ITU World Para-triathlon: South Africans excels at international event
Six of the athletes were South Africans of the total 39 entrants taking part in this category.
SOUTH AFRICAN amputee Para-triathlete Stan Andrews competed and was placed ninth overall on Sunday March 1 in the 2015 Buffalo City ITU World Paratriathlon Event.
The event hosted a total of 39 top male and female international para-triathletes in all five categories. The men’s PT4 category held the fiercest competition with 16 entrants, six of whom were South Africans of the total 39 entrants taking part in this category.
Andrews reported the swim to be tough with a heavy side current that affected all the competitors equally. Entrants were given the opportunity to make use of a ‘pre-transition’, where athletes are able to remove their wet suits and put on their prostheses in an area near the water. Despite having competed in many other triathlons, the ‘pre-transition’ was a first for Andrews, who felt that it cost him valuable seconds, causing his Transition 1 time to be 30 seconds slower than in previous events.
The bike course went well for Andrews, who feels that cycling is his weakest discipline of the triathlon events. The wind played into his hand and helped his climb back up the express way, leaving ready to jump into Transition 2 after two loops.
The run was challenging for Andrews who, after overtaking fellow South African competitor Nico Nel, was in tenth place 28 seconds behind the Spaniard Rafael Solis Torres.
Ultimately Andrews placed ninth out of the field due to the disqualification of a fellow competitor, the reason for which is unknown, and he was the first South African to finish.
In ten weeks’ time, Andrews will compete in Egypt with the goal of scoring enough points to compete at the Grand Final in Chicago, USA.
