My first race of the season, and after having a bad swim I managed to turn it around and finished 4^th, but took out the Oceania Elite Sprint Champion title as the first Oceania athlete home! J

Mooloolaba ITU World Cup, March –

I just missed the front group in Mooloolaba, which really messed up the rest of the race. I rode and ran well, but it wasn’t enough to get back in the race. I ended up 7^th in a really strong field, and there were plenty of positives to take.

Auckland ITU World Series, April –

My first World Series race of the year – and I finally managed to have a great swim! I exited the water in the top 5, rode strong and ended up finishing in 9^th. A good start to the series

Yokohama ITU World Series, April–

After having such a good swim in Auckland, I was really disappointed to have a bad swim here. Fortunately, we managed to work well enough together to catch the front group in the last lap of the ride. I didn’t have the best day in the run, but finished in 10^th which I can’t be too disappointed about.

Madrid ITU World Series, May –

My first European race of the year, Madrid was one of the toughest races I’ve ever done. A couple of mistakes couple cost me quite a few places, however I finished up 18^th  in a really strong field which certainly wasn’t a disaster.

Hamburg ITU World Series, June –

Hamburg was definitely the low point of my year. I had a solid training block in the lead up and I had really put a lot of focus in performing here. I had an awful race start to finish, and to say I was disappointed is an understatement. That’s just the way sport is sometimes.

Tiszaujvaros World Cup, August –

With the disappointment of Hamburg behind me, I was firing going in to Tiszy. I comfortably won my heat, and had actually managed to get myself in to a breakaway from the swim. In the final, I just missed the breakaway and found myself chasing the rest of the race to finish in 12^th. Another disappointment, but I had a great run which certainly installed some confidence.

Stockholm ITU World Series, August –

Stockholm has one of the toughest bike courses on the circuit – which certainly suits my strengths. I led out the chase group in the swim, and managed to work my way up to the front group by the end of the ride. The tough ride took its toll on me though, and I ran a lot slower than I would have liked. I finished 13^th – and I left feeling like I still had a lot more to give.

London ITU World U23 Triathlon Championships, September –

This was the focus of the whole year. I went in to London with one goal – to win. I still can’t believe it actually happened – and I don’t think it will ever sink it. I had made every mistake under the sun throughout the year, and I finally managed to learn from them and put together as perfect a race as I could. I’ll never forget that feeling when I crossed the line.

Tongyeong ITU World Cup, October –

I finished off my season in South Korea on my way home to Australia. I certainly felt it hard to back up after London, and I ended up in 8^th.

I’m very excited to be heading home having achieved my goal this year. I also managed to finish up 20^th in the ITU World Triathlon Series, which after having missed a few races, I couldn’t be happier with. I look forward to heading in to the 2014 season as the current U23 World Champion and can’t wait to build on what I did this year.

Thank you to my family, my coach Jamie Turner, Triathlon Australia and my sponsors for all the support.

Thanks

Charlotte