STRATFORD Athletic Club’s Rachel Pearce finished ninth in her age category at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final on Australia’s Gold Coast.
Competing in the W45-49 sprint triathlon in a high-quality field of 73 women which included two Olympians, Pearce finished with an overall time of 1:10:21, just six minutes shy of the winner – Britain’s Michelle Dillon.
Pearce opened her triathlon with an 11:37 clocking for the 750m swim. She then covered the 20km cycle in 33:27 before rounding off her day with a 20:38 effort in the 5km run.
Coventry’s Anita Howe, representing Warwickshire’s Do3, finished fifth overall in her age group over a course of a 1,500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run and was the only European competitor in the top ten in that category.
This adds to her podium place at the 2018 Tartu ETU Triathlon European Championships, along with a series of domestic race wins over the season.
CLOSER to home at Ragley Hall, several of the Do3 squad raced at The Avenger Triathlon.
Stratford’s Neil Wicks was the overall winner of the middle distance race by a superb 42 minutes, having completed the 1,900m swim, 90km bike and 21.1km run in 4:34:00.
At the standard distance race, Jemima Cooper was first female overall and Coventry’s Guy Bicknell was third in his age group and sixth overall.
The standard distance was made up of a 1,500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run. Other Do3 squad members included Paul Nash, Laura Castle and Bogdan Ene.
At Eton Dorney, in The Season Final Triathlon, Karen Marshall posted a personal best over the standard distance while also finishing fourth in her age group.
