Commonwealth Games triathlete Andrea Whitcombe will be leaving her bike and goggles at home on Sunday (20 January) as she aims to strengthen her running over Cardiff terrain.
The English athlete – who is based in Swansea - is the favourite to win the women’s title at the Corus-sponsored Cardiff Cross Challenge this weekend which takes place over Blackweir Fields in Bute Park.
Ranked second in the British rankings, Whitcombe, 36, aims to compete as part of the triathlon team at the Beijing Olympics in August. But this weekend she makes a return to cross country – the sport which kicked off her international career.
And she is set to be a very fierce contender. Not only is she a seven-times World Cross representative for Great Britain and a three-times National Cross Country Champion, she also competed in the 5000m at the Sydney Olympics and took silver at the 1998 Commonwealth Games over the same distance.
The Welsh team is led by Commonwealth Games veteran Catherine Dugdale. The nine-times winner of the Welsh Cross Country title has turned her attention to the road in recent years but her reappearance in the Cardiff line-up makes for an interesting confrontation.
The men’s race has strong Midland and North of England contingents with Tom Humphries heading the Midlanders line up. He showed useful form at the European Championships in Spain last month.
Cardiff has a strong deputation entered with Nat Lane, Richie Gardiner and Jorge Thomas all part of the Welsh squad along with Huw Evans of Tonbridge.
The under-20 events are not short on talent either. Cardiff’s Simon Lawson will be looking to follow up his victory over 5000m at last weekend’s Welsh Indoor Championships.
For more information, please contact Jane Williams at Welsh Athletics on 029 2033 8274 or visit www.cardiffxchallenge.co.uk
