PACTRAC ace Hoppe warms up for Mexico with a win in Wells

Simon Hoppe, Georgina Jennings and Abi Schofield all qualified to compete for Team GB in their respective age groups in the big event in Cozumel from September 15-18.

Hoppe and Jennings are the most experienced PACTRAC members at international championships.

Hoppe (46) started competing as an Elite Junior and has since gone on to represent Team GB a total of 23 times, in 14 World Championships and nine European Championships, winning five medals at the Europeans and one medal at the World Championships.

Last year in Chicago he was eighth in the 45-49 age group.

Jennings is one of the most prolific medal winners for Team GB, having taken up the sport in her fifties and is now one of the overwhelming favourites to win a medal in the 70-74 year category at this years’ World Championships.

She is the reigning Euriopean champion and at the 2015 World Championships in Chicago she won the silver medal behind America’s Paula Larsen.

Schofield (25) will be competing at her first World Championships.

Hoppe warmed up for Mexico with an overall win (out of 285 finishers) in the North Norfolk Triathlon at Wells-Next-Sea on Sunday.

He was second out of the 1500m sea swim and took the lead on the early stages of the 40k bike race.

He was, however, overtaken and had a minute’s deficit to make up at the start of the run. And with one mile left of the 10k run, he regained the lead to win by 14 seconds.

Hoppe is well known for training with his border collie dog, Minxie, who actually broke free from his wife while she was spectating at Sunday’s the event and joined Hoppe on the run leg. And she crossed the line comfortably ahead of Hoppe, much to the amusement of the crowd!

Hoppe said, “It was great to win the North Norfolk Triathlon for the third time in my career.

“I love triathlon as a sport, and this is my favourite UK race, so to win it, just 10 days before the World Championships in Mexico, gives me the confidence I need to perform to the best of my ability in Mexico.”

n PACTRAC junior Katie Tasker meanwhile competed at the National Triathlon Championships in Glasgow over the 2014 Commonwealth Games course at the weekend.

The 13 year-old King’s School pupil from Thorney was selected for the Eastern Region Under 15 team and finished 16th out of a field featuring the top 36 Under 15 triathletes in the country. Her team finished fourth.