Rhodes University student Natalie Ross, returned to Grahamstown this week with an age-group duathlon world championship gold medal.
Ross won the 20-24 age category and was 12th woman overall in the age-group champs.
Rhodes University student Natalie Ross, returned to Grahamstown this week with an age-group duathlon world championship gold medal.
Ross won the 20-24 age category and was 12th woman overall in the age-group champs.
The 2013 International Triathlon Union (ITU) Duathlon World Championships took place in Ottawa, Canada. Events held at the champs included U23, Junior, Paraduathlon and Age-Group races. Natalie represented Triathlon South Africa in her category after finishing second in the South African Duathlon Championships in Potchefstroom in May.
Speaking to Grocott's Mail after a tiring 48-hour trip from Canada, Ross said she was still feeling “pretty overwhelmed” with her new title – but “ecstatic” to win the gold in the event she had been working towards for the past few years.
The world champs age-group events were raced over the duathlon distances: a 10km run, 40km cycle and finishing with a 5km run.
Since her selection to the SA team, Ross said she had been focusing a lot more on the cycling, which she admitted was her weaker of the two disciplines. She said buying a time trial bicycle had also helped her in her quest for a faster time.
“It makes a huge difference,” she said.
Apart from the four to five cycling sessions a week, Ross also put extra effort into her running – up to six sessions a week. She paid tribute to Rhodes Athletics Club coach Antonio Blom for her improved running times, pointing to his extra speed sessions and strength training.
Ross is doing her masters in human kinetics and ergonomics.
Earlier in the year, Ross was selected for the world triathlon championships. She had planned to take part in this event, but age-group athletes must cover full trip expenses themselves and Ross wasn't in a position to do so.
After she had such a good race at the national championships, Ross decided to focus on the duathlon world champs. She said she'd got financial support from Rhodes University and the university's Sports Administration.
Ross said she'd hoped to get a medal, but did not expect the win. She took the silver medal in the same age group in the 2011 world duathlon champs.
This is the fourth world championship event Ross has competed in. She took part in the triathlon world champs in 2010 and 2012.
In the first five kilometres of the first run, Ross was around 100m behind the leading group of seven women runners.
Within the final few kilometres Ross began reeling in a few athletes and, going into transition and beginning the cycle leg, realised she was leading her age category. She said she'd got used to be caught on the bicycle leg, but this time she was determined to hang on to her lead.
In the final few kilometres of the cycle, she knew she was still leading her category, but wasn't sure by how much. Once she began the last 5km run she knew gold was in her grasp.
"I ran the final 5km as hard as possible,” she said.
As she approached the finish, Ross heard the commentator announce her as world champion in her age group.
She had completed the course in two hours, 13 minutes and 55 seconds, with a 39:21 10km run, 1:11:47 for the 40km cycle and a 20:42 for the final 5km run.
Ross was also the first South African age-group athlete to finish, followed by former Grahamstown resident Naomi Nel (25-29) in 2:20:08.
To celebrate Ross's gold medal success, Rhodes Sports Administration held a tea in her honour yesterday.
The chairperson of the Rhodes Athletics Club and a member of the Rhodes Squash Club, will be competing in the round-the-block relay during Intervarsity in Port Elizabeth today, before returning her focus to the upcoming triathlon season.
