Team silvers to cheer as wind has big say
THE symmetry of yesterday's two triathlons from a Channels Islands perspective was remarkable.
Despite the overcast and windy conditions that forced the swim leg to be shortened for safety reasons, it was a golden day for Jersey as individual and team gold in both races went the way of the Caesareans, while their Sarnian counterparts registered a best individual finish of fifth in both and had their teams on the second step of the victory podium.
With all the competitors having trained so hard and for so long for this day, the strong wind that was tearing through the trees on the Gotland west coast was the most unwelcome sight for the participants.
That, though, had been the forecast and rumours were spreading on Sunday morning at breakfast that the swim leg would have to be bypassed altogether for safety reasons, turning it into a duathlon.
Fortunately, that eventuality was avoided, but the large crowd that gathered on the Visby shoreline to watch found it remarkable that the triathletes would tackle such a choppy sea.
However, those involved for whom swimming is a big strength were disappointed to have it reduced and lose some of the potential advantage they would have.
