Successful Day for NWTC in Athlone

Aoife Logan was the first club member to take to the water posting an overall time of 1hour 26mins 31secs.  Next away were Gary O’Donnell and Patrick McLaughlin with O’Donnell finishing on 1.13.54 while McLaughlin, still recovering from Ironman Austria, came home in 1.18.35.  Colm Quigley and James Beattie were next up with Quigley powering to the finish in 1.10.03 which was good enough for him to take 3rd place in the M35-39 age category.  Beattie put in a great effort to finish on 1.16.53.  Frank Roche, Paul McConnellogue and Mickey McBride were next away in the M40-44 heat.  McConnellogue was the first over the line in 1.10.40 while McBride, another finisher of the Austrian Ironman, showing no ill-effects from then finish in 1.17.07.  Roche put in a determined race to cross the line in 1.20.05.  Jarlath Fearon was the last man to get in on the racing action in the final heat of the day.  Fearon put in a solid performance all the way to the end clocking 1.13.22 which also gave him 3rd place in the M45-49 age category.  Meanwhile in Co. Monaghan Joanne Doran took part in the Muckno Mania Triathlon in Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan.  Doran continued her recent good form with her 2nd win in as many weeks finishing in a time of 1.07.36.

Later in the afternoon the ITU European Cup Race took place with the elite ladies race going off first.  The North West’s Aileen Morrison lined up along side fellow Irish triathlete and Beijing Olympian, Emma Davis, together with European Junior Champion, Emmie Charayron of France.  A strong swim put Morrison in front from the start and into a front pack of three on the bike. Showing strong biking form Aileen worked well with Felicity Sheedy-Ryan (AUS) and Neus Cayla (ESP) to maintain the gap to the chasers. On the run Sheedy-Ryan and Morrison pulled away, with the Australian athlete gaining an advantage of half a minute on Morrison, which was maintained to the finish.  Morrison clocked a time of 1hr 58mins 36secs. The strong running Charayron ran her way onto the podium for third.  Irish triathlete Bryan Keane claimed a surprising victory in the men's race, making up the gap to the front pack on the bike, and then breaking away, maintaining his lead to the finish.

On the other side of the globe, the North West’s Eimear O’Brien was in action at the New Zealand National Duathlon Championships were she came 2nd in the women’s race.  Eimear is currently in training for the world triathlon age group championships to be held in the Gold Coast, Australia, in September and is looking to improve on her 13th place from the worlds in Vancouver in 2008.