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| Michael Poole in Rotorua (Photo: Triathlon NZ) |
Teenager Michael Poole will fly the New Zealand flag at the latest round of the ITU World Cup Series in Ishigaki, Japan this weekend.
The former Auckland Grammar Student is the only Kiwi in the field and is racing primarily for experience as he continues to find his feet in the sport of triathlon.
19 year old Poole is now fully recovered from a leg injury suffered late this New Zealand summer, an injury that hindered his running and ability to clock up any significant mileage in training. His recent form includes a third place finish at the NZ XTERRA (off road) championship in Rotorua a fortnight back.
Poole arrived in Japan earlier this week with a view to acclimatizing to the hot and humid conditions and as expected for a triathlete so young, is finding each experience to be a new one.
"I have only met one person to his point who has spoken English and that was the ITU worker who picked me up from the airport. But I have found that just doing a lot of bowing eventually gets the message or question across and the Japanese people are very helpful.
"The city itself is very, very cool, everything is pretty traditional and it's exactly like what places similar to this look like in movies. And the beaches, reefs and hills are pretty stunning.
"As for training I had a big day early in the week and in the heat and humidity I suffered like a donkey but it will have been really good for acclimatizing and in the next few days I will rest up more. I haven't sweated this much in my whole life, I am not using the air conditioning in my apartment to help me acclimatize but I am constantly dripping and I have been chewing through the water bottles and grape Fanta.
"The course looks like it could suit me very well because the swim is very sheltered around the port. Then the bike is on a very tough course because it goes back and forth over a very big bridge so it is hard hill and really exposed to strong winds so hopefully I will be able to do some damage there."
Ishigaki hosts race three in the ITU World Cup Series for 2010 and this year's race marks the 15th time Ishigaki has hosted a World Cup, making the event the longest running on ITU's calendar. It also marks the 30th time that a World Cup race has taken place in Japan.
Ishigaki Island, located 250 kilometres east of Taiwan, is a true tropical paradise and has long been a favourite Japanese holiday retreat. The Island becomes a triathlon Mecca on race weekend, drawing over 1,700 age-group triathletes from all over the region. It is the largest triathlon festival in Japan and has helped establish Ishigaki as a Japanese sporting hub.
Triathlon has had a special relationship with the community of Ishigaki, as demonstrated by the thousands of locals who come out to support the race year after year. Elite athletes participating this weekend will visit local schools after the race to interact with children and share their love of sport.
ITU World Cup Triathlon, Ishigaki
Sunday 25th April
Elite Men 7pm NZT
Elite Women 4pm NZT
