Event: European Sprint Qualifier Race (Eton Dorney) | Artic One Events
Date: 13th July 2024

Eton Dorney Qualifiers seem to me to attract more apprehension than other qualifying events. This is my third qualifier there and the feeling was the same.

My first qualifier event ever was at Eton Dorney and I remember being so incredibly nervous, and needless to say, I finished quite a few places outside of qualifying placings.

Following my second attempt, I was confident I’d get a roll-down place, and I did despite a particularly unpleasant swim.

This time I wasn’t sure as I was trying to qualify into the age group above me due to moving up an age category next year, but I was also keen to do well in my current category.

Having read the pre-race briefing blurb, the route was different from previous races for the bike and T2, so this didn’t help pre-race nerves before I’d even gotten there! However, the weather forecast was good – light cloud cover and not too much wind (there’s always wind at Eton Dorney even on a still day!!).

The tension amongst competitors on arrival was evident – much nervous polite chit-chat and bike scanning in the registration queue. Who had TT bikes and who didn’t, who was wearing a GB tri suit and who wasn’t… I tend to feel that this race attracts the ‘Big Guns’ – the fast and furious competitors at the sharp end of age group racing. And sure enough, they were present and correct again on this occasion!

While registering and racking it started to rain much to everyone’s surprise and frustration. I bumped into Sam (Holloway) warming up and he and I passed words about the rain, and it not being in the forecast. Anyway, the men were in the water first in the rain while the women watched and waited. A poor male competitor’s wheel slipped and he came off his bike on a turn into a new lap – too painful for him to continue. So inevitably this caused more nervous chattering amongst the women about the bike course being wet and slippery on corners.

On with the swim – usual 750m swim and exit on a concrete ramp. My swim went well – I surprised myself when I saw who I came out with.

My T1 was ok – usual stamping on wetsuit to get it off!

The 20km (I think it was a bit less than 20km) bike loop for me wasn’t too bad despite the light rain. The loop involved going from the Boat House end up over the bridge, up the middle with the lake on the right, then turning left at the top and coming back down to the Boat House alongside the hedges and trees.

T2 was a scramble to spot trainers, rack and run. By this time the rain had stopped. I wasn’t entirely sure where I was in my age group at this point – I was more focused on not falling off my bike for the last 20km!

Into the single lap run to the end of the lake and back – the end that always looks FOREVER away when you head out! By this point I knew women were catching me up – my run isn’t great. It’s not bad but there are some fast runners. The usual voices in the head saying this is just horrendous, why am I doing it…. to more positive self-chat…. just move forward and relax your shoulders away from your ears. I took a gel at halfway – actually slopped a gel half down my tri suit trying to gasp for air and swallow it. Sure enough, a lady got past me at halfway. There were a couple of younger competitors roughly half my age who came past which I couldn’t care less about by that point!

A short sprint as fast as I could across the line – phew all done! I was thrilled to see I’d come in ahead of two women who beat me a few weeks earlier at Southport World Qualifiers. I finished 4th in my age group and qualified 4th in the age group above.

Well done to Sam who also qualified 😊

European Champs are in Istanbul next year.

All in all, a good day in the office, although the photo may not look like it.