THE Old Mutual Wealth African Premium Cup and the South African Triathlon Championships will be held in Nelson Mandela Bay at Hobie Beach on Sunday, March 19.
The African Premium Cups have attracted entries from 26 different countries, largely due to the success of last year’s event. With valuable world ranking points at stake and US$ 4,000 prize money on offer, incredibly competitive fields will line up for the Olympic Distance races, comprising a 1,500m swim, a 40km cycle and a 10km run.
Barbara De Koning (Netherlands) and Ayan Beisenbayev (Kazakhstan) won the African Cup in Bloemfontein in February. Others who featured prominently at Maselspport were James Edgar (Ireland), Tyler Smith (Bermuda), Tanja Stroschneider (Austria) and Shanae Williams (RSA) who will face far stronger competition in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Husband and wife duo, Richard Murray (Netherlands) , fourth in the Rio Olympics, and Rene Kalmer (Netherlands), 4th in the Tokyo Olympics, are two of the biggest names in World Triathlon and undoubtedly pre-race favourites.
South Africa’s Jamie Riddle, who won this race last year, will be fired up, racing former countryman Murray who is now one of his arch-rivals. They were separated by just eight seconds in the WTCS race in Abu Dhabi this past weekend, with Murray getting the upper hand, and it could come down to the wire on the Gqeberha beachfront. Denmark’s Emil Holm is another triathlete with a bright future, and is expected to make his presence felt.
Kalmer will face tough opposition from her countrywoman, De Koning, and South Africa’s Williams, who took first and second in the recent African Cup. However, the unknown factor could be Amber Schlebusch, who is making the trip out from Arizona University, USA, who surely will have an eye on the Olympic Games in Paris next year. Schlebusch has a strong pedigree over shorter distances, having won the Youth Olympics in 2018, and last year she showed her class, winning the NCAA Division 1 Triathlon Championships by a minute.
Mike Zoetmulder of Zsports Events SA, who is organising the race on behalf of Nelson Mandela Bay Triathlon and Triathlon South Africa, was thrilled with the interest in the event, with the international field more than quadrupling from the 2022 edition.
“We have a full programme of events, with provinces sending their best age groupers for the national championships and the para championships, while the African Cups for Juniors and Seniors have attracted a dozen Triathletes who participated in last year’s Commonwealth Games and numerous Olympians,” said Zoetmulder.
“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,” says title sponsor Old Mutual Wealth CEO, Farhad Sader.
“At Old Mutual Wealth, we are passionate about enabling our clients to take their wealth further. For us, meaningful wealth management is about more than just your money, it is about how you see yourself, your dreams, your impact and your legacy. It is a journey and requires the same dedication as a triathlon.
“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.”
– ISSUED BY ZSPORTS EVENTS SA
