Costelloe, Ross want juniors to venture into Olympic distance

NATIONAL triathlon champions Jason Costelloe and Jenna Ross want to see more of the TT junior triathletes stepping up to the challenge of the Olympic distance in the coming years.

Costelloe and Ross have been dominating the Olympic distance for years among local athletes at the Massy Rainbow Cup, in Tobago. At the 15th edition of the event yesterday, Costelloe made it a hat-trick of titles when he won the men’s TT title in 2:18:41 and Ross made it five straight in the women’s TT category in a time of 2:41:32.

Over the years, the TT juniors have competed at a high level in the shorter sprint triathlon including victories for two junior athletes, yesterday. Troy Llanos, 16, won the men’s crown, while Rachel Grosberg, 18, claimed the women’s title. Logan Raymond, Jean-Marc Granderson, Liam Trepte, Kristin Scott, Ashleigh Scott and Amy Pounder are among the top juniors in the sport between 16 and 19 currently.

In the Olympic distance athletes are required to complete a 1.5K swim, a 40K ride and a 10K run and in the sprint triathlon competitors must attempt a 750m swim, 20K ride and a 5K run.

Yesterday, after the event, Costelloe, 34, said he wanted some of the juniors to transition into the Olympic distance in the future. “I definitely hope so, because that is where the future is. I was happy to see that this year Hayden Reid who was an upcoming junior (competing)…this was his first year in the Olympic (distance) so I had my eyes on him going into this event.”

Reid, 20, finished eighth overall and third among the TT men.

“For his first Olympic he did very well. I do hope that encourages other junior athletes to start to venture into the Olympic distance, step up and give us older folks some good competition, so I am looking forward to that.”

Ross, 33, thinks this country can be represented at the Olympics in the future. “I am hoping (they can move up to the Olympic distance), the young girls especially are very, very talented and I definitely welcome it. I think we have quite the brood of young individuals coming up in triathlon and I hope TT can represent at the Olympics soon.”

Yesterday’s Rainbow Cup also included triathletes competing in the 7 to 9, 10 to 12 and 13 to 15 youth age groups.