SIMPSON BAY—Triathlete Nicole Erato has topped the world rankings in the 25 to 29 age category after a sensational performance at the Chattanooga Half Ironman in Tennessee on Sunday where she finished 17th in age group with a time of four hours 57:57.
“It was amazing….this was the biggest race I’ve done so far,” she told the Daily Herald. “There were 100 athletes in my age group and 3,000 athletes in total. My age group was the biggest and most competitive. It was a training race for the World Championships which will be held here in the same place so it was a good opportunity to check out the area and what the route might be like.”
The result of her race puts her at the top of the world rankings for her age group for 70.3 Ironman though this can change throughout the year as more races happen.
“My bike time was faster than six of the pros,” she added. “The new bike is a rocket by the way. I’m super happy with this result seeing as it was a training race. I was not allowed to push on any of the disciplines as it was designed for me to practice with the new gear.
“After St. Croix I was nowhere recovered as much as I should have been. So I’m really excited to be doing a real race again after the summer once I have got used to the new equipment, my training’s up to par and I’m well recovered.”
Nicole returns to the island today.
