LEADING Zimbabwe triathlete Andie Kuipers is in Hong Kong for her debut Asia Cup race despite a near-devastating swim accident at her last National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCA) championships back in the US.
The USA-based athlete had to be pulled out of the water after being kicked in the ribs and was devastated to have missed out on a season finale after some fine preparations.
“I don’t know what to expect for this one in terms of how I will do as I have not raced in Asia before, so the field is completely unknown to me, but I am feeling confident in my preparation leading up to this point. I’ve had some very consistent training weeks and have been performing well in my races in the US and so I am hoping to have a good one this weekend and get some ranking points,” Kuipers told NewsDay Sport yesterday.
“Unfortunately, last weekend in my final NCAA race I was kicked in the ribs and diaphragm during the swim and had to be pulled out of the water which was one of the worst experiences I have had in a triathlon race but also devastating for me not to be able to show the work we have put in over the past few weeks.
“It takes a mental toll to put so many hours into something and not be able to execute on the day to a factor out of my control, but it’s added some fuel to the fire for my last two races of the season in Hong Kong and Kenya, so I’m ready to give everything I’ve got.”
Kuipers landed safely in Hong Kong on Wednesday, and has had a feel of the conditions and is raring to go come Sunday. She will be up against 24 other elite women with South Africa’s Amber Schlebusch being the only other African athlete on the confirmed list so far.
“The weather has been really nice; it’s quite humid but still cool enough. It’s really beautiful and the roads are pristine and perfect for cycling. This is my first time competing in Asia, so it will be good to race against some new people,” she added.
In September, Kuipers bagged a silver medal in the U-23 Women’s Africa Triathlon Cup Blue Bay, Mauritius and gained vital qualifying points to keep her Olympic dream alive. She is looking forward to the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles Olympics.
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