If the racing in Llanelli is anything to go by it looks set to be another extremely competitive year in the British Triathlon Super Series as over 300 athletes showcased the best of swim, bike, run in the South Wales sun on Saturday (12 May).
The Llanelli Multisport Festival has been a regular Super Series host in recent years and this year’s event saw athletes from across the British Triathlon Youth & Junior, Senior and Paratri Super Series’ compete for Super Series points and for some athletes also selection for upcoming international championships.
Youth B athlete Deri McCluskey earned maximum points with victory in the Youth Male Tier 1 race, finishing ahead of Josh Cumberland, also Youth B, at the end of the 375m swim, 12km bike and 2.5km run. Alex Dack was the quickest of all the Youth athletes on the run to claim the Youth A win and third overall.
McCluskey’s win in the Tier 1 race followed a home win for Finley Bruce in the opening race of the day - Youth Male Tier 2.
Lauren Mitchell continued her impressive start to her debut Super Series with victory in the Female Youth race, securing not only maximum points as the fastest Youth A athlete but also the overall race win.
Second overall was Millie Breese who returned to the North East with maximum points as the first Youth B finisher.
With the course adjustments made for the sprint distance, it was then time for the combined junior and senior races over the 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run distance.
In the junior and senior male tier 1 race, Connor Bentley made his move on the second half of the run to secure the senior win, 10 seconds ahead of Hamish Reilly with Iestyn Harrett third.
Amongst the senior battle and the race for the overall race win, there was also the battle to earn points in the Junior Super Series with Joe Sherman holding off the challenge of Osian Perrin on the run to take the junior win.
In the male junior and senior tier 2 race, senior athlete Thomas Dalgarno claimed the win, crossing the line eight seconds ahead of Henry Bramwell-Reeks, who finished just ahead of Frederik Staal.
Similar to how the other races had unfolded earlier in the day, the battle for victory in the female junior and senior race came down to the run.
Iona Miller had the speed and strength over the 5km to claim the race win and the 2500 points, passing Daisy Davies as they ran along the Millennium Coastal Path for the final time, with Davies second and Jess Fullagar third.
Bethany Cook was the first junior athlete to finish, securing maximum points, ahead of defending Junior Super Series champion Lizzy Edge.
With the World Triathlon Para Series coming to Swansea in August, paratriathlon is taking centre stage in South Wales this summer and Llanelli gave a flavour of what’s to come with the first of two Welsh stages in this year’s British Triathlon Paratri Super Series.
World and European champion Dave Ellis and his guide Luke Pollard followed-up their win at last month’s British Paraduathlon Championships – the first race of the Paratri Super Series – with victory in the men’s PTVI in Llanelli.
Victory in the men’s PTS5 went to Michael Sailsbury, while there were also maximum points for Megan Richter and Finley Jakes who were victorious in the women’s and men’s PTS4 races, respectively.
London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympian Mel Nicholls was the women’s PTWC winner in her first paratriathlon event, with Bret Crossley winning the men’s equivalent.
Jack Howitt and Felix Barrow also claimed maximum points in the men’s PTS2 and PTS3, respectively.
Volvo 2022 World Triathlon Para Series Swansea will bring the best paratriathletes in the world to South Wales in August, with the Paratri Super Series race also providing the opportunity for up-and-coming paratriathletes to race for ranking points at the same venue.
The British Triathlon Super Series heads to Leeds next in the Senior Super Series, with aquathlon the next event for Youth & Junior athletes in June. The British Paratriathlon Championships at Eton Dorney is the next event in the Paratri Super Series on 16 July.
