Photos: World Triathlon
By Kent Gray/Triathlon.kiwi
Trent Thorpe has added a career-best result to New Zealand’s increasingly compelling year of success on the World Triathlon short course circuit.
The Cambridge-based Aucklander has finished 4th at the latest World Cup in steamy Yeongdo, South Korea behind runaway Japanese winner Takumi Hojo, Great Britain’s Max Stapley and German Valentin Wernz.
It underscored Thorpe’s decision to take ownership of his own training program and continues his steady progression triggered by a eye-catching 5th at the Oceania Standard Distance Championship in Port Douglas in late May.
“I’m really happy with the race,” Thorpe told Triathlon.kiwi after cashing in on a top five swim in Yeongdo.
“A solid swim and good group that worked well on the bike with a run that was more a battle with the heat than the competition. Happy with the progression. It shows me what I’m doing with training is working really well for me.”
Thorpe completed the sprint in 51:14 with an impressive 15:30 split for the 5km run and was only six seconds shy of a podium spot.
It was his best offshore result since joining the Tri NZ HP camp in Banyoles, Spain, post Port Douglas, comfortably eclipsing his 15th place at World Cup Tiszaujvaros, Hungary on July 8 and before that 18th and 9th placings at European Cup races in Kitzbühel, Austria and Holton, The Netherlands respectively.
Next up for Thorpe is World Cup Weihai in China on August 26.
Training continues in Banyoles for Thorpe’s NZL team-mates prepping for the Olympic Test Event in Paris from August 17-20.
Hayden Wilde, Tayler Reid, Dylan McCullough, Nicole van der Kaay, Ainsley Thorpe and Brea Roderick are on the start list for Paris where a first Kiwi on any step of the podium result will earn an automatic nomination to the NZOC for next summer’s XXXIII Olympic Games.
The women race on August 17, the men follow on August 18 before the Kiwi six are streamlined to four for the August 20 Mixed Relay.
All three races are scheduled for 0800 Paris time starts, meaning handy 1800 NZT viewing for Kiwi fans on Triathlonlive.tv.
