Lowveld athletes rule at triathlon challenge
Dylan Nortjé and Roger Mortlock ready themselves for upcoming ITU Triathlon World Cup.
Local triathletes dominated the 2018 Lowveld Triathlon Challenge at Longmere Dam in White River on Sunday.
Dylan Nortjé won the standard race (1 500-metres swim, 40-kilometres cycle and 10-kilometres run) in 2:14:11. Roger Mortlock finished second in 2:22:51.
Nortjé, who races elite on the world series, is ranked 220th in the world, explained Taryn Field of the Ehlanzeni Triathlon Association.
Mortlock just missed a podium finish at last year’s ITU World Triathlon Champs in Rotterdam, finishing fifth in his age group.
Also see: Mortlock is fifth best in the world
Both Nortjé and Mortlock will next be competing in the ITU Triathlon World Cup in Cape Town on February 11. Field added that most of Saturday’s other top performers are off to the upcoming Ironman 70.3 in East London on January 28.
The event was excellent preparation, as it is considered a particularly tough route. This year’s transition area was better situated, which made the changeover smoother.
Andreas Kuhn finished the standard in third place in 2:38:10.
Natia van Heerden’s 2:47:15 secured her the top-woman finisher position.
She is one to watch, and is expected to compete in the Ironman World Championships. It takes place in South Africa this year in Port Elizabeth on September 1 and 2.
Donne Green, who only started competing in triathlons at the same event last year, secured second place in 2:55:07.
She gained enormous success in a short time, qualifying to compete in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in the USA in 2017.
Another local, Elsa de Beer, was the third woman finisher in 2:56:51.
Asher Biggs, who was included in the national triathlon team with Nortjé last year, won the sprint race.
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FJ Mentz followed in 1:17:08 and Leonard Brugman in 1:29:16.
A supersprint distance, as well as a kids’ and nippers’ fun triathlon, was included in the event.
The sport is rapidly growing in popularity: approximately 100 more entrants (children and teams included) participated this year to bring the total to a little more than 260 athletes.
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