British professional triathlete Emma Pallant is itching to get back to competitive again as she prepares to line up against some strong competitors in the pro field of the PEople’s Triathlon this weekend.
A new champion will be crowned in the women’s pro field after it was confirmed that defending champion Natia van Heerden would not be taking to the start line.
However, Pallant will still have to work hard if she is to come away with victory in the 70.3 style race which gets under way from Hobie Beach on Sunday morning.
She will have to beat the likes of Annah Watkinson, Magda Niewoudt, Mariella Sawyer and Jade Nicole if she is to take the top step of the podium and a share of the professional prize purse of $15,000 (R235,117) sponsored by the Professional Triathletes Organisation. .
Pallant said she was excited to be back and racing in the Bay, having last raced in Port Elizabeth at the 2018 Isuzu Ironman World Championships.
“I’ve got lots of good memories of racing in Nelson Mandela Bay, it was a really strong field and the racing was just great to see such a strong field of athletes all competing together.
“This race, albeit a bit smaller, will be quite challenging and the strong field will certainly urge each athlete to give their all out on course,” she said on Wednesday.
“I remember being a little bit back on the swim, so it was a hard day of racing on the bike and the wind, it was a real head wind going one way and then a fast tail wind coming back.
“So, it felt like a race of two halves and I am definitely aware that the wind can play be a factor.
“It’s also quite a flat fast run, I really enjoyed it. The atmosphere when Worlds were held was great and obviously it will be little bit quieter this time but still some good, hard racing,” she said.
This will be her first competitive race back and being based in Johannesburg where she stays with her fiancé Jaryd Browne, she has made the most of her training time and has been using the highveld conditions to her advantage.
Pallant said she was using this race to gauge her training progress as she prepares for the Professional Triathletes Organisation Championships at Challenge Daytona next month.
“We first heard of the race about four weeks ago. Since Daytona was announced, I was pretty determined to be there.
“I have been training with a good friend of mine, Jade Nicole, who will also be racing in the pro women’s field on Sunday, and we have been pushing each other really hard for the last six weeks or so,” Pallant, who turned professional in 2013, said.
Pallant said the swim could be a key factor for her in both Sunday’s race as well as next month at Daytona.
HeraldLIVE
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