• Triathlon

RSA dominate at Africa Cup

• 8 Months Ago 25 March 2024

There was a different feeling about this year's Prosperity Health Africa Triathlon Cup, held in Swakopmund on Saturday.

With athletes striving to score the maximum points in their ambition to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the competitiveness was highly appreciated by spectators.

The event lived up to expectations, as triathletes from Austria, Japan, Togo, Tunisia and European countriess took part in the Prosperity Health Africa Triathlon Cup.

The elite men and women swam 750 metres in the Atlantic Ocean, cycled 20 kilometres through the town centre, and ran 5 km along the promenade.



Tears of joy

In the elite men's category South Africa's Jamie Riddle couldn't hold back the tears after he beat last year's winner Netherlands’ veteran Richard Murray, to first place as he finished in a time of 58 minutes 16 seconds.

Murray finished second in a time of 58:23 and Lukas Pertl from Austria finished third in 58:40.

An emotional Riddle, 24, was over the moon with the result: "This win means everything to me. I would like to thank God, because I've been going though so much. I haven't been eating right lately, a lot of bad has been happening in my life.

“I really needed this and I'm really happy finishing first on the podium."

In the women's elite category Vicky van der Merwe (RSA), who won gold at the 2024 Accra Africa Games triathlon, proved once again she's in good form as she crossed the finish line first in a time of 1:06:14.

Her compatriot Bridget Theunissen finished second in 1:07:51, celebrating with Van der Merwe at the finish line, shortly before Marit van den Berg from the Netherlands took third place in 1:08:06.



JUNIORS

In the junior men’s category which featured six entries (three Namibians and three South Africans), Nicholas Horne claimed top prize finishing first in 01:03:35 followed by fellow South African Alessandro Fanicchi 01:04:58 and Nathan Chase of Namibia who put on a great performance to claim another medal at the Africa Triathlon Cup.

In a race between three front-runners, Kadence Ribbink (RSA) reigned supreme again as she successfully defended the junior women’s title she won last year, this time beating teammate Lomé Gouws and Namibia’s Maja Brinkmann in a winning time of 1:11:45.

Gouws secured second place (1:11:56) and Brinkmann was third in 1:12:48.

Ribbink was excited in her winning interview.

"Its always nice to be back in Namibia. I didn't think I was going to get the position I did today because I had a few minor set backs during the race, but I pushed through and I am happy."

Popular Namibian para-athlete Jeromius Rooi, who has one amputated leg, took part once again and competed well. "The race was really nice and I enjoyed it. My new running blade makes everything so much easier and fun, because I don't have to use crutches anymore and I feel I performed better than last year."