IN an emotional homecoming, Zimbabwean-born Netherlands triathlete Rachel Shamiso Klamer won gold on her debut at the Bonaqua Africa Triathlon Cup Troutbeck event in Nyanga yesterday.
The 34-year-old Dutch speedster, who was born in Harare and relocated to the Netherlands before her fourth birthday, beat Japan’s Minori Ikeno into second place. Ikeno had finished fourth in last year’s edition. Klamer’s compatriot Marit Van Den Berg rounded out the podium in third.
“It is great to be here. It is a beautiful place and everyone is so friendly. The race is very well organized, but the high altitude was a significant challenge for me, coming from the flat Netherlands,” Klamer told reporters.
Shamiso Klamer, as she is fondly known, was overjoyed to be back in Nyanga, the place she called home for three and a half years as a child when her parents worked as doctors in the nearby town of Regina.
“About 34 years ago, I was born here in Harare. It’s great to be back, and I hope more people come to race here in the future because it’s a wonderful place,” she said.
The Dutch athlete was also delighted to reconnect with people from her childhood. “We met people from 30 years ago, which was great because we didn’t know if they were still there. It’s been wonderful to be here, and I’d love to come back more often.”
Klamer was pleased with her performance on the challenging course. “I wanted to win today, and I’m happy with the race. I didn’t do as much training as in previous years, so I wasn’t sure if I could go fast, but I’m thrilled with the result.”
Panagiotis Bitados of Greece won the elite men’s race, with Germany’s Valentin Wernz taking silver and Paul Georgenthum clinching bronze. Zimbabwe’s junior representatives Callum Smith and Stanley Chasakara finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
In the junior women’s event, Zimbabwe’s Nicole Madya claimed bronze, narrowly missing out on an Africa Championships slot. “It was a very tough race. I had a bad swim, so I had to push hard to catch up, but I’m happy with my self-improvement, even though I’m disappointed to have missed the Africa Champs qualification time,” Madya said.
