The event which will be hosted in Maselspoort and the triathletes are required to complete a 1500m swim, 40km cycle, and a 10km run.

All-American triathlete from Bloemfontein Jayme-Sue Vermaas will be representing South Africa for her first major race of the season after graduating from Drury University in the USA. She told OFM Sport that she is excited to race and jumpstart her season and that she will give it her all on the day. 

“I'm very excited to be racing in my hometown again, and because it's Bloem, and being back in South Africa – I'm very excited to race,” said Vermaas. “I'm just going to see what I can do on the day and how my training is going. We are a very competitive field for the race, but I'm just excited. I'm going to go out there and have some fun and see what I can do. Being my first race back for South Africa in four years would be fun. I'm just going to go out there with all the strong girls and race my heart out.”

Shanae Williams who is the defending women’s elite champion after winning last year in 01:06:44 is back this year to defend her title. Nicholas Quenet who won the men’s elite champion won’t be competing in Bloemfontein this year.

Willams and Dylan Nortjé competed in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. These two will bring a competitive and aggressive edge from South Africa and they will have to contend with not only the local competition, but also a strong international field. Nortjé won the finished in third last year.

After having her 2022 season cut short because of illness, Williams told the OFM Sport that she is looking forward to participating in her first race of the season.

“It will be my first race of the season and it will be an early tester to see where my fitness is. Unfortunately, towards the end of the season last year I struggled with illness and was unable to finish my season as I planned. Maselspoort is great to race at and I'm very excited to be back there this year.”

Nortjé, who will also be competing for the first time this season, anticipates that the presence of several European triathletes will result in a fast race, particularly on the front end.

“I'm excited to race, although it will be my first race of the season. I'm excited to see how the body holds up and on which aspects I need to focus a bit more,” he said.

The men's elites will start at 12:30 on Sunday and that will be followed by the elite women who get underway 12:45. The days’ competitions will start with the junior men's race at 10:30, while the junior women's event will begin at 10:45.

Entry list for 2023 Africa Triathlon Cup at Maselspoort

Zenande Mpame/OFM Sport