Bahrain Endurance 13’s Tokyo 2020 hopefuls kick off their season this weekend in the Asia-Pacific region with races in Singapore and in Australia.
Ashleigh Gentle, Ben Kanute, and Vincent Luis are set to race the Grand Final of the Super League Triathlon series in Singapore on Saturday and Sunday. They will be racing for a part of the total prize purse of USD $1.5 million amid fierce competition from the world’s best athletes over formats and courses that will push them to their limits.
Gentle, who missed the previous two SLT races in Malta and Mallorca, will be looking to improve her current 14th place ranking and secure a guaranteed contract for next season. Kanute’s last race in Mallorca did not end well as he sustained an injury that prematurely ended his 2018 racing season. He will seek retribution in Singapore. Luis is currently the men’s series leader having secured overall wins in Jersey, Malta, and Mallorca. In his debut race as a member of the Bahrain Endurance 13, Luis will aim to lock down the top spot and lift the championship trophy high.
Lauren Parker is racing the Newcastle ITU Paratriathlon Oceania Championships on Sunday. It is a race she has deep ties to: not only did she help design the course for what will be the first paratriathlon event to be held in Newcastle and the Hunter Region, but it is also held in conjunction with the Sparke Helmore Newcastle City Triathlon, an event she had raced a number of times as an able-bodied triathlete.
Parker adds, “The Oceania Championships are also very significant for me. It was at last year’s edition of the event held in St. Kilda where I had my first taste of paratriathlon racing, finishing second and securing my place on the Australian team to compete at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
“I’ve come a long way since this debut race and hopefully I can set myself up for another successful season with a good performance in Newcastle.”
