Photo courtesy Scottie T Photography
By Kent Gray/Tri NZ
Tri NZ’s team for the 2023 World Triathlon Age-Group Multisport World Championships is taking shape with 16 duathletes selected for next year’s nine-day, seven-discipline event in Ibiza, Spain.
The 16 earned the fern by meeting selection criteria at the New Zealand Sprint Duathlon Championships at Pukekohe Raceway last month, the first event of the 2022-23 Tri NZ Suzuki National Series.
Triathlon Tauranga has had six club members selected for the April 29-May 7 worlds in Ibiza, including popular Events and Development Manager Paul Miller (pictured above).
World Triathlon, the sport’s global governing body, will stage three age group world championships in 2023: the Multisport World Championships (April 29-May 7 in Ibiza, Spain); the Sprint Distance Triathlon and Mixed Team Relay World Championships (July 13-16 in Hamburg, Germany); and the Standard Distance Triathlon, Standard Distance Aquabike and Super Sprint Triathlon World Championships (September 22-24 in Pontevedra, Spain).
The Multisport World Championships is the largest in terms of events raced and athletes in attendance with Ibiza to feature seven disciplines: Sprint (draft legal) and Standard distance duathlon, Mid Distance Aquabike, Mid Distance Triathlon, Cross Triathlon, Cross Duathlon and Aquathlon.
To be considered for world championship selection, Tri NZ members must submit a selection form to Tri NZ no later than 48 hours before the appropriate Suzuki Series qualifying race. The athlete must then either win their age group or record a time within 20 percent of the winner’s mark in their respective age group.
Tri NZ is allotted up to 20 spots per age group, per gender for each discipline at World Triathlon-sanctioned world championships.
Athletes unable to race at the designated Suzuki qualifying event due to extenuating circumstances can lodge a ‘Special Circumstances Application’ (SCA), along with a $100 fee, after which their case for selection will be considered by Tri NZ’s Age-Group Selection Commission. Tri NZ has no qualifying event for the Standard Distance Duathlon. As such, the national body will waive the $100 fee for any athlete submitting an SCA for this event.
A ‘secondary’ South Island Championship qualifying race for the Mid Distance Triathlon in Ibiza will be held at OxMan in North Canterbury on November 27. Some disciplines have the main New Zealand Championship race and a secondary qualifier where four of the 20 spots are available.
The other Suzuki multisport world qualifiers are scheduled for the Seven Oaks Kinloch Triathlon Festival (Aquathlon) on February 11, and the Mount Festival of Multisport on January 21 where 16 spots for each of the Mid Distance Triathlon and Mid Distance Aquabike will be up for grabs.
A secondary qualifier for the Mid Distance Aquabike will see four spots available at Challenge Wanaka. The Cross Triathlon qualifier will also be staged at Challenge Wanaka on February 18.
For more information on New Zealand age group selection, click here.
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Tri NZ Duathlon Qualifiers for the 2023 World Triathlon Age-Group Multisport World Championships
Female
20-24: Emily Irvine (Triathlon Tauranga)
25-29: Anna Robertson (North Harbour Tri Club)
50-54: Wendy Gatward (Triathlon Tauranga)
70-74: Joy Baker (Taranaki Triathlon Club)
70-74: Shirley Rolston (Canterbury Triathlon Club)
Male
20-24: Blake Miller (Triathlon Tauranga)
20-24: Jerram Tyler (Canterbury Triathlon Club)
20-24: Finian Orr (Auckland City Triathlon Club)
45-49: Jerym Brunton (Auckland City Triathlon Club)
45-49: Steven Green (Wellington Triathlon Club)
50-54: Paul Miller (Triathlon Tauranga)
55-59: Eitene Johnson (Auckland City Triathlon Club)
60-64: Dave Scott (Wellington Triathlon Club)
60-64: Jeff Shields (Triathlon Tauranga)
60-64: Mark Irving (Triathlon Tauranga)
65-69: Alan McIntyre (Auckland City Triathlon Club)
