This morning, the Singapore International Triathlon took place, and the fastest overall time in this year’s Standard Distance event was achieved by Irishman Colin O’Shea, 35. He had completed the 1,500m swim, 36km bike ride and 10km run course in 2 hours and 7 seconds – and with this result, he emerged as the winner for the Men’s 35-39 age group category.
Colin O’Shea did the triathlon in 2 hours and 7 seconds
Said O’Shea, who is a Singapore Permanent Resident and works in Finance “I knew that there was a number of strong athletes in the field, and I realised that it would be a tough race. I wanted to be on the podium, but to win is a very special feeling. I feel really elated and it’s fantastic.”
Successful Race Strategy
What was his race strategy? Said O’Shea, “I was ready to stick close to Tim (Timothy Cosulich, the eventual second-place getter in the same category) and see what I could do on the run. I was very sore at the end of the race – but it was all worth it.”
O’Shea catching his breath.
And Cosulich, 35, an Italian ship-owner living in Singapore, admitted that he had tried his best, but he could not catch O’Shea during the run. He said, “Well, it was an interesting race for me. I thought I had a chance to win, but Colin was just too fast during the run.” Cosulich had completed the triathlon in 2 hours and 43 seconds, which was not very far behind.
Running and swimming are O’Shea’s strongest legs in a triathlon. He said, “Running is something that I tend to be good at. I also grew up as a swimmer, so I swam every day of my life. But cycling is the area that I need to get up to speed at though – in order to be unbeatable.”
Timothy Cosulich was not too far behind O’Shea
Fellow triathlete Jonathan Tan Jin Sheng, 24, emerged as the champion – in the Men’s 18 to 24 age group and also in the National Champions Category, but he had a different race strategy compared to O’Shea. Said Tan, a Mechanical Engineering student at the National University of Singapore, “My strategy was just to go hard in every discipline – and to keep up the pace when I was not feeling so good. It is all about determination and keeping your head down when the going gets tough.”
Win is very meaningful for O’Shea
This triathlon win is very meaningful for O’Shea, because he had experienced some technical difficulties in the last two triathlons in Singapore that he had participated in. He explained, “I’m very glad that I finished a triathlon in Singapore now. The last triathlon I took part in, was the MetaSprint one in April and I got a tyre puncture and had to pull out. I also had technical difficulties at the Tri Factor Triathlon in September last year so I could not complete the race either.”
Colin O’Shea and Timothy Cosulich on the podium.
Tips for triathletes
What tips does O’Shea have to share, with triathletes? He said, “One key thing is that you must enjoy doing the sport. Also, you should do a few hours in each discipline every week – and practise doing the transitions before race day, because this is essential to completing the race in a faster timing.”
What tips do the winners have for all the triathletes out there?
Added Tan, “I think it is consistency in your training. You cannot train for an event like this, just two months before the race. You need to put in at least six months effort – and you will reap the rewards on race day itself.”
Leave a Comment