Bermuda secure gold medals at Carifta triathlon
Bermuda’s athletes flexed their muscles with several podium displays at the Carifta Triathlon and Aquathlon Championships in Trinidad & Tobago on Saturday.
The island’s contingent captured six medals, including two gold, and also made a clean sweep of the podium in the 11-12 girls triathlon.
Defending champion Naomi MacGuinness retained her title after winning the 11-12 girls triathlon in 21min 51sec, with team-mates Colette Durkin (21:36) and Iris Duda (21:49) claiming the silver and bronze to complete the impressive sweep.
Rory Shepherd also had the honour of standing on top of the podium after leading the 13-15 boys field across the line in 33:16 to secure the gold medal.
Team-mate Dylan Eiselt claimed the silver medal in the same event in 33:43, while narrowly missing out on the podium was defending champion Sanchez Smith, who crossed in fourth in 34:37.
It was also a proud moment for Riana Robinson, who earned the bronze medal in the 13-15 girls event in 39:14.
Also achieving top five showings were Jackson Langley, Sofia Leclerc and Evelyn Fahy.
Langley (1:08:58) was fifth in the 16-19 boys event, a feat matched by Leclerc (39:38) and Fahy (22:50) in the 13-15 girls and 11-12 girls triathlon.
Producing top-ten showings were Gianluca Bortoli, Carina Bortoli, Ella Shepherd, Jasper Lau, Ethan Smith, Rohan Roopra, Madison Schindel, Zara Bule, Isla Cooze, Maxwell Williams and Madeleine Friend.
Gianluca Bortoli (1:10:19) was tenth in the 16-19 boys triathlon, Carina Bortoli (1:30:20) and Shepherd (1:32:50) sixth and seventh in the 16-19 girls event.
Lau (36:01), Roopra (37:00) and Smith were seventh, ninth and tenth in the 13-15 boys event, Schindel (40:33), Bule (40:58) and Cooze (41:53) sixth, seventh and ninth in the 13-15 girls competition.
Williams (21:51) finished tenth in the 11-12 boys event and Friend (24:09) seventh in the 11-12 girls triathlon.
Bermuda’s athletes are also scheduled to compete in the Aquathlon on the second and final day of the championships in the Caribbean on Sunday.