MAYO YOUNGSTER CON DOHERTY has claimed a bronze medal at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Junior World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand. The result is another breakthrough for the Westport teenager, the current National Junior Champion.
Doherty exited the 750m swim in the Queens Wharf Harbour in the middle of a field of 75 junior men. His superior bike handling skills became instantly apparent as Doherty worked his way to the front of the field on the first of four laps of the 20km bike course.
Taking in a number of technical turns and challenging inclines around Auckland’s city centre, the course suited the fearless Doherty, who despite treacherous rain, set the pace for his competitors and led the race for the majority of the bike leg.
Heading out on the 5km run in the lead, Doherty was soon overtaken by South African Wian Sullwald. Despite fighting off an attack from Frenchman Simon Viain for the majority of the run, Doherty was outsprinted in the final metres of the race to finish in third place in a time of 1:01:59.
Doherty’s previous best result was a top 10 at the European Cup and, at just 17, has a further two years in the 16-19 year old Junior category. In addition, Doherty is the first Irish junior, and indeed the first Irish triathlete to podium in a World Championship Series Final event.
Triathlon Ireland Performance Director Chris Jones was delighted with the result, saying “this is a fantastic performance from Con, and it comes well ahead of the 2014 target we had set for a Junior World Championship result such as this.”
“The result is a great achievement, and comes off the back of a great deal of development work that has been done by Triathlon Ireland and its coaching staff.”
Fellow Irish athlete Aileen Morrison summed up the result, tweeting:
