Gqeberha-born Jamie Riddle will debut in the Isuzu Ironman SA African Championship at Pollok Beach, Gqeberha on March 30.
The event has been confirmed as one of six Ironman triathlons to form part of the prestigious Pro Series this year, with major names already confirmed to race along with former Grey High star Riddle.
Riddle, 24, already has an Olympic Games under his belt, as well as a World Triathlon African Championship title.
He raced his first Ironman 70,3 triathlon last year in Western Australia, where he clinched the second spot on the podium, and will no doubt be looking to go one further in his hometown.
Riddle follows in the footsteps of his father, Alec Riddle, who is an age-group Ironman 70.3 World Champion (2011), and has raced more than 50 Ironman 70.3 races.
Jamie, who himself started with Ironkids SA and worked his way up to winning the Isuzu Corporate Triathlon Challenge and now makes his full Ironman debut in the same city, is looking to match his father’s achievements.
Both Alec and the event have had big influences on Jamie’s career, so it’s set to be a special debut for him in Nelson Mandela Bay this year.
Even with home advantage, Riddle can expect fierce competition with 2023 world champion Sam Laidlow from France also confirmed to race.
Laidlow, who did not finish in Nelson Mandela Bay in 2021, will be looking for redemption on this course and validate his starting place at this year’s Ironman World Championship.
Two-time Ironman World Championship podium finisher Magnus Ditlev from Denmark, fellow Olympian Marten van Reel from Belgium, and multiple Ironman champion, American Matt Hanson will also act as threats for the young South African.
The race will also feature a strong cohort of female professional athletes, who have yet to announce they will be racing.
A full start list will be published ahead of the race.
Professional athletes will be racing for a share of the $175,000 (R3,2m) event prize purse, one of five slots per gender to the 2025 Ironman World Championship, and the title of Ironman African Champion.
New this year, athletes will also be racing for all-important Pro Series points.
The Pro Series, which is in its second year, is a performance-based world series where professional athletes race against each other for points and prize money in a bid to become Pro Series champion and take home a share of a USD $1.7m (R31,3m) in year-end bonus pool payouts.
There will be a total of 5,000 points up for grabs, with one point deducted for every second behind the winner, making for tight and exciting racing.
The 20th anniversary of the championship will be showcased to a global audience as it will be broadcast for free across multiple platforms, including proseries.ironman.com, DAZN and l’Équipe in France, putting Nelson Mandela Bay in the global triathlon spotlight.
Also taking place across the weekend will be the 5150 Nelson Mandela Bay, the Corporate Triathlon Challenge and the return of Ironkids SA making for an action-packed weekend of racing.
Entries for the championship are open for age-group registrations with age-group athletes able to race on the same course as the professionals. — The Ironman Group
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