Triathlete Tyler Smith is aiming to start his racing season with a spot on the podium at the Africa Triathlon Premium Cup Swakopmund on Saturday.

Smith is following the same path he took in 2023 when he raced in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The Bermudian skipped the Africa Triathlon Cup at Troutbeck, Zimbabwe, and will be heading to South Africa after Namibia.

On Saturday, the Olympian is part of 28 entrants in the men’s elite, with other athletes from Barbados, Canada, Great Britain, the United States, Greece, Israel, Germany, Kazakhstan, Ireland, Tunisia, Poland, South Africa and the host nation.

“I would love to be on the podium,” Smith told The Royal Gazette.

“Throughout the year that’s a goal for me is to be on the podium at an international race. Whether it can happen on the first one, I think I’m approaching this really with the sense of just executing a clean race and just getting back into the rhythm of things.

“Let’s see what we can execute with a good winter behind us. The trip is really worthwhile if we can just get a good clean race and walk away with some points.

“Regardless of what the finish number is, it’s more about me personally executing the race. I’ve laid out my plan and I've discussed it with my coaches.”

The 27-year-old has only done one World Triathlon race since the Paris Olympics due to injury and is determined to cover lost ground on the global standings.

“I had 2025 completely off and the back end of 2024 completely off, so I’ve lost so many of my race results,” Smith said.

“The points that you get for those race results now have me ranked outside of the top 400 in the world. What I really need to focus on at the beginning of the year is my world ranking.

“Olympic qualification starts in May so I can race the World Cup and World Series races that I need to get Olympic points.

“You can’t really do that if you're ranked where I am now. It’s a good opportunity for me to come out here, hopefully, get some points.

“It’s still a tough field but it gives me a chance to race at this stage. I probably wouldn’t have gotten into any European cups and just the spots at such a competitive level.

“Right now if you take 18 months off racing you’re back to square one and there’s like really limited opportunities to get in races.”

After making his long-awaited return to international racing at the World Triathlon Cup in Brazil at the end of last year, the Olympian has been working hard at his new base in Girona, Spain.

“The training’s been some of the best work I’ve put in,” he said.

“I really feel like I’ve transformed over the last months to take what I’ve learnt over the last years and apply that and live my life as a professional athlete.

“I’ve a very rigorous approach and very focused on what I’ve been doing day in, day out for the last three months based in Spain.

“Being with such a high-level group, the standard is just so high on a daily basis. It’s taken an incredible amount of focus for me just to almost get through the training.

“Over the winter I brought some new people on to my team and started working with a nutritionist. I’m starting with mental skills, starting with a physiotherapist on a weekly basis and I think that’s all combined, hopefully, to give me a chance at a good result.”