand High Performance Director Graeme Maw says it is an exciting time to be a young triathlete.

“With the implementation of the National Talent Programme and Regional Youth Academies there are opportunities for young triathletes to gain access to the best coaching, support and mentoring and importantly allow for competition amongst their peers.

“The Youth Academies are an opportunity for established triathletes and new talent alike and their coaches and parents to come together to further their understanding of the sport and highlight their potential to go further on the athlete pathway. Saturday in Wellington will bring them all together with every one of them a chance to podium on the day, it will make for a fascinating race amongst a great group of young people, all of whom show the potential to develop into very good triathletes.”

Indeed the next opportunity for the best young triathletes to impress comes this Saturday in Wellington in what promises to be a showcase of the next generation in a sport with a proud history of performance at the highest level.

Other racing on the day features the kids 1:2:1, the 3:9:3 beginners’ race, Paratri National Champs and standard distance racing for all age groups. There are team categories on the day and the chance for triathletes to earn points towards the .kiwi Interclub Challenge in all events.

Entry for all events is open at www.triseries.co.nz

Elite U19 National Sprint Championships
.kiwi Tri Series
Waitangi Park, Wellington
Saturday 8 March
*member of the Tri NZ National Talent Squad
**member of Tri NZ HP Development Squad

Start Lists
Elite Junior (U19) Women
16-17 Katherine Badham, Auckland
16-17 Kirsty Burrows, Tauranga
16-17 Emma Daniels, New Plymouth
16-17 Paige Enoka, Wellington
16-17 Grace Kaitlin Kennedy, Wanganui
16-17 Jaimee Leader, Palmerston North *
16-17 Tessa McNair, Auckland
16-17 Elizabeth Stannard, Palmerston North *
18-19 Josie Clow, Auckland
18-19 Steffie Holcroft, Hamilton
18-19 Susannah Lynch, Porirua
18-19 Alana Lythe, Auckland
18-19 Elise Salt, Auckland **
18-19 Nicole Antonia Van der Kaay, Taupo *

Elite Junior (U19) Men
13-15 Luke Gemmell, Wanganui
16-17 Leon Arcus, Hamilton
16-17 Devon Beckman, Napier
16-17 Shamus Christison, Napier
16-17 Christian Conder, Wanganui
16-17 Jack Finlay, Palmerston North
16-17 Dan Hoy, Auckland *
16-17 Jake Jamieson, Wellington
16-17 David Martin, Palmerston North
16-17 Matt McCullough, Auckland
16-17 Andrew Napthen OTANE
16-17 Matthew Roets, Auckland
16-17 Kyle Smith, Taupo *
16-17 Thomas Trengrove, Auckland
16-17 Quinn Wallwork, Auckland
16-17 Liam Ward, Auckland *
16-17 James Wright, Wanganui *
18-19 Atanas Alipiev, Auckland
18-19 Sam Elstob, Christchurch
18-19 Max Hardie Boys, New Plymouth
18-19 Jordan Mclennan, Outram
18-19 Tayler Reid, Gisborne *
18-19 Callum Ross, Auckland
18-19 Mitchell Rutter, Otaki
18-19 Fynn Thompson, Queenstown *
18-19 Jay Wallwork, Auckland
18-19 Hugh Wilkie, Auckland

.kiwi Tri Series
Wellington
Overall Race Schedule
Saturday 8 March
Waitangi Park
6.00am: Registration opens
7.30am: Standard distance Trophy Races
8.00am: Para-Tri National Sprint Champs
8.15am: 1:2:1 Kids race
9.30am: 3:9:3 Beginners race
10.20am: U19 Elite National Sprint Champs
12.00pm: Prize Giving Waitangi Park

2013/14 .kiwi Tri Series
Visit www.triseries.co.nz for all event information and online entries

Wellington: Saturday 8th March 2014
Please note: Standard distance national champs in Auckland as part of the ITU World Triathlon Series on April 5/6

For further details visitwww.triathlon.org.nz or www.triseries.co.nz

ENDS

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