Jersey’s young triathletes compete among Britain’s best ahead of SuperTri homecoming

Jersey’s young triathletes made their mark against some of Britain’s best emerging talent – with every member of the Island squad reaching a final at a major national competition…

Jersey’s Big Maggy’s Tristars travelled to Mallory Park in Leicester on 29 and 30 August to represent the Island at the Inter Regional Championships (IRCs), held as part of the British Triathlon Super Series Grand Final.

Racing against some of the country’s most talented young athletes, the Jersey team gained first-hand experience of elite-level competition at a venue whose past competitors include Olympic champion Alex Yee. That connection feels particularly timely, with Yee due to arrive in Jersey next weekend for the SuperTri Pro Series Final on the Waterfront.

Better known as a home to fast cars and motorbikes, the picturesque Leicestershire circuit welcomed hundreds of triathletes from across Britain who had qualified for the invitation-only event.

The Jersey squad, supported by Jersey Sport, Jersey Tri Club, Big Maggy’s and Strive, was guided by Head Coach Jonny Picot – former first-team physiotherapist at Manchester United and Ironman finisher – who stepped in for Tristars’ Ian Lucas and coordinated the team throughout the weekend.

He also drove the Strive van, loaded with bikes, to the mainland. With a background in elite sport, the young athletes were in experienced hands throughout a physically demanding weekend.

The competition presented a significant challenge, but Jersey’s athletes rose to it impressively. Every member of the team progressed to either the A or B Finals, underlining the depth of talent within the squad and the progress being made by Jersey’s young triathletes.

Charlie Le Marquand was joined by the Assiter brothers, Owen and Maxim, in the A Final, while Youth athletes Niamh Church and Lia Romero competed at the highest-level represented within the Jersey squad in the Super Series Grand Final. 

In the Tristar 3 B Final, Ella Baker lined up alongside teammates Pheobe Assiter and Orla Lelai, with Baker also claiming sixth place in the Transition Challenge and Assiter securing third place in the B Final to earn a podium finish.

Freddy Picot also reached the Tristar 2 B Final improving on his qualifying performance earlier that day. It was a tremendous team effort, with every athlete contributing to a result that reflected both the strength and spirit of the squad.

Saturday’s racing took place in extremely difficult conditions, with torrential rain turning the bike course into a slippery and unforgiving test. Several riders crashed during the day, but the Jersey contingent negotiated the conditions safely. Niamh Church had a particularly close call, narrowly avoiding a three-rider incident at the circuit’s notorious hairpin turn, with teammate Lia Romero racing close behind her and also steering clear of the incident, finishing just 18 seconds behind Church.

The weather also created challenges away from the racecourse. Poor water quality caused by algae forced organisers to convert the triathlon into a duathlon, while rough seas disrupted travel from the Island. With Friday’s ferry cancelled, there were concerns that some competitors might not even have access to their bikes. Fortunately, the Strive van had travelled to the UK a day earlier, ensuring the team could still compete.

Despite the setbacks, the group showed resilience throughout the weekend, with several athletes improving on their qualifying performances and producing some of their strongest racing of the season. Ella Baker, Orla Lelai and Freddy Picot all bettered their qualifying performances in their respective Finals. The youngest member of the team, Amelia Hardwick, impressed with a determined display in the Tristar 2 category on her Grand Final debut.

Not everyone was able to race. Former Tristar athletes Luke Holmes and Sienna Stephens were ruled out of the Grand Final through injury and illness, respectively. However, Stephens is targeting a return next weekend when Jersey hosts the SuperTri Pro Series Final, where she is expected to race against some of the biggest names in world triathlon on home soil.

The SuperTri Pro Series Final comes to Jersey’s Waterfront on 6 September, bringing Olympic champions, world medallists and some of the fastest triathletes on the planet to the Island. The confirmed start list includes Olympic gold medallists Alex Yee (GBR) and Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA), alongside Matt Hauser (AUS), Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR), Tim Hellwig (GER), Csongor Lehmann (HUN), Jeanne Lehair (LUX) and Jolien Vermeylen (BEL), with further names still to be confirmed.

For Jersey’s youngsters, the event offers far more than a chance to watch world-class sport. Having just tested themselves against Britain’s best at Mallory Park, the Island’s next generation of triathletes will now have the opportunity to watch and, in some cases, race alongside some of the sport’s biggest stars on home soil. For an island the size of Jersey, hosting an event of this calibre is a rare opportunity to showcase the strength of the local triathlon community while inspiring the athletes who hope one day to follow the same pathway from youth racing to the international stage.

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