On December 13, the Triathlon Victoria Development Program will head to the Super Sports Centre at Runaway Bay, Gold Coast for the first race of the Australia Junior Triathlon Series.
This is a chance for our juniors to execute their learnings from the pre-season under the pressure of national racing. The first race in a national three-race series that will also see athletes’ journey to Canberra and Devonport later in the season.
This will be one of our biggest groups to travel away for a national race and will consist of 26 athletes and five support crew, including physio Kirsty Barnes who will be on hand to make sure our athletes are kept in top shape throughout the three days of racing. The athletes will race multiple events over the course of the carnival with Mixed Team Relays, Hypersprints and a 1500m track race amongst other races. Points will be gathered towards a seeded finals berth on the last day of competition.
Victorian athletes are looking to take their intent to race to a new level with a more consistent application of their race plans. The coaching staff have taken time to create a better environment for the whole team to thrive in during our racing, and the culture of our team has been an area of focus in the off season. Everyone is ready to help each other get the best out of themselves.
We have athletes competing in every category, with a lot of our athletes returning after advancing up to new categories last year. This experience will place them well to handle the pressure and speed of this form of racing at a very high level. All States are looking to always improve and advance their athletes, and Victoria is no different with this week being centred around development of the athlete. We are aiming to execute all facets at a high level to give our athletes every chance of being competitive throughout the week.
We have young quality athletes in all categories as well as new athletes travelling and racing for the first time. Come Thursday when we all meet early in the morning to travel, there will be great excitement as the national season finally arrives after a long winter.
Stay tuned for plenty of photographs and updates from the race on the Triathlon Victoria Facebook, Instagram and Twitter throughout the competition. You will also be able to watch it all live right here.
