British juniors aim for selection in Portugal
13th Septemeber 2012British junior athletes are in action this weekend at the 2012 Aveiro ETU Triathlon Junior European Cup in Portugal as they race for selection to the GE Great Britain Team for the ITU Junior Triathlon World Championships at the Barfoot & Thompson World Triathlon Grand Final in Auckland.
In the junior women’s race, Sky Draper and Maddy Winzer will both compete as they aim to secure their place on the GE Great Britain Team in Auckland.
Maddy finished 13th in the ETU Junior Triathlon European Championships in Eilat earlier this year and is currently sitting in fourth place overall in the senior women’s British Triathlon Super Series.
Maddy said: “I have had a good 8-week block of training and will be aiming to qualify for the world’s this weekend. It’s a sea swim and the bike is pretty technical, so along with the hot temperatures we are expecting in Portugal it will be tough. However, getting to the worlds would finish the season on a real high.”
In the junior men’s event, a strong group of British athletes are all racing as they aim to be selected for Auckland. The highest placed finisher in the junior event in Israel was Gordon Benson in 14th position, and the Leeds based athlete who also finished in tenth place at the ITU Junior Triathlon World Championships in Beijing is looking forward to the opportunity to be selected this year.
He said: “I raced in Strathclyde at the start of September and was really happy with that performance finishing sixth, with some quality athletes in front of me. This weekend in Portugal I really just want to do the job and get to Auckland, but to achieve that I will need to go there and deliver my best form.”
Alongside Gordon, British Triathlon Olympic Talent Squad members, Marc Austin, Morgan Davies, Iestyn Harrett and Grant Sheldon will all be on the start line. Alex Hill, Liam Lloyd, Alex Matchett, Cameron Milne and Luke Penny complete the 12-athlete strong squad..