Mattersburg triathletes shine at EM in Vichy despite adverse conditions

Mattersburg triathletes shine at EM in Vichy despite adverse conditions

In Vichy's picturesque, a city in the center of France, the Triathlon European Championship of the European Triathlon Union (ETU) took place in September. Athletes from different countries fought for coveted medals on the sprint and Olympic distance. The large number of Austrian participants was particularly striking: With 108 athletes, Austria provided the fourth largest delegation behind Great Britain, France and Germany.

Among these athletes are Claudia Koller and Thomas Holzinger from Mattersburg, both of whom compete for the Triathlon Association Tri Merino. For Claudia it was the second participation in an Age Group European Championship after being started in Poland in 2022. Thomas, on the other hand, experiences his debut in this special international competitive situation.

challenges in competition

The competitions started on one day with optimal conditions for the shorter sprint distance, but the next day the weather turned and many disciplines took place under difficult circumstances. The probably announced rain came: The large part of the competition was held in the event of pouring rain, which meant both the challenge and additional adrenaline thickness for the athletes.

The extremely low water temperatures of only 16 degrees in 'Lac d’Allier' meant that the neoprene suits of the participants were heavily used. After the competition, Claudia and Thomas remembered that the wetsuit was very pleasant in these conditions. The triathlon consisted of a combination of more than 1.5 kilometers swimming, 40 kilometers cycling and running 10 kilometers.

The route was anything but easy. Over 350 meters of altitude had to be mastered, while some sections of the bike route were bumpy. The running route was not conventional, but was reminiscent of a cross-country run with 70 percent unpaved paths. Despite these hard conditions, Claudia and Thomas managed to do their best. Fulfilled of experience and personal success, they crossed the finish line with a smile and thus duly celebrated their end of the season.

In the meantime, the Tri Merino community keeps their fingers crossed for Andreas Society, who was also able to qualify for the Triathlon World Championship, which will take place in Torremolinos, Andalusia from October 17th to 20th.

For more information on the services of the athletes and the competitions in Vichy, See the reporting on www.meinbeinbezirk.at.