All is now in place for the staging of the 16th edition of the Bonaqua Africa Triathlon Cup which takes place at the Troutbeck Resort in Nyanga tomorrow.
Despite being affected by the cholera outbreak in the region in terms of the number of international elite athletes taking part, the event has managed to attract about 30 elite and junior athletes from 14 different countries including, Zimbabwe.
The countries that will be represented at the Africa Triathlon Cup include Austria, Algeria, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mauritius, Netherlands, Namibia, Romania, South Africa, Tunisia and the UAE.
Last year as many as 51 elite and junior elite athletes entered the competition.
It was expected that this year the event will be bigger considering that it’s an Olympics season and many international athletes will be gunning for points to qualify for the Global Games scheduled for Paris later this year.
And for the first time in two year Zimbabwe will have representation in the elite women class with US-based Andie Kuipers deferring her studies to participate at this and other events as she looks to make it to Paris 2024.
Aged 21, Kuipers is currently ranked 11th on the continent and 336 in the world with one win and five podium finishes in her career so far and will fancy her chances for another podium finish at Troutbeck.
She finished 6th in her last elite race at 2023 Africa Triathlon Cup Kilifi in Kenya on November 26 last year and settled for 12th a week earlier at the Asia Triathlon Cup in Hong Kong.
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Some of the athletes to watch out for among the seven in the elite women class include Kahina Mebarki from Algeria who is the oldest triathlete on the list at 36 and finished fifth, one place ahead of Kuipers in Kenya three months ago.
Mebarki is also ranked 108 in the world.
There is also Minori Keno from Japan also ranked much higher that Kuipers at 115 in the World
Romanian Antoanela Manac ranked 170 in the world has 16 career wins and managed a podium finish in Kenya after she came third in the elite race.
Marit Van Den Berg will be making a second consecutive appearance at the Bonaqua Africa Triathlon Cup after she finished seventh in the competition last year and will be pushing for better performance this time around.
Irish Elizabeth Carr was impressive at the Africa Triathlon Cup Agadir in Morocco back in November where she took a silver medal while Kenyan Josette Umi Njeri Kiarie completes the start lists.
However, Zimbabwe will not have representation in the elite men class but two-time Troutbeck Elite Men’s gold medallist Ayan Beisenbayev headlines the seven member list.
Beisenbayev was eying a third title last year but finished fourth behind winner James Edgar from Ireland, South African Dylan Nortje and Jorge Alarcon Familiar from Mexico respectively.
Noah Künz from Austria will be fancying his chance for a podium finish after finishing ninth in Kilifi while Beisenbayev’s compatriot Meirlan Iskakov will also be looking to do well.
Zimbabwe has four representatives in the junior elite men class with Rohnan Nicholson, Callum Smith, Stanley Chasakara and Mandlenkosi Mthethwa making the nine-member start list.
The four South Africans are expected to dominate this class as they did last year.
Last year’s winner, Kadence Ribbink will be expected to make it a hat trick of wins in the junior elite women class after bagging the 2022 and 2023 editions.
This annual multisport event doubles as our National Triathlon Championships and will also also have non-championship triathlon events, Aquabike, Aquathlon for school teams and individuals, Duathlon, Off-Road Triathlon and MTB events, Open Water Swim, Troutbeck Trail Run and the iGo Corporate Team Triathlon or Duathlon events.
The list of sponsors for the event include Bonaqua, the title sponsor, newcomers MCM Legal, Cimas’ iGo, CFAO, Rooney’s Events, African Sun, Troutbeck Resort and EcoCash, Simbisa.
