By Kent Gray/Triathlon.kiwi
James Corbett has credited his new Australian coach for helping him find a “new level in myself” after producing the result of his life in Tokyo on Monday.
The 22-year-old Aucklander waltzed away with Asia Triathlon Cup Tokyo Uminomori in a gun to tape statement of intent as he builds towards the World Triathlon U23 Championships in Spain next month.
Corbett won the standard distance race in 1:47:26, beating second placed Kazushi Jozuka by a walloping 1min 47sec. Kiwi team-mate Saxon Morgan, 24, was 6th in 1:49:56 with Jack Staples 11th (1:51:20), Gus Marfell 13th (1:51:50) and Oliver Larcombe 25th (1:53:54).
In the women’s race won by Japan’s Manami Hayashi (2:02:40), Sarah McClure was 4th in 2:05:22 and Olivia Cummings 8th in 2:06:12. It was sweet consolation for McClure who had also crossed the line 4th at last weekend’s Asia Cup Wuhan only to be DQ’d for an equipment infraction.
Monday belonged to Corbett though. It was his third top 10 at Asia Cup level this season and 4th at Continental Cup level overall after he placed 4th at the Oceania Super Sprint Championships at Runaway Bay on the Gold Coast in May.
“That was an amazing day out… definitely the best race of career so far. I got quite emotional running into the finish,” Corbett told Triathlon.kiwi after finishing off the race with a PB 10km split of 32:17.
“I was riding and running in fear after the swim which couldn’t have gone any better. I was second to the first buoy and could shut off my legs and just sit in the bubbles. With 100m to go, I surged to get out of the water first and had a good transition to get on the bike first.
“I rode some of my best power to pull away from the pack and then to run my fastest 10km off the bike.”
Corbett switched coaches from Craig Kirkwood, Hayden Wilde’s mentor, to Aussie Grant Giles around the Paris Olympics. The new partnership with the New South Wales coach is clearly off to a strong start.
“Grant and I have worked really hard on my mental side and run strength. This was the first race of my last bit of training before worlds so it’s a good confidence boost to know I found a new level in myself.”
Giles was playing the mutual appreciation game on social media.
“James Corbett won the ITU [World Triathlon] Asia Cup today in Japan leading from start to finish. We worked hard on this and It’s a big step in this kid’s career,” Giles said on Facebook.
“As his coach, I couldn’t be more proud of him. Atitude creates aptitude. Next is the Europe Cup in Spain and then U23 World Championships. More to come.”
Corbett jets to Spain tomorrow to prep for the World Triathlon Finals in Torremolinos-Andalucia from October 17-20. The U23 race is on October 17 with Corbett to race European Cup Ceuta in Spain alongside Kiwi teammate Henry McMecking on October 6 as his final race tune-up.”
