Henri has high hopes for Olympic qualification
Durban North triathlete says he hopes to secure a spot in the South African Olympic squad and know he has a tough year ahead.
HEADING into this year’s Rio Olympics, South Africa is gifted with a surplus of talent in both the men’s and women’s triathlon fields. One of those hopefuls is Durban North’s Henri Schoeman. Northglen News recently caught up with the Commonwealth Games silver medalist who is focused on maintaining his momentum going into this year’s International Triathlon Union (ITU) series, which provides valuable points which count towards Olympic qualification.
The former Oakridge College pupil is also aiming to win his fourth Africa Triathlon champs in March.
The 24-year-old is currently ranked 12th in the world and says consistency is key to achieving his dream and landing a coveted spot on the South African team for Rio 2016.
“I had a good year last year. I ended the year fourth at the Stockholm ITU event which was my equal career best in the series in the elite men’s division. This year I’m hoping to carry the consistency through and also improve on my performances from last year.
“It’s been a dream since I was a little boy to represent my country at the Olympics. It’s the pinnacle of every athlete’s dream, and I’m focusing on being the best I can be and keeping the momentum going,” he said.
Though the team has not been selected yet, Schoeman is targeting the first ITU series race in Abu Dhabi and the SA Triathlon Champs which also doubles as the Africa Champs in March.
“It’s a busy schedule ahead of me and there’s still work for me to do. Every race is a huge battle for a podium and you have to deliver an extraordinary effort these days to get it. I won’t give up and I will keep pushing to be on the podium. I’m aiming to win my fourth African champs, I’ve won three successively so I’d like to win both the SA and continental titles,” he explained.
Speaking of his top 20 standings in the ITU series, Schoeman said though it was his career best, he wanted to push himself further and break into the top 10.
“I’m aiming for the top 7 and I must admit, finishing 12th is my career best, I’m moving in positive directions but I’m aiming higher in 2016,” he said.
