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Athletes from 26 Countries Descend on Gqeberha

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The Old Mutual Wealth African Premium Cup and the South African Triathlon Championships will be held in Nelson Mandela Bay at Hobie Beach on Sunday 19 March 2022.

The African Premium Cups have attracted entries from 26 different countries, largely due to the success of the 2022 event. With valuable world ranking points at stake and US$ 4,000 prize money on offer, incredibly competitive fields will line up for the Olympic Distance races, comprising a 1,500m swim, a 40km cycle and a 10km run.

Barbara De Koning (Netherlands) and Ayan Beisenbayev (Kazakhstan) won the African Cup in Bloemfontein in February. Others who featured prominently at Maselspport James Edgar (Ireland), Tyler Smith (Bermuda), Tanja Stroschneider (Austria) and Shanae Williams (RSA) will face far stronger competition in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Husband and wife duo Richard Murray (Netherlands) 4th in the Rio Olympics and Rene Kalmer (Netherlands), 4th in the Tokyo Olympics are two of the biggest names in World Triathlon and they are undoubtedly the pre-race favourites.

South Africa’s Jamie Riddle who won this race last year will be fired up, racing former countryman Murray, who is now one of his arch rivals. They were separated by just 8 seconds in the WTCS race in Abu Dhabi this past weekend, with Murray getting the upper hand and it could come down to the wire on the beachfront in Gqeberha. Denmark’s Emil Holm is another triathlete with a bright future and is expected to make his presence felt.

Kalmer will face tough opposition from her countrywoman De Koning and South Africa’s Williams who took first and second in the recent African Cup. However, the unknown factor could be Amber Schlebusch who is making the trip out from Arizona University, USA, who surely will have an eye on the Olympic Games in Paris next year. Schlebusch has a strong pedigree over the shorter distances, having won the Youth Olympics in 2018 and last year she showed her class winning the NCAA Division 1 Triathlon Championships by a minute.

Mike Zoetmulder of Zsports Events SA, who is organising the race on behalf of Nelson Mandela Bay Triathlon and Triathlon South Africa was thrilled with the interest in the event, with the international field more than quadrupling from the 2022 edition. “We have a full program of events, with provinces sending their best age groupers for the national championships and the para championships, while the African Cups for Juniors and Seniors have attracted a dozen Triathletes who participated in last year’s Commonwealth Games and numerous Olympians.”

Old Mutual Wealth are the title sponsors and CEO Farhad Seidler said “We are very proud of our association with the 2023 Africa Triathlon Premier Cup Nelson Mandela Bay that also celebrates our values of commitment, focus, discipline and teamwork to achieve long-term success. At Old Mutual Wealth, we are passionate about enabling our clients to take their wealth further. For us, meaningful wealth management is about more than just your money, it is about how you see yourself, your dreams, your impact and your legacy. It is a journey and requires the same dedication as a triathlon.

We also truly believe in the power of sport to connect communities and will be working closely with Triathlon SA to ensure athletes and supporters from around the world will experience this event as their best yet.”

Schedule for Sunday 19th March:

  • 07h20 – Super Sprint Triathlon
  • 07h23 – SA Paratriathlon Championships
  • 07h31 – SA Triathlon Standard Age Group Championships
  • 07h37 – Standard Distance Triathlon
  • 10h00 – Africa Cup Junior Triathlon (Men)
  • 10h45 – Africa Cup Junior Triathlon (Women)
  • 12h00 – Africa Premier Cup (Women)
  • 12h05 – Medal Ceremony – SA Paratri
  • 12h30 – Medal Ceremony – SA AG Championships
  • 14h00 – Africa Premier Cup (Men)
  • 16h50 – Medal Ceremony – Africa Cup Juniors
  • 17h00 – Medal Ceremony – Africa Premier Cup

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.