Two of Barbados’ brightest young triathlon talents, Alexis Lashley and Luke McIntyre, are set to compete this Thursday at the 202X Junior World Triathlon Championships hosted in Pontevedra, Spain. For supporters back home, Lashley’s swim leg will get underway at 4:15 a.m. Barbados time, with McIntyre starting his race an hour and 30 minutes later at 5:45 a.m. local Barbados time.
In an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY from the Spanish host city, Dr. Garth McIntyre, President of the Barbados Federation of Island Triathletes, shared that the build-up to this elite global competition has gone according to plan for both athletes.
“Both athletes earned their spots at the championships through a rigorous qualification process at the Americas Triathlon Championship held in Chile earlier this July,” Dr. McIntyre explained. “They have stuck to consistent training schedules through the summer months, completed a solid pre-competition training block, and have not faced any injuries or setbacks that would disrupt their preparation.”
Since arriving in Pontevedra, the pair have already completed on-site training sessions for both the open water swim and running segments, and are currently out completing a practice bike ride as they finalize their race preparations, Dr. McIntyre added.
According to the federation president, the race conditions in Pontevedra are expected to be a good fit for the Barbadian duo, though there are some key environmental factors the team is monitoring. The most notable difference from their home training conditions is the wide daily temperature swing in northwestern Spain, where temperatures currently range from a cool 16 degrees Celsius overnight to a warm 32 degrees Celsius during the daytime. Water temperatures currently sit right at the threshold that would allow athletes to wear wetsuits, a rule that permits wetsuit use only below a set water temperature mark.
“Wetsuits offer competitors a measurable advantage in the water by increasing buoyancy and reducing drag, so nearly all athletes will opt to wear them if the conditions allow. We will just have to wait and see what the official ruling is on race morning,” Dr. McIntyre noted.
The Junior World Triathlon Championships draws the top under-20 triathletes from across the globe, meaning competition will be among the steepest that Lashley and McIntyre have ever faced. With that context, Dr. McIntyre said the federation holds realistic expectations for the young pair.
“It might sound like we are downplaying our chances, but our main focus right now is on solid race execution and making the most of every opportunity that comes up during the event,” he explained. “Our core priority for this appearance is athlete development, because both athletes will be eligible to compete again at this same event next year.”
Dr. McIntyre emphasized that this level of global competition is far more challenging than any event the pair has competed in previously, so no matter what final positions they earn, there will be no disappointment from the Barbadian triathlon community. His main message to the athletes is to embrace the experience, enjoy the race and expand their international competition experience.
“For both athletes, this championship is essentially a preparatory experience for next year’s event. It gives them a chance to see where they stand against the world’s best and identify what areas they need to improve on going forward,” Dr. McIntyre explained. “Of course, if they exceed expectations and turn in a great performance, we will be absolutely thrilled. But we all know this is a tough field, and a top finish is going to be hard to pull off this time around.”