WESTERN BUREAU:MONTEGO BAY'S scenic Rose Hall tourism corridor is poised for an injection of international excitement this morning when it plays host to the triathlon section of the inaugural Wata Rose Hall Triathlon and Wellness Festival, starting at 6:30.
The triathlon will feature a 1,500m ocean swim at the Iberostar Rose Hall Resort; a 40-km bike ride, which will take riders from Iberostar to the Half Moon entrance, looping through Spring Farm and ending at the Rose Hall Great House; and a 10km run along the Cinnamon Hill golf course.
Great week
"It has been a great week so far and we are expecting a fantastic triathlon," said Janet Silvera, a member of the organising committee. "All the participants, both local and international, are here and are ready and rearing to go," Silvera said.
Among a host of celebrity athletes who will be putting their talent on show are Julie Swail Ertel and Jordan Rapp, who qualified for this year's United States' Olympic triathlon team.
The event, which is the brainchild of Entertain Jamaica's Rayne Russell, a former national tennis player, is designed to showcase Jamaica's awesome sports tourism potential as well as to reposition Rose Hall as Jamaica's premier health and wellness hub.
Stronger competition
While they will all be exposed to much stronger competition this time around, Patrick Lee, of Cutters Cycling Club; Alexandra Costen, of BRADA cycling team; and 14-year-old St James High School student Oshane Hall, who all did well in the dress-rehearsal for this event back in August, will be hoping to use that experience to good effect.
In August, Lee won the male 1,500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run in 2:26.08, ahead of Belgium's Tytgat Redgy and England's Nigel Knowles, who finished in 2:50.43 and 2:50:57 respectively. Consten took the women's title, clocking 2:40.15, while Hall surprised several established triathletes in clocking a respectable 1:39.20 in the junior event.
Lucrative prize package
The event carries a lucrative prize package which includes a trip for two, including round-trip airfare on Air Jamaica and four nights at the Ritz Carlton Rose Hall Resort.
