Zimbabwe’s junior triathlon prospects delivered an emphatic performance at the Bonaqua Africa Triathlon Cup Troutbeck, with Zander Botha claiming gold and Callum Smith securing silver in the junior men’s race, as the duo set their sights on qualification for the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics.
Competing at the high-altitude Troutbeck Resort in Nyanga, Botha led a strong Zimbabwean showing by finishing ahead of eight other competitors to take the top spot, while Smith completed a memorable one-two finish for the hosts. South Africa’s Russell Theron rounded off the podium with bronze.
Botha said the victory against a field that included international athletes had strengthened his confidence ahead of upcoming continental competitions.
“Winning simply means that I am able to compete even against international athletes,” he said. “It also helps me with my confidence in future big races like these in other countries so I can represent my country.”
The Zimbabwean junior champion added that his triumph at Troutbeck would not be his last, revealing plans to continue building momentum in the next leg of the circuit.
“I have said to myself that this is not my last time winning this event, so I am eyeing to win again in my next competition in the Swakopmund Junior Triathlon Cup on March 21, this time chasing a faster time rather than just a position,” Botha said.
The strong showing by Botha and Smith has boosted Zimbabwe’s hopes of assembling a competitive team for the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar next year, with the pair now targeting consistent performances across the junior triathlon circuit to improve their rankings.
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Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s Rachel O’Donoghue produced one of the most impressive performances of the weekend after finishing third in the elite women’s race despite being only 16.O’Donoghue stepped up from the junior category to compete among senior athletes and still emerged as the top-ranked junior in the race, underlining her growing reputation as one of the country’s most promising triathletes.
“I think it was a really fun experience for me and fun to race against girls much stronger, which was really enjoyable,” she said.
“I just missed the wheels on the bike, but I think in the end I was still in the race.”
Germany’s Jule Behrens also acknowledged the challenging race conditions, saying the cold and wet weather made the competition particularly demanding.
“It was very hard due to the bad weather but I managed to overcome some of the best athletes and I am happy for that,” she said.
The performances come as athletes across the continent begin building towards the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics, which will run from October 31 to November 13, 2026, in Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly in Senegal. The event will mark the first Olympic competition to be staged on the African continent, bringing together about 2,700 young athletes from around the world.
With momentum from Troutbeck, Botha, Smith and O’Donoghue will now shift their attention to upcoming continental races as they pursue qualification and preparation for Dakar 2026.
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