If it wasn’t a false alarm in the middle of the night, or an overt plot to sink her hopes in the swim, it was her house mate making life tough for Ainsley Thorpe at World Triathlon Cup Napier.
Heck, she knows even her brother was colluding with the enemy.
As it transpired, only flattie Desirae Ridenour, the Canadian partner of Thorpe’s brother and fellow NZ rep Trent, and Aussie surprise Emma Jeffcoat could say they got the better of the Kiwi No.1 on Sunday.
The Cambridge 27-year-old spared the host nation of a second straight, medal-less home World Cup when she claimed bronze behind Ridenour and Jeffcoat in a gripping women’s race.
Eva Goodisson, a super encouraging 5th, and Tayler Reid, less enthused by his 7th in a men’s race won by David Castro Fajardo, the Spaniard with a particular liking for central New Zealand, were the other top-10 Kiwis.
There were eye-catching Team NZL performances elsewhere, notably from Marlborough 21-year-old Gus Marfell who brushed aside the nerves of a debut at World Triathlon’s second tier to be the second Kiwi male home in 13th.
But Sunday, in terms of the Kiwi headline, belonged to Thorpe.
It wasn’t a perfect day from the get go for the dual Tokyo and Paris Olympian (more on that soon) but a 4th World Cup podium to start the year is nothing to sneeze at either.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m happy, but I’m not satisfied with the result,” said Thorpe who now has a third World Cup bronze to match those in Wollongong (April ’24) and Antwerp (June 2019) and sit alongside her best of silver in New Plymouth in March 2019.
“I really wanted to win and I was so close but disappointed that my best discipline let me down on the finish straight. I just didn’t feel that great today.”
The disrupted night of sleep at her hotel didn’t help.
“I think it was like 2:30 and the fire alarm was like’ please evacuate the building!’. It was so loud and it’s like, okay, there’s probably not a fire but I’m not risking my life because I have no window. So I was like, I better go outside,” Thorpe said.
“There’s like a bar next door adjoined to our hotel. I couldn’t get to sleep because it was so loud and then wake up because these drunk people have left the spa bath on and there was like a waterfall coming out of their room.
“It was quite entertaining at 2:30 and then I had to try to get back to sleep. So it wasn’t my normal night’s sleep but oh well, it is what it is”.
What is also evident, even though we’re only one race into the new LA ’28 Olympic Games cycle for most, is that the fight to be in that conversation will be hard fought. As it should be; all’s fair in love and war and especially when you’re fighting to represent your country at the highest level.
Thorpe got wind of a plot to make life tough for her in the swim but was right on the heels of the top five out of the water: Aussie Zoe Clarke, Jeffcoat, Ridenour, Brea Roderick (who ended up 13th, the third best Kiwi female) and Goodisson.
Clearly the 3K threshold sessions she’s introduced into her training with the St Peter’s swim squad in Cambridge are paying off.
“Yeah, I heard whispers of a few girls trying to make a breakaway in the swim,” Thorpe said.
“It was quite obvious what they were trying to do. I don’t think they really wanted the runners in the pack today but I’m swimming well, so they couldn’t really get away.”
While disappointed she couldn’t match the final kick of Ridenour or Jeffcoat on the run, Thorpe was pleased for her flatmate.
“I’m so stoked for her,” Thorpe said of Ridenour.
“She finished a bit earlier than us last year, so she’s been training hard for six months, she really deserved that today. I’m super proud of her and I’m sure both of us will be happy that we’re bringing a medal back home.”
Not quite the colour Thorpe had hoped for but a medal nonetheless. It should also see Thorpe consolidate her position atop the Kiwis when the fresh World Rankings come out, especially with Nicole van der Kaay missing the bike break and being forced to settle for 16th.
“It’s great. It’s a medal and you can’t complain about putting some points next to my name,” Thorpe said.
“Your points go down pretty quickly if you don’t race well, so, yeah, it’s a good start to the season. Last year I got 8th here and today was third, so it’s a good start to the season.”
And what about Trent’s divided loyalties? Who do you think he would of been barracking for down the home straight?
“Definitely not me. He wouldn’t have come if she wasn’t racing,” Thorpe said with a laugh.
Reid in the fight as Marfell makes a name for himself
The 10 Kiwis in the men’s race all pretty much took turns forcing the pace with James Corbett, Reid and Saxon Morgan slick out of the water and Corbett and Ivan Ablele among the aggressors on the bike.
In the end though it was Reid’s experience and Marfell’s daring that won the plaudits.
For Marfell more so than the vastly experienced and second-seeded Reid, it was a special day. To place 13th on World Cup debut, especially when his previous continental best was 6th in what was largely a junior field at the Oceania Super Sprint on the Gold Coast, is a positive sign for the future.
“I’m so stoked,” Marfell said
“Nerves were fairly hard going into it, but I knew I had no expectations on myself, so I just, you know, raced as hard as I could. Had a pretty good swim, which I was happy with, and just full gas from there. The bunch luckily came together [on the bike] and had a great run to finish it off.”
David Castro Fajardo is remembered to Kiwis fans as the winner of Oceania Cup Taupo two years ago when he narrowly edged Southlander Janus Staufenberg. That win sparked a run of victories including Spanish, European and World Cup (Huatulco) wins but since July 2023 he’s struggled.
Until Sunday that was when he bolted first to hold off Aussie up and comer Brayden Mercer and defending champion Callum McClusky.
“I am very emotional, the last year was very hard for me. I was injured and didn’t compete for nine months. Now, start of the season, new coach, I need a refresh on my mind and I can’t believe that I started the year with a win here,”
“I love New Zealand, I am very, very happy.
“My coach Javier (Gomez Noya) told me, you are very confident, when you start the run you push and if you’re in a big group, you think in the last 300 metres you can sprint and win. It’s my tactic and I am very happy.”
World Triathlon Cup Napier
Feb. 23, 2025
750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run
Women
1. Desirae Ridenour (CAN) 56:25
2. Emma Jeffcoat (AUS) 56:27
3. Ainsley Thorpe (NZL) 56:34
Also NZL
5. Eva Goodisson – at 42s to winner
13. Brea Roderick – at 1min 33s
16. Nicole van der Kaay – at 2min 12s
17. Sarah McClure – at 2mins 37s
22. Lulu Johnson – at 3mins 29s
24. Olivia Cummings – at 3mins 52s
25. Charlotte Brown – at 4mins 50s
26. Amara Rae – at 7mins 12s
Men
1. David Castro Fajardo (ESP) – 50:30
2. Brayden Mercer (AUS) – 50:32
3. Callum McClusky (AUS) – 50:33
Also NZL
7. Tayler Reid – at 21sec to the winner
13. Gus Marfell – at 53sec
14. James Corbett – at 56sec
16. Henry McMecking – at 1min 02s
18. Lachlan Haycock – at 1min 26s
21. Sam Parry – at 1min 41s
24. Saxon Morgan – at 1min 54s
25. Ivan Abele – at 2min 00s
27. Oliver Larcombe – at 2min 17s
29. Cameron Maunder – at 2min 44s
34. Joel Lange – at 5min 28s ENDS
