Western Australia’s elite and U23 triathletes have once again shown their strength, and competitive spirit on the international stage, racing in tough conditions and stacked fields across two key events earlier this month.
Oceania Triathlon Super Sprint Championships – Runaway Bay (2 May)
It was a day of fast feet, sharp strategies, and smart recovery as the Oceania Triathlon Super Sprint Championships roared to life at the Gold Coast Performance Centre.
With stormy skies overhead and rain pooling across the course, athletes battled through an all-day eliminator format. They navigated heats, repechages, and semi-finals in hopes of securing a spot in the prestigious Super Sprint Finals on Sunday. The course featured a 250-metre swim, 7-kilometre bike, and 1.5-kilometre run, delivering exciting, high-pressure racing where every second counted.
Competing against a stacked field of Oceania’s top athletes, including defending champion Jayden Schofield, Australians Bradley Course, Lachlan Jones and Jack Woodberry, along with Kiwi contenders Saxon Morgan and James Corbet; our WA athletes gained invaluable experience at this high-performance event.
On the women’s side, the Kiwis were dominant, with Eva Goodison and Ainsley Thorpe both going undefeated through the rounds. Australia remained well represented, with Emma Jeffcoat, Charlotte Derbyshire, Aspen Anderson, Ellie Hoitink and WA’s own Kira Hedgeland all securing their place in the final.
Our WA athletes rose to the challenge:
Women:
Sian Munks – 12th
Ava Henville – 13th
Rhianna Hepburn – 20th
Men:
Christophe Gardner – 14th
Joshua Neervoort – 23rd
Ivan Nagel – 28th
Reece Harris – 31st
Joshua Fletcher – 38th
Josh Neervoort reflected on the intensity of the event, saying: “It was a super fun event. The back-to-back nature of the race meant you couldn’t afford to make mistakes and had to be on top of your recovery between races.”
Christophe Gardner added: “Great fun, but quite hard.” – we feel that!
Asia Triathlon Cup – Subic Bay (3 May)
Just one day later, Samuel Mileham flew the WA flag at the Asia Triathlon Cup in Subic Bay, Philippines, finishing in an impressive 6th place among a competitive field of international elites. Known for its hot and humid conditions, Subic Bay’s standard distance course is a true test for all athletes.
“Overjoyed with this result,” said Mileham. “I believed, trusted the process, and gave it my all. It was one of those rare days where everything just clicked.”
Representing Singapore in the women’s field was WA athlete Herlene Yu, who showed incredible determination by finishing the standard distance race despite battling a fever and throat infection. Her experience is a powerful reminder of the perseverance required in triathlon, and that sometimes it’s okay to pivot your goals when things don’t go to plan.
“My goals immediately shifted and all I wanted was to finish the race. There were countless times where I wanted to walk off the course, but the desire to avoid a DNF outweighed all the negative thoughts. It wasn’t pretty, but I’m proud of myself for finishing in the infamous 34-degree Subic heat.”
Triathlon WA congratulates all athletes on their efforts and results. We’re proud to see WA athletes stepping up on the Oceania and Asian stages, racing hard, learning from each experience, and continuing their development in the elite and U23 ranks.