And the 2003 triathlon is also doubling as the annual inter-insular fixture so Caesarean team honour will be at stake once again as Island Games gold medallists line up alongside fellow local triathletes.
The race will cover Olympic distances, with a 1500m swim, a 40km bike ride and a 10km run, and although it is aimed at top triathletes, relay teams are very welcome to enter to compete in the separate disciplines.Following their participation in the Ogier Novice triathlon in June, a number of novices are taking part in the main event.Tri club president Gary Jones said that the Island Games, as well as the novice event, have raised the profile of the sport and there has been a significant number of new athletes keen to be involved.’Triathlon is one of the fastest growing mass participation sports, and we are delighted with the support given to us by Ogier & Le Masurier to help further the sport in the Channel Islands.’He added that with the inter-insular element added to the equation some of Jersey’s best triathletes – including Commonwealth Games competitor James Amy who has never finished outside the top two in Jersey for the past five years – and Island Games gold medallists Melissa Messervy and Paul Clements – would be tested.
Although those three will be pushing hard to win the men’s and women’s individual races, they will also be hoping that as many of their team mates as possible finish in the first ten to win the inter-insular.Fellow club members include Island Games team gold medallists Tim Rogers (who won the inter-insular event last year in Guernsey); Phil Ahier, fellow gold medallist in Guernsey who is having his best triathlon season to date; team captain Andy Kemp, who had a top age-group finish at the London Triathlon six weeks ago; Chris Westcott, included in the team for the first time and whose swimming background will show early on; Michael Lucas, who hopes to qualify for the Great Britain age group team for the 2004 World Championship in Madeira; Richard Davy, a current Clydesdale (a weight division) world champion after success at Windsor and Beccy Roberts who has qualified to represent Great Britain at the 2003 world championships and who will be looking to resume her close battle with Shanine Wray from Guernsey.
The ones to look out for from Guernsey, according to Kemp, are Alan Rowe, who can run 10 km two to three minutes faster than the best we have; Andy Bell, who has shaved 20 minutes off his overall time in one season and Damian Thacker, an unknown quantity to the Jersey team but no less dangerous for that.n The inter-insular trophy will be presented to the team with the lowest aggregate finishing times for the first three senior men, first lady and first veteran male to cross the line.The race starts at 8 am with the 1,500m swim at Bel Royal, followed by the 40km bike ride which takes the competitors up Mont les Vaux to Red Houses and on to St Ouen and St Mary before returning to St Lawrence and Bel Royal for the 10km run, with the first finishers expected to cross the line from around 10 am onwards.Entry forms available online at www.jerseytriclub.org or by calling Beccy Roberts on 07797 753 060.
