It was an incredible weekend for Team Ireland at the Bucharest European Triathlon Union Junior Cup. Junior triathletes, Maeve Gallagher and Erin McConnell showcased their quality on the international stage as they both claimed podium finishes.
The inaugural Bucharest ETU Triathlon Junior European Cup saw 11 nations compete in the heart of Romania’s capital city. Maeve Gallagher took home the silver medal whilst Erin McConnell took home bronze.
Beginning with the two-lap swim of the lake, some powerful swimming by Erin gave her the lead after the first lap. She entered the first transition ahead of the chasing pack. Teammate Maeve Gallagher had a brilliant transition to the cycle leg of the event and fought her way back through the ranks, making up a 30 second deficit to catch up with the group leading the race. Maeve and Erin worked together on the bike as they held on to third and fourth place.
oving to final leg of the event, Maeve showed no signs of fatigue with an incredibly strong run. In a time of 18:28, she put in the fastest run of the day and finished behind eventual winner Augusta Grunberg Christensen of Denmark.
Maeve was named Irish Junior Triathlete of the Year in 2017. She is also the current Irish Schools Triathlon Champion, winning the title in May.
Erin, who in March was Team Ireland’s highest placed athlete at the Quarteria ETU Junior European Cup in Portugal, crossed the line in third place with an overall time of 1:02:01.
A wonderful achievement for Team Ireland and a testament to the hard work and commitment made by the athletes!
The next ETU Triathlon European Championships take place in Tartu Estonia, in July.
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