SA has new Triathlon dream team after Sullwald win

South Africa has a new dream team.

The arrival of Wian Sullwald on the all-SA podium at the season-opening Discovery Triathlon World Cup in Cape Town at the weekend has breathed life into the fantasy of a men’s outfit working together.

Winner Richard Murray and runner-up Henri Schoeman — fourth and third at Rio Olympics last year — have been unable to combine because of their different strengths.

Schoeman is a superb swimmer who regularly finds himself in the lead group going into the second cycle stage‚ while Murray frequently has to play catch-up on the final run leg‚ his best discipline.

Like Schoeman‚ 2012 junior world champion Sullwald is strong in the water.

“If you have a compatriot around you in the race and in the bike‚ you can always help a friend out‚” said the Olympic bronze medallist.

“It will be great‚” added Schoeman. “Wian’s got a good swim and if he has a good day on the swim he can definitely be up there in the bike and we can definitely work.”

Murray‚ admitting‚ “I’m hit and miss with my swim”‚ would like to see a culture of teamwork instilled by the national federation from age-group level.

“I don’t think any country other than the Brits [do it] and they’re very systematic‚” said Murray.

“Obviously the women’s race panned out exactly the way they planned it. Two women come here‚ both swim and bike well‚ get out the water [first]‚ bank it‚ get enough gap‚ win.”

English training partners Lucy Hall and Jessie Learmonth opened up a massive lead of more than 20 seconds going into the run of the women’s race.

By the time Hall won the sprint finish in 59min 34.987sec by less than a second‚ the gap over third place had widened to nearly 30 seconds.

Murray‚ who won the 750m swim‚ 20km cycle and 5km run in 51:33.573 despite a 10-second penalty for not putting his helmet in the box at the second transition‚ is looking to enjoy himself this year‚ the beginning of the long haul towards the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

He will do the SA Xterra championships‚ a triathlon with trail-running and mountain-biking‚ as well as a Half Ironman.

“I might not have the best performance-wise season‚ but at the end of the season I want to say ‘that was fun’‚” Murray said.

“I think that’s the goal. Accolades and sponsorships are part of it hopefully‚ but I’d like to walk away from the year and say ‘that was a pretty crazy year’‚” he said.

“At the end of all of it you could look back and say ‘Ag‚ I had all this but I wasn’t having that much fun’‚ or you could say ‘I did well and I had fun’.” Schoeman‚ who clocked the fastest official run of 14:35‚ was pleased with his own performance.

“I had the fastest run split. I think I should actually be walking out of here with my head held high and very positive for the next races to come‚” he said.

“It’s very early in the season so to run with such good form‚ it’s looking good for a bright 2017 … I think this race is just what I need to slingshot into the world series.”

Both Schoeman and Murray will compete in their first Olympic-distance triathlon (1.5km swim‚ 40km cycle and 10km run) in Abu Dhabi in early March.

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport