Triathlon champs a gripping first for Mossel Bay

Update

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - It was an exciting weekend for the spectators and participants of the 2026 Africa Triathlon Premium/Junior Cup and South African Standard and Para Triathlon Championships that took place on Santos Beach in Mossel Bay on Sunday 29 March.

This was the first time this massive international event, which can lead to Olympic qualifications for participating athletes, took place right here in Mossel Bay.

The first race to get under way on Sunday was the SA Champs age groups and aquabike standard, starting at 07:00 for the men and 07:10 for the women. This was a 1.5km swim, a 40km cycle and 10km run.

Kyle White came in first place in a time of one hour, 59 minutes and 14 seconds. In second place was Dylan Kruger with a time of two hours and 13 seconds, and in third was Rudolf Naudé with two hours, four minutes and 28 seconds.

Eden Triathlon’s Chanté Hopkins taking first place with two hours, 22 minutes and 55 seconds. In second place with two hours, 25 minutes and 13 seconds was Michelle Howes, and in third place was Lena Wiroth with a time of 2 hours 25 minutes 22 seconds.

The elite women start their swimming leg. Photo: Hugo Redelinghuys

For SA Aquabike Champs in the men's category, Jean de Villiers came in first, DJ van der Merwe second and Pieter Vermeulen third. For the women, Carin Louise Steenkamp was first, Tracey Riley second and Jo-Mari Smith third.

The next race was the Africa Cup junior sprint, which is a 750m swim, a 20km cycle and a 5km run. Again, it was only South African athletes on the podium for the men.

Antony Clayton came in first with a time of 58 minutes and six seconds. Nicholas Horne took second with a time of 58 minutes, 55 seconds, and Ryan Viviers came third with a time of 59 minutes, 24 seconds.

Zimbabwe’s Rachel O’Donoghue took first place with a time of one hour, six minutes, 14 seconds. South Africa’s Taylor Foster came just behind with a time of one hour, six minutes, 21 seconds, and in third place was Namibia’s Maja Jean Brinkmann with a time of one hour, eight minutes, six seconds.

Franna Vorster of Edene took part in the SA Triathlon Championships in the age groupers’ category (55-59). Photo: Jeff Ayliffe

The SA Champs para sprint, a 750m swim, 20km cycle, 5km run, was next. Kenya’s Oscar Dennis took first place in one hour, six minutes, 10 seconds. South Africa’s Mhlengi Gwala took second and Christopher Peers third.

Kristy Weir of South Africa took first place in the women’s category.

The final race, the Africa Cup elite/U23 standard, a 1.5km swim, 40km cycle and a 10km run, saw German triathlon star Lasse Lührs taking the win with a time of one hour, 49 minutes, 31 seconds. Matthew Wright from Barbados came in second in one hour, 49 minutes, 48 seconds, and the USA’s Zach Leachman came third with a time of one hour, 50 minutes, one second.

Zuzana Michalickova of Slovakia came first in the women’s category with a time of two hours, four minutes, 30 seconds. Germany’s Jule Behrens came second with a time of two hours, four minutes, 35 seconds, and South Africa’s Shanae Williams was third in two hours, five minutes, five seconds.

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