Clermont Challenge – USA’s Launchpad for Triathlon’s Best Talent
Two TriNation Podcast guests sprang into action this week-end taking victories at the 2022 Clermont Draft-Legal Challenge, USA’S launchpad for Triathlon’s Best Talent.
And it was international athletes in the shape of GB’s young gun Daniel Dixon in the men’s event and Dutch starlet Barbara de Koning in the women’s event who took the honours in the Super Sprint Elite Cup showing a clean pair of heels to the American entourage down the blue carpet to the winning tape.
The race venue located inside of the Lake Louisa State Park and offered an ideal place for a draft legal race. Just a short drive from Orlando, Lake Louisa State Park is noted for its six beautiful lakes, rolling hills, and scenic landscapes.
The 2022 Clermont Super Sprint Elite Cup saw USA and international elite athletes training in the USA in March 2022, spring into action over a 375-meter swim, 10-kilometre bike and 2.5-kilometre run. The event had a $5,000 prize purse (5 deep each for males and females) that was funded by USA Triathlon.
In the women’s event there was some tough competitors in the starting line-up for Netherlands Barbara de Koning – the youngest competitor in Edmonton’s U23 World Championship race – particularly from the Canadian contingent with Dominika Jamnicky, who was the alternate for the Canadian team at the Olympics last summer and her fellow compatriot Kira Gupta-Baltazar who prevailed in her NCAA women’s triathlon championships debut.
But it was Netherlands Barbara de Koning – the youngest competitor in Edmonton’s U23 World Championship race – who used all her international experience to take Gold following a sprint finish with Jamnicky, who took sliver with Gupta-Baltazar, who had exited the water first, taking home the bronze.
PODCAST: Barbara de Koning of Netherlands who’s dominating the junior triathlon scene
Next it was the strong American contingent who’s party was to be spoilt by another European with a dominating display by Great Britains Daniel Dixon who won by quite a considerable margin for a sprint race over Americans, Andrew Shellenberger (2nd) and Luis Ortiz (3rd).
Whilst the swim was a relatively close affair the bike leg saw Dixon and Shellengerger take to the front and pull away from the chasing pack. Out of T2 and Dixon showed Shellengerger and the rest of the field a clean pair of heels as he romped home by over 20 seconds to take the gold.
Exclusive Interview: An Insight Into Junior GB Star Dixon
Northumberland-based British triathlete, Daniel Dixon, is supported by the Sir John Hanson Young Talent Scholarship programme on his journeys to strive to compete for Team England. Dixon, 19, is a 3 x British Youth Triathlon Champion, 2 x Super League Youth Triathlon Champion and is also one of only a few athletes to have won a Riga ETU European Cup at the age of just 16.
PODCAST: Daniel Dixon chats about his first 70.3 race as an 18-year-old finishing as 6th male pro.
Results:
Clermont Elite Super Sprint Cup – Men
Clermont Elite Super Sprint Cup – Women
