Triathlon success for Culdrose man
An Air Engineer from Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose has representedGreat Britainin his age group at the World Triathlon Championships inLondon.
The 2013 World Triathlon Series came to end after a dramatic finish in the elite event when Javier Gomez (01:48:16) ofSpainbeatBritain’s Jonathon Brownlee (1:48:17) to take his third world championship title. But there’s something to be said for that home advantage. Overall the home team took three medals (one gold) in the elite races, 15 (six gold) in the Paratriathlon and three (one gold) in the U23 and junior races. Add in the age-group races andGreat Britaincomfortably topped the medal tally with 76 medals; 30 more than theUnited States.
Among thousands who had trained all year and toughed it out in wet and cold conditions was Chief Petty Officer Jeremy ‘Gus’ Gusterson of the Maritime Aviation Support Force Headquarters (MASF HQ) who had qualified to represent Great Britain in the 45 – 49 age category by finishing sixth at the British Championships in Liverpool in July against a strong field from across the country. The top seven finishers from this event qualified automatically forLondon.
Gus had to find some extra energy to step up a level for the Londonevent where 22 nations were represented in a field of 171 competitors. But all that hard work paid off as Gus managed a magnificent race coming in a creditable 26th in the World with a time of 1:58:03 in the Olympic Distance Age-Group category.
“It was a great event to be part of,” said Gus. “I’d watched the Olympics last year and thought I would enter and try and represent Great Britain. I’ve had a great season, qualifying for the European and British Triathlons with pretty decent times and with the World’s coming up I knew I was in good shape.”
Supporting him at the London World Championships were Gus’s family who had supported him throughout his long season and training sessions around the lanes and roads of Helston where he lives.
“I’d really like to thank all who’ve help me especially the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, who with out their funding I would have found it hard to compete; Triathlon is not a sport, it’s a lifestyle.”