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Ellina Mhlanga

Senior Sports Reporter

IT’S just a few days to go before the 2023 Bonaqua Africa Triathlon Cup Troutbeck comes to life and it’s promising to be exciting with a huge field expected for the event.

The annual event is due to take place on Saturday at the Troutbeck Resort in Nyanga and preparations are at an advanced stage.

Triathlon Zimbabwe president, David Ellis, said advance teams are already at the competition venue, setting up for the big day. “Preparations have gone very well. The planning process actually begins a couple of weeks after the last event, so preparations are meticulous in their execution.

“We have the usual hiccups but nothing insurmountable and bar any adverse weather conditions, we believe the event will be a huge success. Advance teams have already arrived at Troutbeck to begin construction of the course et cetera,” said Ellis.

Over 30 elite men and women athletes from across the world have registered for the annual event.

However, Zimbabwe do not have representation in the elite men and women categories.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Troutbeck event, and Ellis said the response for this year’s edition shows how the event has stood the test of time.

“We are obviously very proud of this milestone as the event has really evolved from its relatively humble beginnings to become the sporting spectacle we now hold.

“The big elite field this year is good representation of the standing Troutbeck has earned in the world circuit and we are very happy that the exposure will enhance the event’s already good reputation.

“The elite field will inspire younger athletes to aspire to greater heights,” said Ellis.

Some of the returning athletes include Badr Siwane from Morocco, Martin Demuth from Austria, Michal Oliwa from Poland, Meirlan Iskakov from Kazakhstan and Laurent L’Entete from Mauritius.

Elite women returnees are Shanae Williams, who was the runner up in 2022, and Bridget Theunissen from South Africa.

Athletes from other African nations also include Egypt, Togo, Mauritius and Tunisia. There are athletes coming from Ireland, Finland, the Netherlands and Austria as they vie for the Olympic qualification points.

The Africa Cup will run concurrently with the Africa Junior Cup, which has attracted athletes from South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

For Zimbabwe, the focus will be more on the Africa Junior Cup, where several athletes have registered.

“We have a relatively strong junior field, and we are obviously confident that the athletes will be contenders for podium places although there are some strong competitors from out of the country who will be a force to be reckoned with,” Ellis said.

Zimbabwe will be represented in both the Junior Men and Junior Women.

Matipa Mawere, Mandlenkosi Mthethwa and Duwan Botha have entered in the Junior Men while Nicole Madya, Makanaka Mawere, Inkosinomusa Mthethwa and Anje Van As are expected to compete in the Junior Women.

Most of them competed in another Africa Junior Cup held this month in South Africa. Besides the elite race and the juniors event, Triathlon Zimbabwe have brought in a multi-sport element with several other activities taking place on the day.

There is a variety of supporting events lined-up that include duathlon, aquabike, off-road triathlon standard and sprint, aquathlon and Open water swim – 5000m, 3000m, 1500m, 750m and a 4x500m relay.

Triathlon Zimbabwe also stage the national championships on the day.

Ellis said the multi-sport element boosts the numbers and participation.

“The multi-sport element has been an important component of the event’s ethos. The off-road triathlon races and the Open-water swimming events continue to grow. This boosts numbers and participation and are events that ultimately nurture participation in triathlon,” said Ellis.

All online entries close on Thursday.