Former world junior triathlon champion Wian Sullwald will set forth this season to prove that bad things don’t necessarily happen in threes when he lines up at the Triathlon World Cup Event in Cape Town on Saturday.
Sullwald has had a string of bad luck over the last two years. The worst was when he contracted tick bite fever, which really wreaked havoc with his immune system. It meant that he was never 100% fit to compete. To add to his frustration, he had to overcome a knee injury as well as a few other untimely setbacks over the last two years.
The TuksTriathlon competitor’s biggest disappointment was not being able to qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio. He really felt he had hit rock bottom and all he wanted to do was to disappear down a big black hole.
But he’s never been one to dwell on the past. He believes that the past is a done deal and there is nothing he can do to change it. The only thing that matters to him now, is to seize the moment and he’s firm in the belief that during 2017 he will enjoy his moment of glory on more than one occasion.
Providing he has his way, that revival of his triathlon career will begin in Cape Town. Sullwald has fond memories of competing in the Mother City. The first World Series event he competed in was in 2014 and took place in Cape Town. With 5km to go, he was still running shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Javier Gomez (Spain) and Jonathan Brownlee (Britain), two of the sport’s big names.
The commentators were caught off-guard by the newcomer, not knowing who he is. He eventually finished 15th in the race.
If Sullwald manages to get a good result on Saturday, it will be an indication that South Africa is becoming a real powerhouse at international triathlon.
Last year Henri Schoeman stunned everybody in the triathlon community by winning bronze at the Rio Olympics. This achievement was followed Schoeman winning the gold medal at the ITU Grand Final in Cozumel. Richard Murray was fourth at last year’s Olympic Games and fourth in the Grand Final. He has also won a few World Series races.
Sullwald’s main goal is to be the third South African to represent South Africa at the World Championships and the Olympic Games.
He is certainly not unrealistic in his expectations. In spite of not being at his best, he still managed to finish sixth at the Edmonton World Series event. In 2014, the last time when he was truly competitive, he won the Chengdu ITU Triathlon World Cup. Another highlight for him was snatching a 15th place finish at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
According to Sullwald, he was at first frustrated after experiencing one setback after the other.
‘I realised what was happening to me is not unique. People starting out, for example in an engineering career or as an accountant, often also have to overcome various setbacks and disappointments before they succeed. To succeed, it is not how many times you get knocked down that counts, it is how many times you get back up.
‘I have a goal and I won’t quit until I have achieved it,’ said the TuksSport athlete.
Picture of Sullwald courtesy of Reg Caldecott