Mayo triathlete takes on Europe

Mayo triathlete takes on Europe


Feature
Rob Murphy

ONE of Ireland’s leading young triathletes, Con Doherty from Westport, will be competing in the European Junior Triathlon Championships next weekend in Israel .
The Mayo teenager produced a brilliant performance at the recent ITU Junior European Cup in Portugal, finishing in the top ten of the gruelling event to qualify for next Saturday’s prestigious competition.
The triathlon in Portugal was as dramatic as it was action-packed for the 16 year-old student from Belcare in Westport.
A strong swim and cycle set him up well for the final leg but a difficult changeover meant he had to pull out all the stops to finish in the top ten.
“I was happy with the swim. It was open sea, not too rough but a bit choppy, and I was in the middle of the field all the way. I came in about 40 seconds down on the leaders and made up about 15 seconds with a quick transition,” Con told The Mayo News.
He left the transition in a group with two other riders and made up the outstanding time to join with the lead group by the five kilometre mark on the technical circuit.
“When we caught the group I just tried to get to the front because, on a circuit with so many tight corners, if you’re at the back of the field you can end up using far too much energy at each turn,” he explained.
“Transition two required the competitors to channel through a very narrow alley, up to the transition point, so I knew I’d have to take my shoes off on the bike. I did that, but just a bit too early, and I lost my position going to the back of the group.”
Having put himself in a difficult position, the Mayo competitor even had a minor collision which knocked him off his bike in the ensuing battle to get into the run.
Doherty started the run in 30th position with some ground to make up over the 5km course but, undeterred, he set out with a goal of reaching the top ten.
“I didn’t panic. I just got into my run and slowly picked off the guys ahead of me, making my way up to tenth in the end. It was a great relief considering the frustrations at the changeover because as the cycle was coming to an end I felt comfortable.”
To pick off that many runners in such a short space of time underlines why this young Mayo athlete is attracting so much attention under the guidance of Limerick coach,Stephen Teeling-Lynch, and Triathlon Ireland’s High Performance Director, Chris Jones.
Israel is next on the cards this Saturday with the European Championships taking place in Eilat. Con Doherty is Ireland’s only representative in the Junior event.
A top ten finish there is another tall order for the Rice College student but it would secure a place in October’s World Championships in New Zealand.
“I’ve looked at the course,” he said. “The swim will be in warm water so it doesn’t require wet suits. That might take away a small advantage I have in transition when it comes to taking them off but the course for the cycle is tough with some challenging hills and that will suit my style.”
Doherty has three more years at this grade so reaching a European Championships in year one is a huge achievement. In fact, there was only one other under 16 in the top 20 at the European Cup event in Portugal.
Watch this space.

HAVE YOUR SAY email sport@mayonews.ie with your comments