Strong USA connection for Gqerbeha Triathlon Champs

The Old Mutual Wealth Africa Premium Cup, with two stellar fields, are being staged at Hobie Beach, Nelson Mandela Bay on Sunday 19 March.

The fact that the Olympic Games will be held in Paris next year (2024) has led to a far stronger international field than normal for a race of this nature and a few South Africans will be looking to impress the selectors against stiff competition, in a race which doubles as the South African Championships.

Two of the rising stars in the world of triathlon are Amber Schlebusch (21) and Jamie Riddle (22). Both showed their mettle when winning the senior Corporate Triathlon Challenge, as juniors, during the 2018 Ironman weekend here in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Amber Schlebusch (left) & Jaime Riddle (right)

That same year, Schlebusch won the Gold Medal at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina to show her immense potential on the international stage. South Africans haven’t seen Schlebusch race for a while now, as she is studying on a scholarship at Arizona State University in America, under the watchful eye of guru coach Cliff English.

Triathlon at Collegiate Level in the USA is exceptionally strong, particularly for women and in November last year, Schlebusch once again illustrated that she is a star of the future, winning the NCAA Division One Championships by more than a minute. Schlebusch spent some of her formative years in Gqerbeha and is looking forward to returning to Nelson Mandela Bay.

Triathlon South Africa are also looking to bolster their Mixed Relay Team after the retirement of their established female stars and Schlebusch is somebody to keep an eye on, but she will have to work hard on improving her world ranking by racing events like the African Premium Cup, contested over the Olympic Distance, which comprises a 1500m swim, a 40km cycle and a 10km run.

Jayme Sue Vermaas, a former SA Junior Champion, who graduated from Drury University in the USA last year, is another young South African to keep an eye on after honing her talents in America. Vermaas finished 2^nd in the NCAA Division 2 Championships in November and is now based back in Bloemfontein with her parents.

Another ex-Gqerbeha triathlete, expected to shine is Britney Brown, who will race in the Junior African Cup. Brown’s parents, Wayne and Ingrid are well known in local multi-sport circles and the move to the USA, for work reasons, has paid dividends for Britney, who has represented the USA at various triathlons, including the World Triathlon Championships and she also has a podium finish at a European Junior Cup in Austria to her credit.

Riddle is another who has excelled in America, winning the prestigious Los Angeles Triathlon last year and finishing 5^th in the Malibu Super League event in 2022. Riddle, who won the South African Championships here last year and excelled to finish 6^th at last year’s Commonwealth Games Championships, is trying hard to stake a claim for inclusion in the SA team for next year’s Olympics. Riddle is steadily improving his ranking and he and Henri Schoeman could form a formidable two-pronged attack in Paris. Dylan Nortje, who finished 3^rd last year, also participated at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and he and local champion Keegan Cooke are two other South Africans in the strong line up.

Many eyes will be on Richard Murray, who finished 4^th for South Africa at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and is fast returning to good form. Murray is married to Rachel Klamer of the Netherlands and he has since switched allegiances and will race for the Netherlands at the Premium African Cup in Nelson Mandela Bay.

All in all, 26 nations will be represented in the African Premium Cups, with the senior women’s race starting at noon, while the senior men starts at 14h00.  The Junior African Cups, the Para Triathlons and the OMW South African Triathlon Championships all take place on the morning of Sunday 19^th March.

Old Mutual Wealth are the title sponsors and CEO Farhad Sader said “We are very proud of our association with the 2023 Africa Triathlon Premier Cup Nelson Mandela Bay that also celebrates our values of commitment, focus, discipline and teamwork to achieve long-term success.

We also truly believe in the power of sport to connect communities and will be working closely with Triathlon SA to ensure athletes and supporters from around the world will experience this event as their best yet.”

Released by: Zsports Events SA