Namibia’s rising triathlon stars Emma Brinkmann and Micah Chase claimed African Youth titles recently at the Africa Triathlon Youth Championships in Hurghada, Egypt, delivering a major boost for the country’s triathlon programme, while teammate James Langford finished sixth despite a crash that disrupted his race.
Brinkmann and Chase won their respective 14-15 age categories, adding to the African Junior titles secured by their older siblings, Maja Brinkmann and Nathan Chase, in Egypt at the end of January. Coach Adele Del La Rey said she was proud of all three athletes, highlighting the commitment required to compete at international level.
“I am very proud of all three athletes. Emma and Micah winning the African Youth titles in the 14-15 age category is a wonderful achievement for Namibia,” she said.
Brinkmann described her victory as a fitting conclusion to her season, although her preparations had been disrupted by two surgeries that cost her valuable training time.
“Winning Africa champs means a lot to me. It was the main focal point of my year and winning was definitely a good end to my season,” she said.
The young athlete said she was uncertain about her form and the strength of her competitors heading into the race. However, she was pleased with her swim and focused on working with a small group during the cycling leg before pushing hard in the run.
Chase, meanwhile, credited his cycling strength for helping him improve his position after a challenging swim. He also experienced a crash that cost him contact with the front pack.
“Even though I had a crash and lost the front pack, before that I managed to use my bike strength to improve my position from the swim, which was not too great,” he said.
Langford, competing in the 16-17 age category, also suffered a crash that affected his race. Despite the setback, he remained proud of his performance before the incident and his current form as he continues preparing for the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.
Del La Rey said the championship provided valuable lessons for Langford ahead of the global youth event, allowing the coaching team to identify areas requiring further work.
“For our small triathlon community, having two sets of siblings achieve this is something to celebrate,” she said.
She added that the results reflected years of dedication from athletes, families, coaches and the wider triathlon community, while demonstrating the potential of young Namibians.
The coach said the focus would now be on building on the success by supporting athletes’ development, strengthening coaching capacity and creating more opportunities for young people to participate in triathlon.
-hnalupe@nepc.com.na
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