STRONG: Tamsyn Moana-Veale is keeping up with her elite rivals.
WHEN for Kinross Wolaroi School student Tamsyn Moana-Veale took to Twitter on Sunday after completing the International Triathlon Union’s (ITU) Banyoles World Cup in Spain, it was little surprise to see her sign off with a smiley face.
Given she had placed 10th in an elite field which included a host of triathletes headed to this year’s London Olympic Games, she deserved it.
Moana-Veale was one of six Australian women taking part in the event at the site of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games rowing events, the triathlon featuring a 1.5 kilometre swim in Lake Banyoles, 40km cycle leg then a 10km run.
She ended up as the third best Australian as her final time of two hours, two minutes and 12 seconds was not too far off the pace of winner Gwen Jorgensen (1:59.39) from America. Australian duo Erin Densham and Ashleigh Gentle filled the remaining podium positions
“Happy with 10th in Banyoles. Good swim and bike, bit flat on the run but slowly getting it all together :),” Moana-Veale tweeted.
Moana-Veale’s time was her best effort over the Olympic distance this year as well, bettering the marks she clocked when placing second at the Mooloolaba ITU Premium Oceania Cup and 26th at the Ishigaki Triathlon World Cup.
In total a field of 41 elite women took part in the Spanish event and Moana-Veale made sure she was closer to the front than the back with a good swim leg.
She completed the two laps of the 750m course in 21 minutes, 26 seconds and after a 56 seconds transition, she headed off on the cycle leg.
This was six laps of a 6.6km course and Moana-Veale (1:01.27) ended up clocking a faster split than Densham - a member of the Australian team heading to London.
The run to the finish line was two circuits of a 3.3km course and Moana-Veale’s split of 37.48 was enough to secure her an impressive top 10 finish.
It added to her second placing in the sprint distance Cremona ITU Contential Cup a week earlier and strenghthend her claims to be a member of the Australian junior team to contest the 2012 World Triathlon Championship.
The Italian-based Contential Cup event saw Moana-Veale tackling a 750m swim then a techincal 20km cycle and 5km on the narrow cobbled Cremona streets.
After clocking a 10.30 split for the run and 33.31 for the cycle, it was in the run leg that Moana-Veale set herself up for a podium finish.
She and her Australian training partner Charlotte McShane joined Britain’s Lois Rosindale in pulling away from their rivals, the Bathurst talent taking 17.40 to cover the 5km.
It came down to a sprint to the line on the final lap with Rosindale (1:02.09) holding off Moana-Veale (1:02.14).