Ayrodynamic Triathlon Club’s Finlay Rae is selected for Olympic Foundation squad

Oct 7 2011 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

STAR teenagerFinlay Rae is the new Scottish aquathlon champion.

The Ayrodynamic Triathon Club ace joined four clubmates to race in the championship event, the Portobello Autumn Aquathlon.

Finlay finished the 750m swim and 5k run in a fast 27.05, recording the fastest swim and run splits of the day (S11.14, R15.51) pushing fellow British Triathlon squad athlete Marc Austin into second place.

Greg Turner finished fourth overall and third in the Scottish Championship (time: 28.30, S12.19, R16.11).

Club coach Stewart Bailey, who is not currently on top form, raced solidly to finish in 34.57 (S14.57, R19.59) followed by Gordon Fraser in 44.15 (S20.01, R24.14).

Junior triathlete Andrew Black took part in the junior one event which involved a 400m swim and 3k run to finish sixth in 19.11 (S7.05, R12.06).

Veteran racer Charlie Martin took part in the off road duathlon event, the Dalbeattie Hardrock Challenge.

Charlie described his experience asanother race in the pouring rain, following on from Frankfurt and Fort William. He finished the 10 mile run and 16 mile mountain bike in 3.13.

Following his sub 10 hour Ironman event in July, Grant travelled to Las Vegas to race the world 70.3 championships. He had a good swim and was out the water in 21st.

The 56 mile bike starts with a two mile climb up to a highway then levels out a bit before a long hilly out and back course through Lake Mead National Park.

At the turnaround stage on the bike, Gregor was 13th but with five miles of bike to go was starting to lose position due to the soaring temperatures.

He tried to hang on for the 13.1 mile, three lap hilly run which unfortunately had no shade. Despite the brutal conditions and tough course, Gregor described the event as a great experience.

lFinlay Rae has been selected to the Olympic Foundation talent squad with British Triathlon.

Finlay attended a trial at British Triathlon's main training base at Loughborough University.

The trial consisted of an interview, swim TT (200m free - 2:05), run TT (1500m - 4:07) and Finlay had the best cumulative male scores out of the 13 athletes who applied for the squad places.

There are now three Scottish athletes on the programme as Finlay joins Grant Sheldon and Marc Austin. Finlay will attend four GB training camps per year, two of which will be abroad.

Triathlon Scotland runs a performance programme, working to develop elite triathletes for Commonwealth and Olympic competition. By 2012, it targets having 10 per cent of all Great British standard distance triathlon teams across youth, junior, U23 and senior, comprising Scottish athletes. Finlay is currently in the development squad.

Fourteen-year-old Andrew Black took part in trials at Stirling University and, following a successful swim and run, scored highest in his age group and was offered a place in the foundation squad.

Seven Ayrodynamic swimmers braved the chilly and murky waters of Strathclyde Park in the mass participation event, the Great Scottish Swim.

The temperature of 12.9 degrees celsius made the event a compulsory wetsuit swim. The one mile course consisted of a rectangular loop starting and finishing at the water sports centre. Chris Cummings posted the club’s fastest time of 23.48 followed by Lyndsay Bland (30.28) and Fiona Herbertson (30.34). The fast improving David Rae was next in 31.07.

Hot on the heels of David were Gordon Fraser (31.40), Gillian Mckenzie (37.34) and Andrea Stewart (46.16).