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Abu Dhabi Triathlon Team’s Jan van Berkel continued the march towards his ultimate goal of gaining a slot at the 2012 London Olympics with the successful defence of his 2009 Uster title in Switzerland this week.
After pulling off a hard-earned victory over a field of elite athletes, including four-time Ironman Switzerland winner Ronnie Schildknecht, van Berkel said his latest victory also tested his readiness for the upcoming final ITU World Championship Series race in Budapest.
“Uster was the final preparation before perhaps my biggest race of the season,” said the Dutchman, who edged out Schildknecht at the finish line by a mere 0.5secs. “I was given several instructions by my coach that I needed to execute during the race, specifically on the tactical and psychological aspects. Fortunately, it all worked well and this has given me a tremendous confidence boost for Hungary in a fortnight.
“I have my sights fully set on Olympic qualification races next season, and I definitely intend to perform well at these type of events. Apart from chasing my Olympic dreams, I am already thinking about winning the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon again in March!” joked van Berkel, who claimed victory in the UAE capital short distance event last March.
After the gruelling 1,500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run, van Berkel’s time of 1h54m4.4s was good enough to ward off the challenge posed by Schildknecht, who finished with a time of 1h54m4.9s. Coming in third was another Swiss athlete, Stefan Riesen, who clocked 1h59m44s.
Significantly, van Berkel’s victory over Schildknecht also avenged a runner-up finish by Abu Dhabi Triathlon Team’s Swen Sundberg at last month’s Ironman Zurich.
“I’ve had a good season so far with some decent results. My solid performance of late has helped me get into the world ranking top 50, up from 150th at the season start. And although I have yet to reach my absolute peak, I am quite happy with the result at Uster as this is one of the biggest short distance races,” said the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA)-backed star.
“However, my main focus is now on Budapest. With the presence of the best athletes in the world, I must be 100 percent prepared. And, as I also am aiming to improve on my position in the world rankings, I know a strong finish is essential to my Olympic hopes,” he added.
Abu Dhabi Triathlon Team, created by ADTA to further the emirate’s performance athletics’ credentials globally, is competing in more than 40 top international events this season, including the Ironman and 70.3 series and the French Championships.
To date, five of the six-person outfit have qualified for the Hawaiian Ironman showpiece, including captain Faris Al Sultan, Andi Böcherer, Pete Jacobs, Sundberg and Rachel Joyce, who finished in the top 10 at last year’s event.
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