ATHLETES from Jervis Bay Triathlon Club took home a healthy medal haul from last Saturday’s final event in the Elite Energy Tri Series at Port Stephens.
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The club had medallists in all events and a swag of series winners and place getters.
In the olympic distance event, Jervis Bay’s pro triathlete, Ollie Whistler took the bronze medal in the elite open division completing the 1.5 kilometre swim, 40 kilometre bike and 10 kilometre run course in just 2:02.33.
He had the fastest bike time of the day, completing the hilly course along Gan Gan Road in under an hour.
Josh Henry and Matt Lewis also made the top 20 with Henry posting a time of 2:12.36 to take the silver medal in the 35 to 39 age group.
Lewis placed eighth in the open division, a great confidence booster before he jets off to compete in the European triathlon season.
Annette Sampson was the best placed local female finishing 20th overall and taking out gold in the 50 to 54 age group.
She finished the series with a perfect score of four wins from four races.
Tony Lim won silver in the men’s 60 to 64 age group and Elite Energy boss, Mark Emerton, made the most of his chance to race in one of his own events by edging out Bill Stahlhut for the bronze medal in the men’s 50 to 54 category.
Cynthia Trevallion joined Sampson on the podium, winning bronze in the 50 to 54 age group while Laura Bowmaker put in a great effort to finish her first olympic distance race.
In the sprint event, bronze medals went to Gus Frank in the 16 to 17 age group, Kendall McMaster (55 to 59), Allison Dillon (45 to 49), and Rod Rose (60 to 64). Frank was the 11th fastest male completing the 750 metre/20 kilometre/ five kilometre course in 1:11.42.
Brooke Crossland was the fastest of the Jervis Bay women, finishing in 1:31.10 to finish fourth in the 14 to 15 age group.
Septuagenarians Marcus Vowels and Paul Coombes teamed up to win the silver medal in the men’s relay event, proving conclusively that triathlon is not just for fit young things in lycra.
Neil Galletly and Matt Forster seemed reluctant to finish their racing season, with both men backing up after the sprint to race again in the enticer.
Galletly won the 50 to 54 age group, finishing the 300 metre/10 kilometre/ two kilomertre race in 39.18 to place 15th overall, while Forster took silver in the 40 to 44 age group.
Robert Scott won gold in the 45 to 49 age group and Kathy Cupitt took bronze in the women’s 45 to 49 category.
Tony Lim backed up from his olympic distance to race the enticer dressed up as Batman in the superheroes category.
True to their name, the superheroes came to the rescue of a female competitor with a flat tyre.
With the final event of the series out of the way, awards were also presented for series winners and placegetters.
In the olympic distance, Annette Sampson and Bill Stahlhut both won their age groups, while Josh Henry came second, and Karl Hayes, Kylie Stewart, and Tony Lim were third.
Possibly spurred on by the promise of free races, Brooke Crossland, Gus Stretton, Tim O’Connell and Allison Dillon all took gold in the sprint series, while Kristina O’Shea, Jed Frank, Louise Winkler and Ken Price took silver.
Ben Cupitt, Matt Forster, Neil Galletly and Kendall McMaster won bronze for the series.
Kathy Cupitt and Robert Scott won their age groups in the enticer series, while Linda Clarke won silver.
Gus Frank also won silver in the junior series.
Club president Tony Lim said this had been one of the club’s best seasons.
“Not just in terms of medals, but with so many athletes taking up the sport and achieving their goals,” he said.
“It was also great to see athletes from so many age groups competing and doing the club proud.”
The club also extended its best wishes to athletes competing at next weekend’s Fiji International Triathlon and next month’s Ironman Cairns.
The club’s next training session will be on June 15 at Iluka in Booderee National Park with a duathlon format.
Start time is 8am and both members and visitors are welcome.
Short and longer course options will be available to suit experienced athletes and beginners.