Nationwide coach Pamela Fulton says Andie Kuipers’ Beneath-23 win on the Africa Triathlon Championships in South Africa over the weekend is a confidence booster for the athlete.
Kuipers, bouncing again from damage, gave a gutsy efficiency in Gqeberha to clinch the Beneath-23 Girls’s title and end fifth general within the mixed elite/Beneath-23 race – a consequence that indicators her return to kind and fuels her Olympic ambitions.
“This occasion was an actual confidence increase for her, not solely exiting the tough sea swim in an unbelievable third place, but in addition posting run to complete inside eight p.c of the general profitable girl, gaining helpful rating factors,” stated Fulton.
“That is precisely the best way she needed to begin her LA28 marketing campaign. It was particular to be there to witness this efficiency and I’m happy with her continued dedication to the game and persistence as her Achilles continues to heal. Wishing her continued success for the next 4 years as she prepares for LA28.”
Kuipers is aiming to climb the worldwide rankings this season – a mission that would open doorways to high-calibre competitions and, finally, cement her path to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Video games as soon as the qualification window opens.
Her victory was the spotlight of a marketing campaign that introduced notable progress for Zimbabwe, particularly among the many juniors and youth athletes who competed with verve and willpower on the continental stage.
Zander Botha and Rachel O’Donoghue reaffirmed their rising reputations with commanding performances within the Youth Boys and Ladies classes, bagging gold and silver medals respectively – replicating their podium finishes on the South Africa Junior and Youth Championships simply weeks in the past.
Botha, specifically, continued his glowing run of kind. Contemporary off a Supersprint win on the Africa Triathlon Cup Swakopmund in Namibia, the younger sensation proved as soon as once more why he is being tipped as certainly one of Zimbabwe’s brightest triathlon prospects.
“Zander managed to tug it off as soon as once more, profitable gold Beneath-15 after an extremely thrilling end the place the 2 boys ran stride for stride,” stated Fulton.
“Congratulations to Zander for his excellent season. Now it is time for a well-deserved relaxation earlier than gearing up for 2026, when he’ll step as much as the Beneath-17 class and face the problem of the longer dash distance. I stay up for seeing how he adapts.”
Within the women’ youth race, the much-anticipated duel between O’Donoghue and South Africa’s Taylor Foster lived as much as expectations. The 2 have developed a compelling rivalry over the previous few seasons, with Taylor edging Rachel at this yr’s SA Championships – a consequence that added further strain going into Sunday’s showdown.
Join free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the newest in African information delivered straight to your inbox
“Taylor’s power is the swim and as soon as once more she dominated within the sea,” Fulton defined.
“Rachel needed to dig deep on the bike to try to catch her. The day belonged to Taylor, however credit score to Rachel for chasing proper till the top and securing the silver medal. Olivia Beamish had an excellent race, taking a commendable fourth place.”
Zimbabwe additionally fielded a staff within the blended relay occasion, mixing youthful power and aggressive edge. Junior males Callum Smith and Stanley Chasakara teamed up with youth women O’Donoghue and Beamish to bag a silver medal and cap off a powerful collective displaying for the nation.
The junior males’s particular person race, the largest occasion of the day with 40 opponents, noticed Smith and Chasakara end 14th and sixteenth respectively – a stable return given they had been racing within the Beneath-19 class regardless of being solely 16.
“This was a really stable efficiency from each boys,” stated Fulton, applauding their competitiveness in a troublesome subject.
Ethan Donzva and Matthew Hildebrand additionally featured within the youth boys’ race, gaining invaluable expertise on the continental stage.
With the 2024-2025 season now concluded, Zimbabwe’s triathletes will take a well-earned break earlier than turning their focus to the 2025-2026 marketing campaign – one which guarantees much more pleasure because the younger abilities proceed to develop in stature.v