Worlds qualification is ‘massive’ for Lewis
IT WAS just what Josh Lewis needed ahead of his home Island Games.
Guernsey’s top triathlete achieved a career-high result with second in the professional race at a hot Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire, qualifying him for this summer’s World Championships.
At the same time he appeared to make a mockery of an expected Games rival, the Isle of Man’s Will Draper, who finished 17min. behind in eighth.
‘I think it’s really encouraging,’ he said of his last race before Guernsey 2023.
‘It’s the best performance I’ve had to date, again.
‘It’s where I thought I was at, and I still struggled on the run in the heat, but I put together a very good swim and bike.
‘To get my World Championships qualification for the pros is massive – it’s what I’ve been aiming for all season.’
He had spent most of the 1.2 mile swim on the feet of esteemed competitor Thomas Davis as the duo worked up a lead of over 1min. on third place.
After biding his time around the sketchy corners in the first 9 miles of the bike, he used the hills to pop Davis and pulled away over the next 47.
Lewis was leading by 2min. 40sec. at final transition.
But 2022 British middle-distance champion James Teagle passed him in the final seven miles of the half-marathon run, going on to triumph in 3hrs 53min. 54sec.
Yet, after following in 3-56-31, the Sarnian triathlete met the top-two requirement for the professional Worlds in Finland on 27 August.
But will he go? ‘It’s down to finances,’ he admitted.
‘It’s an enormous operation to go – I just need to try and find a way to get there, basically.’
Lewis will also not be
complacent about Draper next month.
Throw in Jersey’s Ollie Turner and the lesser-known Niall Caley, who was the top Manx triathlete at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and his title defence does not look like plain sailing.
‘Ollie will be my main rival, but the Isle of Man guys – Will and Niall – you cannot take either of them for granted,’ he said.
‘I think the top five or 10 will be really strong athletes, and anything can happen.
‘I do not know what shape everybody’s in. Well, I know what shape Ollie’s in – great shape.’
However, the home crowd will undoubtedly give Lewis a boost at Rocquaine.
‘It was great to have the British crowd in Staffordshire, so to have a home crowd in Guernsey will be even better.
‘I hope everybody turns up.’
n Ahead of her own Games title challenge, Megan Chapple warmed up with an 11min. victory in the women’s Olympic distance race at the Eastbourne Triathlon.
The result qualifies her for a title defence at next year’s Europe Triathlon Championships.
Meanwhile, Dana Ujhazyova and Claire Smit claimed an age group one-two at the Swashbuckler Triathlon in the New Forest.
They placed first and second in the women’s 40-49 age group for the roughly 70.3-mile course.
