Jonas Schomburg
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
THIRTEEN elite foreign triathletes have entered this year’s Bonaqua Troutbeck Africa Triathlon Union African Cup to be held in Nyanga on Saturday.
Seven men and six women will take to the pool, cycle track and running path in the elite races.
Turkish triathlete Jonas Schomburg, who is entering the Troutbeck event under the International Triathlon Union banner, leads the men’s starting list, which also has the South Africa duo of Dylan Nortje and Jacobus Kruger, the Japanese pair of Ren Sato and Takumi Higo, Namibian Jean-Paul Burger as well as Linus Stimmel of Germany.
The women’s field is headed by Aoi Kuramoto of Japan with her compatriot Chika Sato.
Four South African women, Cindy Schwulst, Vicky Van Der Merwe, Jodie Berry and Maude Elaine Le Roux are also taking part in the women’s race.
Zimbabwe Triathlon Union president Rick Fulton said Schomburg, who was part of last year’s race, is the favourite in the men’s event, while Nortje, who took third spot at the Free State Africa Cup held on March 19, cannot be ruled out. Namibian Burger is a dark horse.
In the women’s race, Fulton singled out Kuramoto and the South African pair of Schwulst and Van Der Merwe as the front runners.
“For the men, Schomburg raced here last year so he knows the course; he is the favourite by virtue of his race number/ranking. Nortje finished third behind him at the Free State African Cup two weeks ago. A real dark horse is Namibian Burger, who is strong and the course will suit him.
“For the women, Japanese Kuramoto is ranked top and she is unknown to us, Schwulst and Van Der Merwe both of South Africa have raced here before and know what to expect for the course and conditions,’’ said Fulton.
Last year’s elite winners, Ayan Beisenbayev of Kazakhstan for the men section and Fabienne St Louis of Mauritius who took the women’s race, are not participating.
Fulton said he was not aware why Beisenbayev is not taking part, but St Louis has called time on her career after the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Winners of both the men and women’s elite race will walk away with $750, runners up $500 and $250 for third place.
The elite athletes are expected to land at the Harare International Airport this afternoon before heading to Nyanga by road.
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