The World Triathlon Festival Weekend got underway on Thurday evening [April 26] with the three day event involving an opening ceremony, kids race, amateur race, hangover swim, plus the elite race which will feature some of the world’s top professional triathletes from over 25 different countries, including Bermuda, with reigning world champion Flora Duffy set to race on home soil.
There were over 50 elite men and over 30 elite women in Saturday’s race, and nations being represented included the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Mexico, Israel, Barbados, Australia, Czech Republic, Spain, Slovakia, Austria, China, Japan, Germany, UAE, Cayman, Denmark, Portugal, Costa Rica, Korea, New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan.
Flora: I want to thank all the #Bermudians who came out, this was an amazing moment for me in my career
Flora Duffy says she feels like her career has come full circle before her “showcase” to the island as the most dominant force in the sport in MS Amlin World Triathlon Bermuda tomorrow.
Duffy vividly remembers, more than 20 years on, her first encounter with professional triathlon, watching the Hamilton ITU World Cup and being inspired by the likes of Australian Emma Carney, the race winner, and Canada’s Carol Montgomery.
The Bermudian, who was only 10 years old, could have hardly imagined she would one day have her own event built and packaged solely around her as the home favourite and world No 1.
“Watching that race is what inspired me to become a professional athlete because that was the first time I thought, ‘Oh wow, you can actually do this sport and make a living’,” Duffy said. “It’s pretty cool to come full circle and be here doing that. I grew up doing the Front Street Mile, running up and down Front Street, so I know how hard that can be. It’s pretty deceiving. It’s a very tough, gritty course, but that’s great.”
Duffy could not have scripted her homecoming any better after storming to the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games three weeks ago. She says the pressure is off to some degree, having achieved her objective on the Gold Coast.
“For me, April was my peak month of the season, with the Commonwealth Games and the WTS Bermuda,” Duffy said. “I had to make sure I was in really good form for those two races.
“I said if I nailed those two then the rest of the year doesn’t really matter too much or it would be very relaxing almost. It’s a big deal and, of course, it would be very special to win.
“Obviously, I want to race well here and showcase what I do around the world. It would be a bit of a shame if the race doesn’t go as I’d like it to on Saturday.”
The reigning two-times world champion admits the extra attention she now attracts, particularly in Bermuda, can be jarring at times and brings a different type of pressure.
“[Racing at home] is a very different pressure from the Commonwealth Games,” Duffy said. “It’s really cool and special and kind of overwhelming all at the same time.
“The pressure going into Gold Coast I felt a lot more because it’s a Games and it comes around once every four years. Plus, Bermuda had only won one gold medal and it wasn’t a female one. That has a whole new level of pressure and for me that was a big deal.”
Duffy’s next goal is to become the first woman to win three consecutive ITU world titles.
Triumphing in front of her adoring public would be her first series win of the season, having crashed out on a corner that claimed several other riders during slippery conditions in Abu Dhabi last month. She was, typically, in the lead at the time.
“It almost takes a bit of pressure off me coming into this race as it’s part of a series and you don’t have to necessarily win every race to be the world champion,” the 30-year-old said.
“I can look at it like that, but of course I want to win on home soil.”
Among those posing a threat to Duffy, the overwhelming favourite, is Rachel Klamer, of the Netherlands, who won the season-opener in Abu Dhabi, and Katie Zaferes, the world No 3 from the United States.
Jess Learmonth, of England, who worked in tandem on the bike with Duffy on the Gold Coast to pull away from the rest of the field, a tactic they have used countless times in WTS races, has not made the trip.
“I’ve been checking out their social media and it’s so cool to see, because I have always been bragging about Bermuda and about how pretty it is and how cool the vibe is here.
“For them to be here on the island and sharing it on their social-media platforms, from what I’ve seen they’re really enjoying being here.”
The second match in the Bermuda Triangle Cup took place at 3.00pm this afternoon [April 22] at BAA field, as the BFA Premier League All Star team took on the Oakville Blue Devils from Ontario, Canada.
The BFA Premier League All Star team is as follows:
Bermuda win tonight behind Simmons two goals and Sealy’s finisher as they punish #oakville 3-1 for not taking advantage of better possession earlier in the game.
Bermuda Select 3 Oakville Blue Devils 1
Kyle Lightbourne’s young Bermuda Select team sent the crowd home happy when two injury-time goals sealed a dramatic 3-1 victory over Oakville Blue Devils in their opening tour match at the National Stadium last night.
The teams were preparing for a penalty shoot-out to settle the deadlock when Lejuan Simmons netted his second goal of the game to give Bermuda a 2-1 lead two minutes into stoppage time.
Two minutes later Jenico Sealey, who had just come on as a substitute, made certain of the win with a composed finish at the far post from a Simmons cross. Lightbourne, the Bermuda coach, was very happy with the performance of a team containing several under-20 players, including three high-school pupils.
“It was a close game, but we’ve played a few games up here where teams have scored in the last minute, like the Barbados game, so it was nice for us to come and get a result tonight,” Lightbourne said.
“We’ve had a lot of youngsters but I thought it was a very good game. They bossed the game in the second half, they definitely came at us. But the most pleasing thing about us was we withstood the pressure, kept them at arm’s length in front of our goal, rode our luck on one or two occasions and hit them when there was no time to recover.
“We had guys in there, some who haven’t played Premier Division ball yet, so I’m happy with those guys. Aaron Spencer sat in the midfield when we asked him to do a job and did it well, while Jarye Bean at left back also did well, the two young guys from X-Roads. It says something for their programme.”
The game started at a fast pace but had few clear-cut chances in the opening half hour. Oakville had the better of the possession during that period and had a couple of attempts, one which Brandon Duarte, their winger, put wide after the ball was half-cleared to him outside the box following a free kick.
Then Anthony Novak crossed into the box and striker Filipe Vilela headed straight at goalkeeper Jahquil Hill.
Bermuda took the lead against the run of play when midfielder Osagi Bascome chipped a ball into the box and when goalkeeper Matt George failed to collect it, Cecoy Robinson, the Bermuda captain, knocked it back for Simmons to steer it past defender Victor Gallo standing on the goalline.
Vilela, who continued to look a threat, poked a shot towards goal that Hill turned around for a corner. He hit the target in the 43rd minute from another corner, jumping between defenders Na’eem Griffith and Jaylon Bather to meet a cross from his captain Taylor McNamara and place a firm header past Hill.
“I thought it was a good performance by us, in the second half we made some changes because it is our pre-season,” said Vilela, who was born in Canada, but played in Portugal for eight years.
“It didn’t work out but it was a positive game for us. I don’t think it was a fair result but that’s soccer.”
Oakville made four substitutions at the start of the second half, including changing goalkeepers. However, Bermuda continued to battle hard against their semi-professional opponents, with Donte Brangman almost setting up a second goal for Bermuda when goalkeeper Karman Saini allowed the ball to escape his clutches. Brangman collected the loose ball and crossed to the far post where Robinson failed to reach the pass in front of an open goal.
Oakville made a fifth substitution before Bermuda made their first when teenager Quinaceo Hunt replaced Hill in goal. Lightbourne then made a double substitution, replacing PHC Zebras pair Robinson and Marco Warren with Tehvan Tyrell and D’Andre Wainwright.
Bascome almost scored a late winner when his shot from 30 yards was just inches over the bar. The dramatic finish saw another Bascome pass send Simmons away down the right before the Robin Hood captain kept his composure to steer his shot past the goalkeeper.
Then Sealey sealed the win, when another run by Simmons down the flank saw his cross reach Sealey at the far post to score past goalkeeper Karman Saini whose defence was stretched as they pushed players forward in search of the equaliser.
“Bermuda got us in the end with some pace and freshness, but credit to them they took their chances well and that’s what football is all about, ” Duncan Wilde, the Oakville coach, said. “We created enough chances to put it away, however it is pre-season and we made a lot of changes which unbalanced the team. I thought it was a good game of football and too bad it got away from us at the end.”
Teams
Bermuda Select: J Hill — D Usher, J Bather, N Griffith, J Bean, O Bascome, M Warren, A Spencer, C Robinson, L Simmons, D Brangman.
Oakville: M George — H Joshi, V Gallo, T McNamara, M Gennaccaro, KMcNamara, L Poderbarec, A Novak, K Ellis, F Vilela, B Duarte.
Brendon Harris 