Current Long Distance Duathlon F30-34 Age Group European Champion Vicky Gill will step up to the elite level to compete at the 2014 Horst ETU Powerman Long Distance and Sprint Duathlon European Championships on Sunday. 

 

Vicky won gold in her age group at the 2013 event to become F30-34 European Long Distance Duathlon champion, a title she added to the ITU World Duathlon title she won in 2010 and this form has led her to take on the challenge of the elite race. 

 

Vicky is relishing the step up to elite competition, commenting: "It will be the first time I've raced for the Great Britain Elite Team so it's very exciting. I'm really looking forward to it. 

 

"Last year the elite women started five minutes before the open race so I got to chase some of the tail-enders down but to actually be on the start line with the elites will be a different atmosphere and definitely a step up. But I'm ready for it."

 

Vicky is the only elite female athlete in the long distance race but Matt Moorhouse, who came 11th last year, and Joe Skipper are in the men's race. Completing the elite team is Gillian Palmer in the women's sprint.

 

Alongside the elite athletes, a large and talented Great Britain Age-Group Team including more than 230 athletes in the sprint distance race and 46 athletes in the long distance duathlon race will be competing for European titles.

 

In the sprint distance race there are four returning champions, Mathilde Pauls (30-34), Alan Murchison (40-44), Jacqui Phillips (45-49) and Sandra Powell-Bevan (55-59). 

 

Jacqui Phillips is hoping for a repeat of last year's success, commenting: "It's one of the best events I've been to in terms of organisation and atmosphere and the way the town comes out in support so I really enjoyed the whole weekend and I'm hoping it will be the same this year.

 

"I'm never confident, not at this level. You never know who's going to turn up. I would like to think I'm in with a shot of a medal, though whether it's gold or not we'll have to see on the day."

 

In the long-distance race, there are three returning gold medallists. Wendy Gooding (50-54) and Elspeth Knott (60-64) will both defend the titles they won last year, while Fran Bungay (35-39) steps up to the longer event having won sprint gold last year.

 

Joan Lennon, Great Britain Age-Group Team Manager for the event, added: "We've got a much larger team than last year, with quite a few new people and I know we have some exceptional athletes in the team so I anticipate a huge medal haul.

 

"There is incredible excitement, with a lot of new people who have never raced internationally before and for them it's going to be a fantastic experience. Horst is a lovely town that really embraces the event and you get huge support from the local people. The whole town is given over to it for a couple of days."

 

The long distance event involves a 15km run, 60km bike and 7.5km run, while the sprint distance athletes will compete over a 5km run, 20km bike and 2.8km run.