Tiszaujvaros in Hungary will host the latest round of the ITU World Cup season and eight New Zealanders will be on the start line in the innovative semi-final and final format this coming weekend with a further two taking part in the ETU European Junior Cup race which takes place at the same venue.
Tri NZ Development coach Tim Brazier will manage the team of eight athletes in the small Hungarian town, with two other Kiwis racing from outside the HP Programme also on the start line. Simone Ackermann, Maddie Dillon, Deborah Lynch, Sam Ward, Cooper Rand and Andrew Ranford will be joined by Anneke Jenkins and Rebecca Clarke in flying the Kiwi flag in the World Cup race while Tayler Reid (Gisborne) and Elise Salt (Auckland) will race in the ETU European Junior Cup event.
Brazier says for most it is a further step towards their respective World Championship events in Edmonton at the end of the month.
"This event is certainly a progression towards the World Champs for many of our athletes, their last race hit-out to assist race readiness. For all it is a further step in their development towards racing at the front end of the World Triathlon Series (WTS) series.
"The heats/finals format, especially the short-lapped final certainly lend itself to the hard and fast nature of the WTS series, especially with the series having more sprint distance races, and the teams format becoming more prominent. In these races athletes are committing to go from the gun, and we need to learn to do this in big fields which we don't get in New Zealand."
Brazier says the nature of the course will dictate tactics with the swim even more important.
"With only 100m to the first buoy and three short laps of 250m for elites and two laps for the juniors, how you execute the swim will be critical, and the athletes are well aware of this and will give them the best opportunity to make the final. We would like to see all of the athletes (Elite and Junior) making finals, and then being assertive in the finals to get the best result possible. Backing up sprint races at this intensity over two days in the heat is tough, and will not only physically test the athletes, but also their application of strategy, recovery and their mental fortitude."
Brazier says preparation has been good in the Spanish training hub of Banyoles.
"We have been all been in Banyoles, Spain for at least four weeks now working hard towards Worlds and/or targeted events in September back in Europe. In Banyoles we have found a great environment in which athletes have excellent training grounds and get a balanced environment of support and independence. The Commonwealth team has also joined us here now, and despite being extremely disappointed with their performances they have provided inspiration and motivation as they strive to prove to themselves and the nation what they are capable of."
On the back of excellent performances in recent weeks including podiums for Development athletes Tayler Reid, Dan Hoy (who races along with Elizabeth Stannard at the Nanjing Youth Olympics in 10 days), Elise Salt and Sam Ward, Brazier is looking forward to the group testing themselves in tough fields and in a hugely challenging format.
"We are very privileged to work with talented athletes with such a high desire to achieve, and we will continue to fine tune what we do as a group to reach the pinnacles of our sport. We are looking forward to this weekend as it is a step on this path which we know the athletes want to step up onto."
