After coming 6th at this year’s Isuzu IRONMAN African Championship in Nelson Mandela Bay; South Africa’s professional triathlete, Jade Nicole Roberts, heads to Europe to take on IRONMAN Kärnten-Klagenfurt, Austria this Sunday.
Ahead of travelling to Europe in preparation to take on this year’s IRONMAN Kärnten-Klagenfurt, Austria, Jade Nicole Roberts shares, “The reason I signed up for IRONMAN Austria is that I saw how beautiful the course looked and knew that it would suit my racing style. I’ve also never been to Austria before so it’s a beautiful opportunity to see a new country and culture.”
Known as one of the most beautiful races in the world, IRONMAN Kärnten-Klagenfurt, Austria has become legendary among athletes. This much anticipated Austrian event also offers men’s and women’s Qualifying slots to the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, France on September 10, 2023 (men), and Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i on October 14, 2023 (women). Along with two-time Olympic Games gold medalist, Alistair Brownlee. Roberts will also be looking to grab one of those elusive IRONMAN World Championship qualification slots this weekend.
“If I manage to get a slot to Kona, I’ll definitely take it. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to race and IRONMAN World championship event and it’s a huge honor and privilege,” says Roberts. “I’ve had a good and promising start to the year with some positives to take away. I raced one of my best IRONMAN races in my opinion, and I am feeling confident that I can put a solid race together in Austria. I’ve started working with Jodie, from Swallows triathlon, which has seen us put in some decent work the past 8 weeks. Having her guide me has really stepped things up to a new level and has motivated me to be a better athlete all round.”
Unlike the men’s professional line-up which features two-time Olympic Games gold medalist, Alistair Brownlee (GBR), who will be looking for his first IRONMAN win of the season against defending champion, Ivan Tutukin (KAZ). And professional triathlete and cyclist, Cameron Wurf (AUS), who is coming off a third-place podium finish at IRONMAN Lanzarote and a fifth-place early season finish at the Isuzu IRONMAN African Championship in South Africa. The women’s field only has 11 starting athletes this year whereas the men’s race has 41. However, do not be fooled. The women’s battle promises to be just as fiercely contested.
“The race day plan doesn’t really change much if it’s a smaller field. You just don’t have anywhere to hide, and this is when you have to race smart. The pressure is on, and the smaller field will ensure a very tough and honest race, which is exciting. The field is looking competitive, I don’t underestimate anyone because we’ve all worked extremely hard, made sacrifices, and put in the hours to be ready for an IRONMAN. I am looking forward to racing these strong girls and putting a strong performance together,” concludes Roberts.
See the event’s full start list here. Read more about Roberts here and follow her on Instagram here.
