Gooding confirms no Rainbow Cup in 2020

AFTER weeks of deliberation, organiser Jason Gooding said the Rainbow Cup, scheduled to take place on June 13 has been “postponed” because of the covid19 pandemic.

Gooding told Newsday, on Wednesday, the annual triathlon, at Turtle Beach in Tobago, will not be held in this year.

He said even if life gets back to some sort of normalcy, over the next month, there is too much uncertainty surrounding the event.

“I just feel that even though when things get opened up (it will be difficult). We are supposed to be a month away from this event (and) people still are not sure if things are going to resume (as normal), if they are going to get back out to train, if the pools are going to be open. Even though if it opens up I don’t think people are going to be mentally ready for it, financially ready for it.”

Hundreds of local, regional and international senior and junior athletes were anticipating the 16th staging of the annual Rainbow Cup. Jason Costelloe and Jenna Ross are the current defending men’s and women’s TT winners as the event serves as the national championships.

On hearing the news, Ross said, “It’s a great event. I guess under these circumstances of the pandemic it’s not abnormal (to cancel it).”

Asked what is special about the Rainbow Cup, Ross said, “Definitely the location, it is probably one of the more difficult Olympic distance courses I have ever done in the Caribbean or internationally...it is close to home so there is not a lot of preparation for travel and so on and the lure of the national title as well is always good too.”

The national champion was disappoined saying, “I am really sad to hear that it has been cancelled.”

The Rainbow Cup includes several categories comprising an Olympic triathlon relay, a sprint triathlon relay, Olympic triathlon, sprint triathlon and a 5K run/walk.

The much-anticipated event caters for young athletes competing in the triathlon’s 7-9, 10-12 and 13-15 age groups leading to a family atmosphere as parents, siblings and other family members accompany the athletes.

Athletes from around the world travel to Tobago for the meet. The top ten finishers in the Olympic triathlon distance last year included participants from TT, Jamaica, USA, Canada and France.

Some of the event’s sponsors were also uncertain if they were willing to support.

On the sponsorship, Gooding said, “I understand and I agree with them. Whether I do this event I am going to have to spend that money to make the event as good as it always is and then I risk doing that and only getting 20 people showing up for the event.”

The sponsors which we were on board this year included: the TT Triathlon Federation, Massy, Blue Waters and Mount Irvine Bay Resort.

Grafton Beach Resort has been a partner of the event for almost the entire 15-year history of the Rainbow Cup.

Gooding thanked Grafton Beach Resort saying, “We are still eternally grateful for all the support that they have given us over the years because they have really helped us a lot.”

Gooding said although the next Rainbow Cup will be held on June 12, 2021, he views the 2020 event as being postponed to next year and not cancelled. He said having the event at the end of 2020 may not be possible.

“Similar to the (2020) Olympics, they did not cancel the Olympics they are going to have it, but just next year…I am looking at weather conditions and the whole hotel industry.

“We have always had this race outside of tourism season because we then get support from the hotels.”

Speaking more about the weather in the latter stages of the year and how it impacts the water Gooding said, “When you start to move into the hurricane season the water just becomes unpredictable (and) it rains every day.”