Van der Merwe and Grobler win TSA sprint titles

Pieterjan van der Merwe won the elite men's title in 01:01:27.1 and Karla Grobler clinched the women's gold in 01:11:50.7.

March 18, 2025

Lebohang Pita 2 minutes read

Pieterjan van der Merwe atop the podium. He's seen here with runner-up Joshua Steytler (left) and third-placed Matthew van Coller.

The Tshwane Triathlon Association’s (TTA) Pieterjan van der Merwe put in a headline-stealing performance with a dominant victory during the Triathlon SA (TSA) Sprint Championships, incorporated into the Alley Roads Tri Fest, at CR Swart Dam on March 16.

The event saw elite, junior and veteran triathletes from across the country brave the inclement weather, with choppy waters and slippery conditions on the road due to intermittent drizzling, to battle it out for national honours.

The winner of the women’s elite race Karla Grobler is flanked by runner-up Kirsten Engelbrecht (left) and third-placed Maxine Boyce.

Competing in Benoni for the second time, the 28-year-old had too much for his rivals, with a brilliant swim and bike leg setting up his victory.

Van der Merwe outgunned his competitors from the start, opening up a 10-second lead in the swim before entering T1.

Pieterjan van der Merwe on his way to T1 after getting out of the water first.

A competitive bike leg saw the Pretoria resident and Joshua Steytler stay close but a strong running performance from Van der Merwe secured victory in 01:0127.1, winning by 01:09.1.

Reflecting on his performance, he said he was happy to win the national title, especially after battling with injuries over the past three years.

Joshua Steytler goes out of the water 10 seconds behind Pieterjan van der Merwe.

“I’m extremely happy with my swim. It was the one part I was nervous about. When I got out of the water with a little gap, it gave me lots of confidence. I knew my biking was strong. I wasn’t sure what I would have had to do on the run. So, I wanted to ensure I hit the run with a little bit of a gap but then it turned out to be quite a good run leg as well,” he said.

Steytler improved from his third place from last year’s event to clinch the runner-up spot in 01:02:30.2 while Matthew van Coller rounded up the podium in 01:02:48.0.

It was a clean sweep for the TTA as Karla Grobler won the elite women’s title.

Grobler was in fine form after powering home to take the tape in 01:11:50.7, 15.3 seconds ahead of Kirsten Engelbrecht, who clocked 01:12:06.

Maxine Boyce clinched the last podium position in 01:12:26.1.

Antony Clayton on the podium after winning the boys’ 18-19 race. He’s with runner-up Alessandro Fanicchi (left) and bronze-medallist Oliver Delport.

The women’s 18-19 top three are Lome Gouws (second), Kadence Ribbink (winner) and Lena Wiroth (third).

Other results

Central Gauteng Triathlon’s (CGT) Nicholas Horne was victorious in the boys’ 16-17 race, winning in 01:03:20.5. He took the tape 36.1 seconds ahead Zac Fletcher, with KZN’s Ryan Viviers finishing third 02:46 after the Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) athlete.

Anthony Clayton won the boys’ 18-19 title in 01:02:46.4, ahead of NMB’s Alessandro Fanicchi, who clocked 01:04:21.7. KZN’s Oliver Deport settled for third in 01:05:00.1.

The winner of the boys’ 16-17 race Nicholas Horne with runner-up Zac Fletcher (left) and third-placed Ryan Viviers.

The winner of the girls’ 16-17 elite race Nadia van Wyk is flanked by runner-up Karli Lotter (left) and third-placed Amelia Manning

KZN’s Kadence Ribbink was in superb form, dominating the swim before a strong bike leg and a competitive run to win the girls’ 18-19 title in 01:08:15.7. She beat Lome Gouws by 22.3 seconds. Lena Wiroth was third in 01:13:35.4.

Nadia van Wyk clinched the girls’ 16-17 gold in 01:12:16.3, with Karli Lötter second in 01:14:34.5. Amelia Manning rounded up the podium in 01:16:44.2.

The full results are available on www.bouttime.co.za

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