Triathlete Costelloe starts 2018 on a high

LOCAL TRIATHLETE Jason Costelloe has been showing good form this far, with a gold medal as well as a bronze medal to show for his efforts in the 2018 multi-sport race season.

Last Sunday, Costelloe dominated the fifth and final race (a sprint duathlon) of the OAW Evolution Multi-sport series, which was held along the Diego Martin Highway.

“I led the series from start, completing the events with one first place, two second place, and one third place finish. This consistency gave me the advantage over Jassette Broomfield from Jamaica, who finished second, 10 points behind me, and Kelvin Johnson in third place from Guyana,” he said.

Costelloe added, “Sunday’s final event was no walk in the park, with challenging windy and rainy conditions and a hungry field trying to get as much points for the finale. I needed only a top four finish to secure the championships and that was the main goal.”

The sprint duathlon race comprised a 4.4-km run, a 22km ride, and a 2.2 km run. “The race got off to a quick start with Jassette and Kelvin determined to make their mark, and indeed they did. They opened a gap on the first leg to nearly one minute 45 seconds. Within the 22 km ride, I managed to catch both athletes and gain a minor 15-second lead. Into the final 2.2 km run, I was caught within the final 1 km of the race by both experienced runners. In the end, I finished around 45 seconds behind first place and a minor five seconds behind second. But with this podium finish, the overall series win was mine which was the main goal.”

Costelloe began his season with a third-place finish at the AUA Rohrman Antigua International Triathlon on February 16.

He was the lone Trinidad and Tobago representative at the event, which included professionals David Hauss from France who placed fourth at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and Andrea Hewitt of New Zealand who was seventh at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

According to Costelloe, “The swim started how it always does for me, a bit slow as this is not my strong point. I did get out of the water with the third fastest male swim time and a further four minutes ahead of the fourth place.”

During the cycling phase, “I quickly got settled in and found a very nice rhythm for the entire distance, not losing any positions and gaining some precious time on the front cyclist. I managed to clock the fifth fastest ride time with everyone separated within a few minutes.”

And, in the final stanza (run), “I was then in a comfortable third place and decided to find a suitable pace that I was able to hold for the entire 10km and not slow down. In the end I was able to get on the podium clocking the third fastest male for the day.”

Among his sponsors are Beacon Insurance, GNC Trinidad and Tridium Caribbean Limited.

Costelloe will turn his attention towards the Texas Ironman 70.3 on April 8, where he will compete against a field of over 2,000 participants from across the globe.

Other major events on his 2018 calendar include the Caribbean Triathlon Championships in Miami on May 20, the National Triathlon Championships in June, the National MTB Championships in July and the National Duathlon Championships in September.