Bitados and Klamer triumph at Africa Cup Swakopmund

Triathlon
Anri Krugel, Nathan Chase and Maja Brinkmann were among the host nation's strongest performers.
Brian Munango
  • 5 Days Ago
Greece's race favourite Panagiotis Bitados and the Netherlands' Rachel Klamer clinched victory in the elite men's and women's races at the Africa Triathlon Cup held in Swakopmund on Saturday.

Bitados, the reiging European champion, delivered a stellar performance, securing the top spot ahead of the German duo Justus Nieschlag (second), and Valentin Wernz.

Panagiotis was already first out of the water in the swim leg and despite the two Germans fighting fiercely during the cycling leg, he held on to his lead to win in 55 minutes 30 seconds.

In the women's elite race, Klamer showcased her prowess by leading the field. South Africa's Bridget Theunissen earned the silver position, while Germany's Finja Schierl completed the podium in third place.

Namibia's own Anri Krugel delivered a commendable performance, finishing fifth with a time of 1 hour, 10 minutes, and 21 seconds.

Reflecting on her race, Krugel remarked: "It was very tough out there, pretty hot. It was pretty challenging, especially with the run."

Looking ahead, Krugal mentioned her focus on road cycling – in which she is the current national champion – and expressed her satisfaction in representing Namibia at the event.

The competition drew approximately 120 triathletes from eleven countries, including Namibia, Finland, Austria, Mauritius, the USA, Netherlands, Greece, Japan, Kenya, South Africa, and Germany.

The event featured both sprint and super-sprint formats. The sprint consisted of a 750-metre swim, a 20-kilometre cycle, and a 5-kilometre run, while the super-sprint was contested over a 350-metre swim, a 10-kilometre cycle, and a 2.5-kilometre run.



Junior men’s results

In the junior men’s race (sprint distance), South Africa’s Nicholas Horne emerged victorious, completing the race in 1 hour, 16 seconds. He was followed by compatriot Antony Clayton (1:01:36).

For the second year in a row, Namibia’s Nathan Chase secured a well-deserved third place with a time of 1:01:41, as the best performer for the host nation.

Other Namibian results from the race included Matt Reece Izaaks, ninth in 1:09:25, and Johannes Jacob Langford, who was 11th in 1:11:03.



Junior women’s results

In the junior women’s sprint race, South Africa’s Lomé Gouws claimed first place with a strong time of 1:08:18.

Kadence Ribbink, also from South Africa, finished second in 1:09:59. Namibia’s Maja Brinkmann secured a podium position, finishing third just like last year in 1:12:54.

Other notable performances included South Africa’s Karli Lotter, who finished fourth in 1:13:25, and Yanelisa Nomoyi, who completed the race in 1:29:26.

The Africa Triathlon Cup in Swakopmund again provided a thrilling competition hosted by the Namibia Triathlon Federation, which also underscored the region's growing significance in the international triathlon community.

With athletes from diverse nations converging in Namibia, the event celebrated both athletic excellence and cultural exchange.