Life on the Gold Coast clearly agrees with Eva Goodisson but home is where the heart is and it was singing after the comeback Kiwi produced her best World Triathlon Cup result in Napier on Sunday.
The Havelock North 26-year-old’s 5th place was the most encouraging sign yet that she’s making headway after a “really hard, gruelling, very psychologically testing two years” batting a neural back injury.
That diagnosis came not long after Goodisson claimed 7th at World Cup Miyazaki – her previous World Cup high – in October 2022 and is comfortably her best result since finishing just off the podium at the Oceania Super Sprint Championships in her new Queensland home 10 months ago.
Sunday’s 5th best swim time and equal best (with bronze medallist Ainsley Thorpe) bike split came as little surprise as Goodisson has been able to strengthen those disciplines as her back slowly healed.
But the most joy came from her 17:57 split for the 5km along the Ahuriri foreshore. The time might have been roughly mid-pack – 15th of the day to be precise – but it was a stonking 51 seconds faster than her split on the same course 12 months ago.
Goodisson was reminded of a photo from Napier last year where she was captured on the run sporting a beaming smile, returning the love shown to her by the parochial Napier crowds. It was “either that or I would have been crying”, the Gold Coast-based Kiwi admitted of the brave face she put on her injury frustration at the time.
Indeed,12 months on, Goodisson had genuine reason to lap up the hometown adoration.
“If someone was telling me I was going to get 5th today, I’d be super stoked. So really, really happy with that,” Goodisson said.
“It feels so good after a really, really hard, gruelling, very psychologically testing two years to start to feel like myself again. Finally.
“It’s been a great opportunity to work on my swim-bike as well these two years, so that’s been a positive. But now, to be at the pointy end of the race and have my run come back together, it’s exciting.”
The only downer was being pipped by the American Erika Ackerland in a blue carpet sprint for 4th.
“Going onto the run, I knew that coming from my running background, I usually feel better throughout the run, so I just tried to relax on the first lap and actually felt really good on the second lap.
“I could see those chasers hunting me down, though, which is never a great feeling. And I was like, come on, just hold on. And then, yeah, just out kicked for fourth at the end but to end up 5th, I was super happy.”
Hopefully it’s onwards and upwards from here. Goodisson will contest next month’s Oceania Championships (standard distance) in Tasmania and is looking forward to the return of the Oceania Super Sprint to Runaway Bay on the “GC”.
Beyond that, a seven-week stint in Europe beckons with a mix of continental, World Cup and hopefully WTCS starts planned. The ultimate goal is to make it all the way to October’s WTCS finale in Wollongong.
The base for that, and her great start to 2025 in Napier, will and has been the relocation to the Gold Coast where she swims with the crack Miami Swim Squad, runs with the Gold Coast Run Club and mucks in with a number of the Aussie squad on the bike.
“I mean, I love New Zealand and I love coming back and being at home, but the Goldie has been a perfect change and a great base to be,” Goodisson said..
“The squads there have been awesome and the weather’s great. It’s nice to be with my partner over there as well. I’m in a pretty good routine.”
World Triathlon Cup Napier – 2025
Women
1. Desirae Ridenour (CAN) 56:25
2. Emma Jeffcoat (AUS) 56:27
3. Ainsley Thorpe (NZL) 56:34
Also NZL
5. Eva Goodisson 57:05
13. Brea Roderick 57:56
16. Nicole van der Kaay 58:35
17. Sarah McClure 59:00
22. Lulu Johnson 59:52
24. Olivia Cummings 1:01:15
25. Charlotte Brown 1:01:13
26. Amara Rae 1:03:35
Photos: World Triathlon
