By Kent Gray/Triathlon.kiwi
Hayden Wilde’s world title fight with Alex Yee (and co.) has top billing while similar intrigue surrounds the 10 other Kiwi elites set to contest triathlon’s global short course showpiece in northwest Spain this weekend.
Much less visible but no less epic will be the 32 Kiwi weekend warriors proudly racing for their country on the sidelines of the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Pontevedra.
The World Triathlon Age Group Championships are being held in conjunction with the elite World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) season decider and the U23 Men’s and Women’s Championships (both over the standard, or Olympic, distance).
The age group action begins on Friday local time – the early hours of Saturday NZT– with 13 of the Kiwis contesting the Super Sprint triathlon on the Iberian Peninsula.
Sunday evening NZT will see age group Standard Distance Triathlon and Standard Distance Aquabike racing, sandwiched between the elite and U23 men’s races in the early hours of Sunday NZT and the equivalent elite women’s races early Monday NZT.
The NZL age group team is a split of 20 males and 12 females. North Harbour Triathlon Club, with seven athletes, has the strongest representation ahead of Tri Wellington (5), Triathlon Tauranga and Canterbury Triathlon Club (4 each). The North Harbour contingent includes Stephen Farrell who has been handed the honour of being Kiwi flag bearer in Pontevedra.
Inspirational storylines abound throughout the Kiwi team – we’ve captured some of the key ones in the individual race previews below. Stay tuned to Triathlon.kiwi for coverage over the weekend and remember you could wear the silver fern offshore via the Tri NZ Suzuki Series-World Triathlon eco-system.
There are two opportunities in 2024 with the World Triathlon Multisport Championships set for Townsville from August 14-25, ahead of the World Triathlon Age Group Championships Malaga in October.
Excited? Then make sure to read our guide to the 2023-24 Tri NZ Suzuki Series, a 10-event schedule of triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, cross triathlon and cross duathlon races that serve as qualifiers for the aforementioned Townsville and Malaga world championships.
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SUPER SPRINT – Saturday, September 23 (02:00am NZT)
Former tennis professional Malcolm Elley will be one of the Kiwis to watch. The North Harbour rep is racing in the 65-69 age group.
Like Elley, serial World Triathlon (formerly ITU) age group medallists Joy Baker and Ange Keen are both also racing the Super Sprint and the Aquabike.
The latter will be Keen’s Pontevedra focus with the Rotorua Constable coming off her gold medal performance in the 35-39 Cross Triathlon at the World Triathlon Multisport Championship in Ibiza in early May.
The generosity of Tri NZ’s legendary Patron, Garth Barfoot, has helped fund Keen’s trip to Pontevedra, as it did for Triathlon Tauranga’s Liam Miller.
You can read more about Keen’s love affair with the sport in the latest edition of Tri NZ’s free online magazine, Triathlon Quarterly, HERE (click on ‘Tribe Nation’ section in contents and you’ll be taken directly to her feature).
Female
15-19: Nikita Coleman (Triathlon Tauranga)
35-39: Ange Keen (Taranaki Triathlon Club)
60-64: Catherine Alderton (Tri Wellington)
70-74: Joy Baker (Taranaki Triathlon Club)
Male
20-24: Edward Fuller (Triathlon Tauranga)
20-24: Ryan Williams (North Harbour Triathlon Club)
30-34: James Thorstenson (Overseas)
35-39: Paul Preston (Southland Triathlon Club)
40-44: Tom Burgess (North Harbour Triathlon Club)
40-44: Terry Jack (North Harbour Triathlon Club)
40-44: Brad McNamara (Triathlon Tauranga)
60-64: Mike Trees (North Harbour Triathlon Club)
60-64: Stephen Farrell (North Harbour Triathlon Club)
65-69: Malcolm Elley (North Harbour Triathlon Club)
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STANDARD TRIATHLON – Sunday, September 24 (7:30pm NZT)
If you’re searching for the most inspirational Kiwi in Pontevedra, look no further than Jo Baker. The Hawke’s Bay Triathlon Club member nearly lost her life in a scary, pinecone infused bike crash, the story of which featured in Triathlon Quarterly HERE (click on ‘Tribe Nation’ section in contents and scroll to Jo’s story).
It’s a chilling/inspirational read: “I broke multiple bones in my pelvis, collarbone, neck, facial bones, nose and jaw, my elbow had to be reattached and serve road rash on my hand needed surgery. I [also] had a brain injury…”
Baker celebrated her 50th birthday in the air travelling to Spain. You can bet the bash after her race on Sunday evening NZT, regardless of the outcome, will be emotional, albeit perhaps delayed 24 hours until after husband Neil Baker races the Aquabike.
If the name Jerym Brunton rings a bell, meanwhile, it’s because the Auckland City Triathlon Club member earned ‘Legend’ status at the World Triathlon Multisport Championship in May, racing all five events available in Ibiza.
Kiwi flag-bearer Stephen Farrell will be looking for a big race after his 14:10:00 effort at the VinFast Ironman World Championships in Nice en route to Pontevedra left him frustrated.
“I blew up on the run. Don’t know why? Conservative on the swim and bike but probably got dehydrated late in the bike. Threw up a lot on the run and lost 5kgs overall. Another walking Ironman finish! ,” the former Tri NZ High Performance Manager wrote on social media. “Can’t hide the disappointment but… at least I’ve still got my good looks
Female
20-24: Emma Payne (Auckland City Triathlon Club)
30-34: Tegan Harrison (Canterbury Triathlon Club)
30-34: Laura Pfeifer (Canterbury Triathlon Club)
40-44: Mitzi Taylor (Canterbury Triathlon Club)
50-54: Jo Baker (Triathlon Hawke’s Bay)
55-59: Sue Abraham (Tri Wellington)
60-64: Catherine Alderton (Tri Wellington)
Male
20-24: Ryan Williams (North Harbour Triathlon Club)
25-29: Ollie Brazier (Tri-Sport Taupo)
30-34: James Thorstenson (Overseas)
35-39: Paul Preston (Southland Triathlon Club)
40-44: Robin Harris (Overseas)
40-44: Brad McNamara (Triathlon Tauranga)
40-44: Chris Thomson (Tri Wellington)
45-49: James Madden (Auckland City Triathlon Club)
50-54: Jerym Brunton (Auckland City Triathlon Club)
60-64: Stephen Farrell (North Harbour Triathlon Club)
60-64: Mike Trees (North Harbour Triathlon Club)
60-64: Conrad Young (Overseas)
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STANDARD AQUABIKE – Sunday, September 24 (9.30pm NZT)
Dave Bradding is out to defend the 60-64 Standard Distance Aquabike title he won at 2022 World Triathlon Age Group Championships in Abu Dhabi last November. The Auckland City Triathlon Club member, who won the then Port of Tauranga Half in 1991, is proof our sport needn’t stop when Father Time creeps up on elite racing ambitions.
Liam Miller (pictured above) joined brother Blake as a gold medallist at the World Triathlon Multisport Championships when he won 20-24 Long Distance Aquabike titile, in a canter no less, in Ibiza. It will be fascinating to see how the Triathlon Tauranga youngster goes over the shorter standard distance in Pontevedra.
Female
18-19: Nikita Coleman (Triathlon Tauranga)
20-24: Sarah McClure (Canterbury Triathlon Club)
35-39: Ange Keen (Taranaki Triathlon Club)
70-74: Julia Bracegirdle (Tri Wellington)
70-74: Joy Baker (Taranaki Triathlon Club)
Male
18-19: Edward Fuller (Triathlon Tauranga)
20-24: Liam Miller (Triathlon Tauranga)
40-44: Tom Burgess (North Harbour Triathlon Club)
40-44: Terry Jack (North Harbour Triathlon Club)
50-54: Neil Baker (Triathlon Hawke’s Bay)
60-64: Dave Bradding (Auckland City Triathlon Club)
65-69: Malcolm Elley (North Harbour Triathlon Club)
65-59: Niels Madsen (Tri Wellington)
