Reid turns to Plan B in quest for qualification

ON THE MOVE AGAIN: Tayler Reid is back in action after his plans to qualify for the world under-23 athletics championships in September took a hit when he was knocked off his bike while training. Picture by Paul Rickard

WHEN Plan A fails, turn to Plan B, that’s what Gisborne’s Tayler Reid says.

Plan A was to compete in the Oceania Triathlon Championships in Gisborne on March 19, in a bid to qualify for the world under-23 championships in Mexico in September.

But that plan turned to custard when the 19-year-old — a Tier 3 member of Triathlon New Zealand’s high- performance squad — was knocked off his bike while training in Gisborne six weeks out from the Oceania race.

Reid suffered a broken right elbow. It required surgery at Tauranga Hospital, where the surgeon put two screws into the elbow to hold it together.

“The surgeon did a great job, and I’m excited about being able to race again,” said Reid, who leaves on Wednesday to spend five weeks racing and training in the Netherlands and Hungary.

Plan A was out“Plan A went out the window so now it’s Plan B, try to qualify for the world under-23 champs while I’m in Europe. I’d love to have done it here in Gisborne but it wasn’t to be.”

Reid’s first race in Weert, in the Netherlands, is on June 12.

“It’s a Continential Cup race, over the standard (Olympic) distance — 1500-metre swim, 40-kilometre bike and 10km run. It will be my first race at this distance.

“I’m not going into the first race with expectations that are too high. It’s a big step up during the longer distances and I’ve been slowly increasing my training.

“The swim and bike legs are OK but running 10km instead of 5km after the increased swim and bike is going to be a test.

“It’ll be a good build-up to my main race, the Premium Continential Cup in Holten, in the Netherlands, on July 2. It’s a sprint race — a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run — and it’s a qualifer for the world champs in Mexico.

“I have to be the first Kiwi home, and whether I make it or not could come down to my time. In between the two races, I’ll spend time with other members of the high-performance squad and some athletes who are going to Olympics training in France.”

Races in HungaryReid said he was also hoping to get “one, maybe two” races in Hungary.

“It’s a world cup event and consists of heats and finals. Being a world cup event, it’s a level above Continential Cup, so it would be good to race.

“There’s also the possibility of picking up a race in Hamburg, Germany, in a world tri series meet.

“It’s for individuals and teams. I’d be looking at getting into one of the teams. It all depends on whether the athletes building up to Rio want to compete as individuals or teams. Fingers crossed they opt to race as individuals and I get to race in a team.

“Either way, the next five weeks will be exciting and a great experience for me.”

Reid said it wasn’t until the Oceania Champs had “all packed up and gone” that the disappointment hit him.

“Initially when I got injured I was gutted but then watching the event was OK. It was great to watch and hear all the positive comments about Gisborne but once it was over, the realisation that I might never get another chance like that in Gisborne sank in.

“But, you never know we might get another one in the future.”