Kevin Dargue Chats about the Dramatic ups and Downs of Qualification for Team GB

A quick comparison between the Qualifier times and my Sprint times from last year showed that with a mere 10% improvement across all three disciplines, and fairly major improvements on transition, Qualifying was achievable. With more than just a little nudge from Mark, zero investment in new kit and a new training Schedule 10% improvement surprisingly came and went very early on in the year.

I was only able to commit to two of the Qualifiers, St.Neots and Nottingham. Early morning and feeling sick with nerves (Am I selling this to you?) my support team deserted me at St.Neots in favour of a warm bed and a full, English Breakfast. It was therefore great to have a large Viceroy presence and a huge confidence boost to catch fleeting glimpses of Pink all the way around the course. St.Neots, which was not only a Qualifier event but also the British Sprint Championship, was definitely the hardest and coldest race I had done and “Never Show Weakness” was definitely spat out at several points, but mainly in the swim! My support team arrived with bacon sandwich in hand just as I crossed the finish line! Continue reading →