As he continues for his push to be selected in the national team, Bathurst’s Josh Stapley will compete in the Maloolabah Triathlon in Queensland on Sunday.
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It’s the first major race he’s competed in since fracturing his C5 vertebrae in 2016.
“I’m pretty keen for this one. This is my first major race since then and the first real shot to get myself a spot in the national team,” he said.
“I’ve been working towards this all season and in the past few weeks, I’ve been training really, really well. Everything has been firing, the best it’s been since 2015. I’m just really keen to see what I can do in this one.”
If Stapley wants to qualify for the national team, he needs to compete in at least three qualifying races and accumulate enough points.
During the Maloolabah Triathlon, there will be several opportunities for triathletes to automatically qualify for the national team but Stapley is focused on just getting a good amount of points.
“This being a national championship [in Maloolabah] always means its a double points round. I could really cement my chances this weekend,” he said.
“I’ve already had one race and didn’t get as many points as I would’ve liked but I’m still right up there. If I get a good amount of points in Maloolabah I’m confident I can get into the team.
“I’ve got one more qualifying race left next weekend in Wollongong, so that’ll tie things up for me.”
Fellow Bathurst triathlete Mark Windsor is also expected to compete at the Maloolabah Triathlon on Sunday, with Stapley saying he has a “bloody good shot” at winning his age group.