Photos: Challenge Family
By Triathlon.kiwi
Rebecca Clarke has rebounded from a frustrating crash at the Challenge Family Championship to podium at Challenge Salou in Spain.
The Aucklander with Wanaka links snared silver in the 110km race in Salou on Sunday behind Grace Thek, the Aussie who also won Challenge Wanaka in February.
Clarke was 13th of 16 pro women at the Challenge Championship in Samorin, Slovakia on May 21 after a day she summed up succinctly on social media.
“Won’t make it a long story and bore you with all the details but off my game at @challengesamorin on Sunday, faceplanting out of T2 probably sums up my day best 🤦♀️🙃,” Clarke wrote.
“At this level, a couple % off is magnified more and didn’t bike to what I was capable of and shown previously, felt like I was stuck in second gear the whole day.
“Bad races hurt but it’s fire 🔥 in the belly for the next one ☝️.”
So it proved in Spain where Clarke dominated the swim but had to bow to Thek’s 1:21:50 plays 1:26:29 run.
“Silver at @challengesalou yesterday, proud of that one considering I wasn’t sure post-crash if the body could perform,” Clarke said on social media. Next up for Clarke is Ironman Frankfurt on July 1.
Meanwhile, Amelia Watkinson was fourth at the Challenge Family Championship in Samorin.
The Sunshine Coast-based Kiwi produced the fastest run split of 1:18:33 to finish behind India Lee (GBR), Caroline Pohle (GER) and Sara Perez Sala (ESP).
“4th place, an exciting final few kilometres and 20sec shy of a podium spot. Frustrating I let the swim conditions get the better of me, but pleased to reel myself back into the game with the fastest run split on quite the cross country style course,” Watkinson said.
