Bermuda’s next generation of triathlon talent made a massive statement on the international stage, delivering a series of resilient performances at the prestigious Flatland Cup in Iowa, USA.
Facing a highly competitive international field, a squad of nine young Bermudian triathletes went toe-to-toe with elite regional prospects across draft-legal youth and junior categories, highlighted by a superb podium finish for Rory Shepherd.
In the Draft Legal Youth Male division, Rory Shepherd produced a tactical masterclass to secure a magnificent third-place finish. Shepherd executed a balanced race, staying firmly within striking distance during the swim and bike legs before unleashed a blistering sub-nine-minute run to clock a total time of 33:03.780.
Teammate Rohan Roopra also impressed in the same category, fighting hard through a dense field to finish just outside the top ten in 11th place.
Meanwhile, the Draft Legal Youth Female race saw an exceptionally close battle between training partners Rianna Robinson and Elena Bortoli. Bortoli laid down a phenomenal marker in the water, exiting the swim over 50 seconds ahead of Robinson. However, Robinson rallied back with a powerful bike transition and run leg, eventually pipping Bortoli at the line by a mere eight seconds to lock out 9th and 10th place respectively.
The Draft Legal Junior Male category delivered high-octane racing, with Gianluca Bortoli leading the Bermudian contingent with a stellar 10th-place finish. Bortoli showcased his strength on the final leg, covering the run in a swift 17:08.450 to comfortably crack the top ten.
He was closely followed by Dylan Eiselt, who put together a remarkably consistent swim and bike combination to cross the line in 16th place overall, while Jasper Lau placed 41st after displaying immense grit following a challenging swim.
In the Draft Legal Junior Female division, Carina Bortoli and Madison Schindel showed superb endurance across the longer junior distances, finishing 42nd and 48th respectively against a world-class field.
The full performance breakdowns for the Bermuda squad are detailed below.
Draft Legal Youth Male
3rd: Rory Shepherd (33:03.780)
Swim: 06:05.260 | Bike: 17:08.893 | Run: 08:59.517
11th: Rohan Roopra (34:49.537)
Swim: 06:26.057 | Bike: 17:34.803 | Run: 09:49.820
Draft Legal Youth Female
9th: Rianna Robinson (38:41.990)
Swim: 07:58.747 | Bike: 19:07.610 | Run: 10:40.910
10th: Elena Bortoli (38:49.697)
Swim: 07:02.767 | Bike: 20:07.737 | Run: 10:46.173
Draft Legal Junior Male
10th: Gianluca Bortoli (1:00:13.110)
Swim: 10:23.040 | Bike: 31:51.933 | Run: 17:08.450
16th: Dylan Eiselt (1:01:43.173)
Swim: 10:35.513 | Bike: 31:38.283 | Run: 18:31.607
41st: Jasper Lau (1:07:35.787)
Swim: 11:59.690 | Bike: 34:30.573 | Run: 20:10.130
Draft Legal Junior Female
42nd: Carina Bortoli (1:13:35.403)
Swim: 12:50.787 | Bike: 37:04.823 | Run: 22:35.127
48th: Madison Schindel (1:14:37.910)
Swim: 12:33.480 | Bike: 37:29.910 | Run: 23:36.013
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