During an overcast day at Mulinu’u yesterday, Neil Cook of Aqua Samoa took out the Olympic distance Race for Race 1 of the Bluesky Samoa Triathlon Series.
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He clocked 2:36:15 for the 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run. Not bad for someone who has not done a triathlon in four years.
This was Cook’s first race and triathlon since moving to Samoa in April last year. His lack of game time is a casualty of being a Marine biologist who is in demand around the Pacific.
Still, he ran a smooth race, which comes with having a sizeable lead. The Olympic distance is a new addition to the Bluesky Triathlon Series.
In the past two seasons, it was only the 524-Tri that was run in the first race of the Series. It is no accident that Cook was comfortable in his win. He has been training hard over the last few months.
In less than three weeks he will be on the starting line in Taupo at the New Zealand Ironman on the first weekend of March.
This race was a good forerunner to the much bigger challenge that is a full Ironman. The Marine biologist lives at the village of Mulifanua where he also trains. “I had an excellent race, and felt good during throughout,” Cook said after the race.
He had a bike lap on Darren Young who was running second. Young too was comfortably in second place and easing back into triathlon mode since the Warrior Race of August last year. He was five minutes back and well ahead of third place getter Sam Nimarota. The other New Zealand Ironman-bound Samoan, Daniel Afoa, 50yrs, used the race on Saturday as a test for the Taupo Ironman.
Afoa did not finish the race opting instead to rest his injured right foot after two laps of the run. In a sign that triathlon is now an established Sport in Samoa and amongst Samoans – Cook and Afoa will be joined in Taupo by Mark Small and Tagaloa Iron Mike Stowers who will both be racing under the Samoan banner.
In the shorter 524 Tri distance it was Simon Wilson who took out the men’s race.
Nicola Mills, was the only female in the women’s 524- race. She did very well after a long layoff from training.
The next race of the Bluesky Triathlon Series is four weeks away on 21st March 2015.
The next race of the Bluesky Triathlon Series is four
weeks away on 21st March 2015.
Full list of winners from Saturday
Olympic distance: Neil Cook
524 Tri: Simon Wilson
EN-TRI: Gideon Mulitalo
Tamatoa Tri U10: Urlin Mulitalo
Tamatoa Tri U8s: Solomona Hamilton (Boys),
Violani Afoa (Girls)
Teams: 524 Tri: Saoluafata Village
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