James Gibson steps up a gear
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Medway triathlete James Gibson has finished a busy season which saw him compete for Great Britain on the world stage. The 19-year-old Medway elite athlete was picked by the British Triathlon Association to represent Great Britain at some Junior European Cups. He competed in Holland where a problem with his bike ended his race early and in Spain where he finished 11th. “In both races I led out on the bike, which shows that my swim and biking ability are on par with the best junior Europeans,”said James. James, currently studying at Loughborough University, was also selected as the reserve for the Junior (U23) World Championships team that competed in Vancouver. “Being reserve was both pleasing and disappointing”, said James. “I was pleased that I was part of one of the strongest junior teams in the world, but also disappointed that I wasn’t on the start line for the biggest competition of the year.” |
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The Medway teenager was picked for these events based on his strong results on home soil. James won his age group at the National Aquathlon Championships, finishing fourth overall.
The 19-year-old from Strood also competed in the National Senior Sprint Championships where he finished 11th in a field of senior athletes, and 22nd in the Senior Olympic Distance Championships, which was James’ first race over this distance at senior level.
James also qualified for the National Junior Championships where he finished a disappointing eighth after not putting enough space between him and the better runners after the swim and bike phases. In difficult conditions James’ swim wasn’t as strong as it usually is and it cost him the podium finish he was aiming for and capable of.
Despite this, the season’s performances and results give James a solid foundation to build on next year when he hopes to translate these results in to strong under-23 performances.
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