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Paul Munyuki Sports Reporter
TALENTED junior men top triathlete, Drew Williams, will lead the Zimbabwe team for the Africa Junior Championships set for Egypt in May.

Having dominated the local junior season that ended here on Saturday, with the staging of the Schweppes Troutbeck Triathlon African Cup over the weekend, Williams and four other junior athletes were named in Zimbabweans squad for Egypt.

The 18-year-old Williams and the duo of 17-year-old Gideon Benade, and 15-year-old Alex Colegrave will take part in the junior men competition in the African qualifier race.

Gabrielle Dumont de Chassart and Rebecca Duncan are the two girls who will also be travelling to Egypt.

Colegrave and de Chassart will have the choice of selecting an event of their choice having both qualified in more than one event and the two have up to the end of next week to notify their association on their preferred race.

De Chassart, Colegrave and Williams all walked away with gold medals over the weekend after finishing on top in their respective age groups in the half sprints in a competition the South Africans dominated.

With a time of 2 hrs 3 mins and 29 secs, Wian Sullwald South Africa grabbed the gold in the elite men’s race where there was no-one representing the hosting country.

The Luxembourg duo of Bob Haller (who was seven seconds behind Sullwald) and Neil Peters (with a time of 2:06:00) completed the podium positions.

Eduardo Lass of Brazil and Wikus Webber, who was ranked second going into the competition, completed the top five.

Travis Johnstone pulled out of the race during the latter stages of the run.

In the women’s elite category, South Africa took the top two places with Jodie Berry, who was ranked third going into the race, winning gold.

Her time of 2:29:05, 36 seconds ahead of compatriot Cindy Schwulst, was good enough to see her dominate the event.

Mauritian Fabienne St Louis (2:31:34) completed the top three.

Zimbabwe’s Linda Rousseau and debutante Sarah Wild – who registered as a late entry on Friday evening – finished fifth and sixth in the six-man race.

“It was a tough race, I have finished fourth in this race before and this was our last event of the season so I will be getting ready for the Comrades Marathon (in South Africa),” said Rousseau.

“But I am happy that I am the national champion.”

Wild said she only thought of taking part in the race on Friday evening.

“With a lot more training, I am sure I can get a better position.”

Zimbabwe Triathlon Union president, Rick Fulton, hopes Zimbabwe will be able to get representation in the elite men, a category that the country has had no competitor.