Triathlon: Bay pair tackle two world events in three days

Ten of the 15 Triathlon Hawke's Bay Club members who will be competing at the world champs. Photo / Supplied

Call Triathlon Hawke's Bay Club members Steve Charles and Vicki Fleming mad and Charles will agree.

They are the only two in the 15-strong contingent from their club entered for next month's ITU World Champs on the Gold Coast who will start in both the sprint and standard course events. They will tackle the sprint course event (750m swim, 2km cycle and 5km run) on September 13 and the standard course event (1500m swim, 40km cycle and 10km run) three days later.

"We're probably a bit mad but I want to get maximum out of the trip," Charles, 33, said.

A 30-34 years age group competitor, Charles, who will be starting in his fourth world championships, is no stranger to tackling more than one world championships event in a week. At the 2016 ITU Grand Final in Cozumel, Mexico Charles raced in all three events, the aquathon, sprint and Olympic distances.

An automation engineer for Pan Pac, Charles, took up triathlon when he moved to Napier from Rotorua 10 years ago. His best placing over a sprint course at world champs was a 12th in Cozumel and his best over a standard course was 17th in Edmonton in 2014.
When quizzed on his goals on the Gold Coast Charles replied:

"To beat the Aussies on their home turf."

Charles had a close look at the course for the standard distance when he watched the Commonwealth Games on television back in April.

"It looks smooth and fast and that suits me," Charles said.

Family commitments have prevented him from putting in as much training during this campaign as he has for previous worlds. Two hours each day has been the norm.

"Mid pack has to be a serious goal for the sprint course. As for the standard course that will depend a lot on how the body is after the Thursday," Charles added referring to the fact his and Fleming's events will be on a Thursday and then the following Sunday.

Charles and clubmate, teenager Kairon Pimm, finished second in the 2up team section of a duathlon staged by their club at the weekend.

Although Fleming, 50, lives in Cambridge where she works as a podiatrist and biomechanist she enjoys being a member of the Hawke's Bay club.

"I spend a lot of time in the Bay and it is a great friendly club with a sociable group of people."

She has done triathlons on and off for the past 12 years and next month will start in her 16th world sprint event and 17th world standard event. At last year's world multisport championships in Canada Fleming won the duathlon and aquathon titles in her age group so she is also comfortable multi-tasking at international level.

A first-timer in the 50-54 years age group next month, Fleming, has recorded two top-eight finishes at triathlon world championships in the past.

"I love the sprint event because it is so fast and furious. That's the one I'm aiming to win in Aussie and I'm aiming to do the best I can over the standard course," Fleming said.

She proved her training is going to plan with a gold medal in her age group at the national duathlon champs in Pukekohe at the weekend.

Coached by veteran Taranaki mentor Graham Park, Fleming, puts in between two and five hours training each day. She can complete a sprint course event in just over an hour and the standard course event in two hours. Another of the Bay starters on the Gold Coast, Kate O'Malley, won bronze in her 25-29 years age group in Pukekohe. Club general manager Bruce Richardson is delighted to have 15 members competing on the international stage.

And Richardson's thoughts on Fleming and Charles tackling two events?

"They're machines ... they will do well in both."

The full Triathlon Hawke's Bay team for the champs is:
Kate O'Malley (25-29 years age group), Kirstie Brooking (40-44 years), Jo Baker (45-49 years), Jane Harris (50-54 years), Vicki Fleming (50-54 years), Lou Corkery (55-59 years), Julie Boshier (70-74 years), Lachlan Cairns (16-19 years), Steve Charles (30-34 years), Jeremy Natusch (40-44 years), Buck Buchanan (50-54 years), Glen Yule (55-59 years), Shane Janssen (55-59 years), Brendan McCormack (65-69 years), Mark Riddell (60-64 years).