Basson Engelbrecht will on Sunday when he competes in the Discovery World Series pro-elite men’s triathlon in Cape Town have just reason to race for a top position.

Engelbrecht’s result might indirectly impact on whether South Africa will be able to send three athletes to the Olympic Games in Rio.

As thing stand at the moment Richard Murray and Henri Schoeman are assured of going to Rio. If Wian Sullwald can improve his ranking by about ten places he also ought to qualify. However in sport nothing is ever really guaranteed. The unfortunate reality is that accidents do happen.

Murray’s crash during the World Series race at Australia’s Gold Coast proves it. The world’s third best triathlete broke his collar bone and also damaged his hand. He would in all probability recover in time to be at his best in Rio but Lindsey Parry, head coach at Tuks/HPC sees the mishap as a timely warning that nothing can be taken for granted. That is why he wants Engelbrecht to get as many ranking points possible from now to the end of May. So that, heaven forbids, should one of South Africa’s top three triathletes experience a mishap he might be in contention to be selected for the Games.

The 21 year old Engelbrecht who is a former South African champion is up to the challenge.

“The fact that it is a sprint triathlon (700m swim, 20km cycle, 5km run) means Sunday’s racing is going to be tough. I don’t want to speculate to much about how my race might play out as I have had some bad luck at the African/South African Championships in East London and the past weekend in Chengdu World Cup in China so I think I will race first and speak afterwards,” said the Tuks/HPC athlete.