Triathlon New Zealand will be represented at the Oceania Junior Championships in Penrith this weekend, with an eight strong team from the National Talent Programme in action, along with a further nine young New Zealand athletes who have made the journey across the Tasman.
The race is the first selection race for the New Zealand Junior Team for the ITU World Championships (the second being the National Junior Champs being raced alongside the ITU New Plymouth World Cup in March).
The team is:
- Boys: Dan Hoy (Auckland), Tayler Reid (Gisborne), Kyle Smith (Taupo), Fynn Thompson (Queenstown), Trent Thorpe (Auckland)
- Girls: Lizzie Stannard (Palmerston North), Ainsley Thorpe (Auckland), plus guest athlete Emma Daniels (New Plymouth)
- Head Coach for the Team is Cameron Durno with Bruce Hunter assisting
Other NZ athletes racing are:
- Boys: Trent Dodds, Henry Gautrey, Thomas Trengrove, Nicolo Oporto, Mathew Roets
- Girls: Katherine Badham, Kaitlyn Price, Rose Dillon, Estafana Fowler
The races incorporate the 'Trans-Tasman Challenge' for boys and for girls (team of 4 designated boys score / team of 3 designated girls), and on Sunday there are mixed team relays. New Zealand currently holds the boys Trans-Tasman Challenge with three of that team returning this year (Reid, Smith & Thompson), and won the last junior mixed team relay at Penrith against the Aussie states.
 The winning NZ team from the previous junior Trans-Tasman Challenge(Photo: Tri NZ; click to enlarge) |
Tri NZ High Performance Director Graeme Maw is looking forward to the young New Zealanders getting a taste of a high level of competition in Penrith.
"I am delighted again for our youngsters to be crossing the Tasman to test themselves and share development with their Australian counterparts. The racing is always tough, and while some like Tayler Reid are returning to the Oceania Championships for another crack at the podium, many have not experienced this intensity of race before. It will be a valuable experience to add to their raw potential, and we are pleased to have coaches with the composure of Cameron Durno and Bruce Hunter to maximise both performance and learning."
Individual racing takes place on the Saturday with team racing on the Sunday. For further information including schedules, click here.
Penrith is also hosting the Oceania Paratriathlon Championships at the same venue this weekend. No New Zealanders have made the trip across to compete however.
