A new home away from home is already helping Eva Goodisson feel more like the not so old version of herself.
The Hawke’s Bay 25-year-old relocated to the Gold Coast after placing 9th at the Oceania Standard Distance Championships in Taupo a fortnight ago and took advantage of her familiar new surrounds to snare 4th at the inaugural continental super sprint championships on Friday.
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Goodisson finished just four seconds off an all-Australia podium of Charlotte McShane, Emma Jeffcoat and Sian Munks at the impressive Gold Coast Performance Centre at Runaway Bay.
On the comeback trail from a neural back injury, Goodisson’s result was the best of the five Kiwis to make the 16-woman final with Sarah McClure and Lulu Johnson impressively 8th and 9th respectfully ahead of promising Charlotte Brown in 14th and Hannah Howell in 15th.
“Yeah really happy with that result. It’s showing that from race by race, I’m getting back,” Goodisson told Triathlon.kiwi.
Goodisson won her heat over the 150m pool swim, 4km bike and 1km track run to progress directly to the final. She then completed the final in 14:37. Running has always been her strength but has been the slowest discipline to return since the back injury and was reflected again in her 1km split, a 7th best of the final 4:08. Normally, few would run faster but progress is progress.
“Today’s format was something completely different and new to me. The heats only had the top two women progress to the final so I wanted to avoid a repechage and decided to send it in the heat,” she said.
“A 150m swim doesn’t give you much room so I had to really work the bike. It was short, sharp and technical which suited me so I started the 1k track run with a nice buffer and safely made it through.”
Fuelling and recovery was then critical in the two hour break before the final.
“Going into the final the plan was similar. Get a break on the bike heading into the run. Jeffcoat, McShane and I got a gap and I gave it all I had to finish up 4th. Really happy with getting little things right such as tactics, transitions and between race fuel and recovery.”
Goodisson is also happy in her new training ground. She intends remaining on the the Gold Coast for the remainder of 2024 at least. Racing wise, her schedule will very much depend on her progression under the long distance eye of coach Chris Willett but will hopefully include World Triathlon Cup racing in Europe in September-October.
“I’ve seen some solid gains running so I’m excited to see what I can do after a decent block of training here before going overseas later this year,” Goodisson said.
In addition to the five Kiwis in the final, Hayley Cornwall’s (15:29) runner-up finish to Aussie Charli Spies (15:17) in the B final was an encouraging sign for the future.
It comes after the Year 13 Palmerston North Girls’ High School student was 3rd in the Oceania U19 championship in Napier and claimed gold in the senior race at the NZ Schools Championship in Mount Maunganui.
Isabelle Bannister, Sophie Webber and Lucy Evans were 6th, 7th and 10th respectively in the B final.
