Melilla hosted the European Sprint & Relay Championships over the weekend, featuring elite, junior, and mixed relay races to test some of Europe’s best athletes. A total of seven Team Ireland athletes travelled to represent Ireland, with four competing in junior and senior individual events on Saturday before taking on Sunday’s Mixed Team Relay, which was a key focus for Team Ireland.
Team Ireland put in a determined performance for the European Mixed Elite Relay Championships, finishing in 11th place on Sunday morning to secure Ireland’s highest mixed relay ranking to date. The team’s efforts earned valuable points and placed Ireland 17th in the world rankings – a significant step towards the team’s long-term goals for the relay as they set their sights on next season and the beginning of the Olympic qualification period.
Speaking on the team’s ambitions, Olympian & National Triathlon Centre coach Russell White shared, “We were limited with only three relay events this season; Abu Dhabhi, Hamburg and Melilla back-to-back, but with opportunities next season – perhaps five relays – we can test out different teams and see what works best going into the LA qualification.”
After a challenging Saturday with individual racing, Hollie Elliot, James Edgar, Elizabeth Carr and Russell White set out to work together as a team to improve on last year’s 13th-place finish.
Hollie Elliott got the team off to a solid start in leg one with a strong performance, setting up her teammates. James Edgar took over from Elliott, keeping the momentum going and delivering a strong run to give Elizabeth Carr a gap as she headed into the swim. Competing in her first international race of the season, Carr delivered a solid leg against intense competition to handover to Russell White for the final leg of the relay. With the team fighting for 10th – 13th place, White took a tactical appoach and used his experience to bring the team home just outside of the top 10, pushing until the final moment with a neck-and-neck sprint finish against Slovakia.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Russell shared, “Anything ahead of [P13] was always going to be the target. Coming away with 11th – we’re slowly going in the right direction, and it’s been another move forward this year with the relay team.”
National Triathlon Centre athletes Senan McDonnell and Mathys Bocquet were the first in action on Saturday morning in the Junior Men’s race, after qualifying through their selection race in June at Schull Centra Fastnet Triathlon in Cork with podium finishes. McDonnell was also building on his P17 finish at the European Junior Cup in Wels last month, while Bocquet carried international momentum from Caorle (19th) and Holten (23rd).
Bocquet and McDonnell took to the start line in the challenging 33-degree heat, with Senan McDonnell finishing in P38. Senan delivered an outstanding swim and bike combination, showcasing a determined performance in the first pack on the bike course.
Mathys pushed through a tough race, but was unfortunately forced to retire during the run.
The juniors gained valuable experience amongst Europe’s best – all crucial for their development as they build towards moving up to U23 & senior elite level racing.
Hollie Elliott made her senior individual championship debut for Ireland on Saturday, after joining the Mixed Team Relay the previous week in Hamburg. Following a challenging start to the race Elliott pulled up during the run, shifting focus to Sunday morning and being a key player in the Mixed Team Relay.
Saturday evening brought together a competitive Elite Men’s field, with James Edgar returning to the start line following his appearance in Hamburg. James battled through the fast and technical course to cross the finish line in 40th place, and quickly shifted his focus towards the relay race, where he delivered a strong run, helping set up the second half of the team for a P11 finish.
Full Results can be found HERE
Meanwhile, Luke McCarron finished in 26th place in Montreal at the Americas Triathlon Cup, after two back-to-back weekends of racing. McCarron headed into the race ready to build on his P31 finish in Magog the previous week.
Battling 29-degree heat, McCarron’s performance clocked an overall finish time of 00:53:06.
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