The hotly contested junior team for the Inter Regional Championships (IRCs) have now been selected and it's full steam ahead preparing for race day next month.
The IRC is the highpoint of the junior triathlon season. This year they take place as part of the British Triathlon Under 20’s Festival at Mallory Park, Leicestershire on 5th and 6th September.
Each of the 12 regions selects an IRC team of three boys and three girls in two categories, Tristart2 (age 11/12) and Tristart3 (age 13/14). The standard of the event is exceptionally high with the best youngsters in the country competing.
London region selects its team based on triathlon results in the London Junior Series. That concluded recently with Eton SuperTri, and so the 2015 London Team has been announced as the following:
Tristart2 Girls
Ella Peters (Jetstream)
Lottie Hull (Crystal Palace)
Jessica Mayer (No club)
Poppy Jensen (Reserve) (Comet)
T2 Boys
Oskar Murmann (Crystal Palace)
Matthew O'Neil (No club)
Mack Downey (Comet)
Alan Klejn (Reserve) (Crystal Palace)
T3 Girls
Isabel Atkins (Optima Racing Team)
Millie Smith (Greenwich Tritons)
Freya Thomson (No Club)
Laura Howley (Reserve) (No Club)
T3 Boys
Zak Wort (No Triathlon Club)
Tom Simpson (Greenwich Tritons)
Abel Sinko-Uribe (No Club)
Zachary Purnell (Reserve) (Crystal Palace)
Mack Downey, 12, from Comet Triathlon Club, is one of the more experienced members of the team having represented London in 2014. This year he showed great tenacity, overcoming many challenges to gain selection for the 2015 team. “I was determined to do my best to qualify for the London team, and am so pleased (and relieved) that even a broken wrist and a bike crash did not stop me!” He said.
Jessica Mayer (aged 12) on the other hand is very new to triathlon and only discovered the sport this year. Jessica comes from a swimming background and mastered the other disciplines very quickly to gain selection in the very competitive Tristart 2 category.
“I was ecstatic to find out that I had qualified for the IRC's. I am new to this sport and am still learning so much each race. It is definitely full of ups and downs but it's worth it once you get the results. I have loved every moment of this season!” She said.
The 2015 London team are hoping to progress up the IRC rankings and beat the best ever position of 7th, achieved in 2014. It finished 10th in 2012 and 9th in 2013.
The team will be managed by Ed Simpson from Greenwich Tritons. He said: “Congratulations to all of the team who have worked so hard to gain selection for the IRCs where they will be racing against the best junior triathletes in the country. The standard of racing in the London region qualification events was incredibly high so I’m really excited about our prospects for Mallory Park. I’m looking forward to working with the team at our training sessions in August.”
Further information on the 2015 IRCs, results/reports from past years, and contact details are available on the home page here.
Wrtten by Jim Desmond, London Region Junior Coordinator
