Ross ready for another crack at Rainbow crown

NATIONAL triathlete Jenna Ross is ready for another crack at the women’s Olympic Distance crown when the 2018 Massy Rainbow Cup takes off on Saturday at the scenic Turtle Beach, Black Rock, Tobago. Rainbow Cup is one of the most popular triathlon races in the Caribbean and attracts competitors from Europe, South America and North America.

The Olympic distance is a gruelling test with participants completing 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run. The Sprint distance is less demanding, featuring 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run. Ross, who featured at the Commonwealth Games in Australia in April, is one of Trinidad and Tobago’s top triathletes and a regular competitor at Rainbow Cup. She has dominated her local rivals but this year she intends to win her division outright. In 2017, Ross was 12th overall, third among females and first among local female triathletes with a time of two hours, 32 minutes and 49 seconds.

In a recent telephone interview, Ross said, “This will be my sixth year doing the race and my fourth attempt at getting the Championship title for Trinidad and Tobago.”

As far as her plans are concerned, Ross said, “Preparations have been going pretty steady. I’ve been on a training programme that my coach Ben Stein has me on.”

She added, “I’m just going through the motions and looking forward to see how the coaching has hopefully (rectified) my problems.”

Ross has been working with the American-born Stein for the past eight years.

The 32-year-old expects a tough battle, with the course and the competitors, on Saturday.

“I’m hoping for the best,” she said. “The field is always very competitive. It is quite a technical course. It’s not the easiest of Olympic distances. It will be a challenge but I hope everything works out well,” Ross ended.