Austria’s Peter Luftensteiner and Venezuela’s Genesis Carolina Ruiz Volcan reigned supreme in the elite categories as the Africa Triathlon Cup concluded today in Kilifi.
Luftensteiner clocked 1:00:41.0 to clinch the men’s elite title ahead of Hungary’s Zsombor Dévay (1:00:44) and fellow Austrian Philip Pertl (1:00:51).
Germany’s Lukas Meckel (1:01:15) and Tim Semmler (1:01:40) completed the top five.
In the women’s elite race, Ruiz Volcan of Venezuela delivered a composed performance to take gold in 1:09:12, holding off Germany’s Finja Schierl (1:09:21) and Japan’s Himeka Sato (1:09:32).
Japan’s Minori Ikeno followed in 1:12:13, while Kenya’s Meghan Irungu placed fifth in 1:23:03 to close a successful weekend for the host nation.
Ruiz Volcan expressed delight at her first visit to Kenya, describing the conditions as both challenging and rewarding.
“I am very happy. The race was good — the weather was hot, but I liked it,” she said.
“It’s my first time in Kenya, and I’ve really enjoyed the experience.”
Fresh from a second-place finish at the Africa Cup in Uganda last week, the Venezuelan star said the Kilifi course provided a different kind of test.
“Yesterday I did the duathlon, and today the triathlon,” she explained.
“The challenge for me was to see if I could finish the triathlon after winning the duathlon — and I achieved that. The swim was rough, but once I went in with the mentality to finish, I was happy.”
She added that despite triathlon being an individual discipline, teamwork remains vital.
“In the swim, it’s every athlete for themselves, but on the bike, you have to work as a team before giving it everything in the run,” she said.
Kenya’s Meghan Irungu, who earlier won the Africa Duathlon Cup women’s elite title, said competing against world-class athletes offered invaluable experience.
“The course was different from Saturday’s flatter with more turns but that made it exciting,” she said.
“With endurance sports, you have to pace yourself and trust your training. It was a learning experience competing with the best.”
The Kilifi event was organized by Triathlon Kenya, Africa Triathlon and World Triathlon.
It capped a weekend of global endurance excellence that saw both duathlon and triathlon competitions unfold against the backdrop of the Indian Ocean.
State Department of Sports Deputy Director Caroline Kariuki, commended the high turnout of athletes from 11 nations including Japan, Germany, Venezuela, Morocco and Mauritius, saying the event was a strong statement for Kenya’s capacity to host world-standard competitions.
“This championship is sponsored by the Ministry of Sports, and we are glad it has attracted so many participants,” Kariuki said.
She said the finale underlined both Kenya’s hosting credentials and the sport’s growing global appeal.
“There has been a lot of talent development, and we hope to see more youth representing Kenya in Senegal next year. Sport can be an employer, and we appeal to all stakeholders to continue supporting this growth,” she concluded.