from triathlon Ireland website Another great race from Emma, and another leap towards Beijing. Please read on for a details and a report from Emma. All photos used with kind permission of the ITU Media and TV department for triathlon Ireland.
Emma Davis had her best result of the year this weekend in Korea, with a tenth place in the Tongyeong World Cup. Conditions were poor, with high winds. Owing to safety concerns the bike turnaround was moved back to avoid an exposed bridge, shortening the bike leg by 2.5km to 37.5 kilometres.
The race started with a fast swim, with a Korean athlete and two others making a small break. Emma had her usual strong swim and exited in the main pack, on the bike they quickly bridged the gap up to the leaders. The bike was a tough five-lap course, with some steep hills. Despite efforts from some of the stronger riders no breaks were made and a group of sixteen came into transition two, and headed out onto the run course together. Emma. running strongly, held onto eighth place up until the 7km mark, but dropped back slightly. She ended the day with a personal best tenth place at the line, also with a run PB of 35:51.
With Emma’s three races races of 2008 and her continually improving results, she’s within striking distance of a Beijing qualification position. Emma’s currently in 83rd place, and within 120 points of the last person on the qualification simulation. Emma races next weekend in Richards Bay World Cup, South Africa, and then onto the European Championships in Lisbon, Portugal, on the 10 May.
Race report from Emma
Writing this I am sitting in my rather strange hotel room in Korea. It is odd for lots of reasons; the half used tooth paste: the multiple pairs of plastic slippers: the millions of duvet covers they give you but no sheets and the tiny tiny towels, but mainly it is weird because I have a round bed – whoever says triathlon isn’t an exciting sport obviously hasn’t stayed in the Tongyeong World Cup race hotel!
Today I managed 10th place, a new pb.
It is surprisingly cold and windy in Korea for this time of year. So windy in-fact that they had to shorten the bike course as one section was over a bridge that would have had a serious cross wind and would have been too dangerous.
I had swum on the course on Thursday and Friday and decided not to do a swim warm up before the race today. The water was officially 15 degrees but it felt more like 13. If I get cold it is game over in the swim for me, I just don’t warm up so I opted for lots of arm swings and band work as opposed to venturing into the water. By swimming the course the previous two days I had worked out that there was quite a strong current and thus it was beneficial to start at the far end of the pontoon. I managed to get the second slot in. This worked out well and I exited the water after 1500m in 3rd place, 10 seconds clear of the chasing pack.
The bike course was very hilly and two main packs quickly formed. Despite numerous attempts to break it up, the group I was in stayed as one and we went onto the run as a group of 16. For about 7km I held onto 8th place, I gave it everything I had but had to settle for 10th. I was aiming for top 12 so am very pleased with the outcome. The points it will provide me with will be a great help for my Olympic quest.
I am home early tomorrow morning and then its out to Richards Bay, South Africa on Wednesday for the next race.
Best of luck to you all of you for the races that are quickly approaching!
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