Mellieha Athletic Club triathlete Margaret Seguna won her first National Long Distance Triathlon Championship title on Sunday after a hard fought battle with last year’s winner Michelle Vella Wood.
Seguna, who comes from a running background, was taking part in this race for the second time since taking up triathlon four years ago.
Starting off with a 1.9k swim, Seguna was the first female to exit the water followed by fellow club triathlete Donatelle Camilleri who has a good consistent history of such races. Vella Wood was the third to exit the water. Seguna held on to first place in the first two laps of the seven lap course, however Vella Wood caught up with Seguna, cycling being Vella Wood’s strongest point. This however did not deter Seguna who kept a stead and calm pace knowing that the run was her best discipline out of the three. This strategy worked and Seguna maintained a steady pace in the run, overtaking Vella Wood and crossing the finish line ahead to win the 2015 Championship title.
“I prepared for this race both on a physical and mental level because I knew that it was not going to be easy. Although I could have done a better swim, I knew I still had a 90km cycle and a half marathon to cover”, said Seguna after the race. “Knowing how strong fellow National Team member Michelle Vella Wood is, especially on the bike it was important for me to be calm and pace myself well in order to leave enough energy for the run which is my strongest discipline”.
Seguna finished in 9th place overall in a pool of 52 athletes. Seguna’s next racing commitments will take place in June, when she joins the Malta Triathlon National Team for the 2015 ETU Triathlon European Championships to be held in Geneve, Switzerland and the local National Triathlon Sprint Series.
Seguna is grateful for the support she receives from her family, in particular her partner Joseph Cremona as well as her Coach Dermot Galea, the Malta Triathlon Federation and the Kunsill Malti għall-iSport for giving her the opportunity to benefit from the flexi training scheme allowing her to undergo professional training sessions in preparation for there international commitments.
Margaret Seguna tirbah l-ewwel titlu taghha tal- Kampjonat Long Distance Triathlon
L-atleta tal-Mellieha Athletic Club Margaret Seguna rebħet l-ewwel titlu Nazzjonali tagħha meta nhar il-Ħadd li ghadda, rebħet il-Kampjonat Nazzjonali tal-Long Distance Triathlon wara taqtiha intensiva ma’l-atleta Michelle Vella Wood, ir-rebbieha tal-edizzjoni 2014.
Seguna, li ġejja minn sfond tal-atletika, kienet qeda tieħu sehem f’din it-tellieqa għat-tieni darba minn meta bdiet il-karriera tagħha fit-triathlon erbgħa ‘snin ilu.
Seguna kienet l-ewwel mara li ħarġet mill-ilma wara ghawma ta 1.9 kilometru, hi giet segwita mill-atleta tal-istess klabb Donatelle Camilleri liema atleta għandha storja konsistenti u tajba ta’ dawn it-tlielaq. Vella Wood segwiet fit-tielet post. Seguna żammet fuq quddiem fl-ewwel żewġ dawriet, minn seba tal- korsa, madankollu Vella Wood laħqet ma Seguna, billi ic-ċikliżmu huwa l-iktar dixxiplina b’saħħitha ta’ Vella Wood.
Madankollu Seguna zammet pass konsistenti u kalkulat peress li id-dixxiplina tal-giri hija l-iktar wahda b’sahhita fiha Seguna. Din l-istrateġija zammitha sa l-aħħar sabiex irenexxiela teghleb lil Vella Wood biex b’hekk tieħu it-titlu tal-Kampjonat 2015.
“Il-preparamenti ghal din it-tellieqa saru kemm fuq livell fiżiku u mentali għaliex kont naf li ma kienet se tkun faċli. Għalkemm stajt ngħum aħjar, kont naf li kelli naqdef 90 kilometru, u nigri nofs maratona” qalet Seguna wara it-tellieqa . “Naf sewwa kemm Michelle Vella Wood, li flimkien qedin fit-tim nazzjonali tat-triathlon, kemm hi b’sahhita, speċjalment fuq il-rota, ghalhekk kien importanti għalija li inqassam it-tellieqa sewwa sabiex inħalli biżżejjed enerġija għall-medda kollha, specjalment fil-girja li hija dixxiplina l-iktar b’saħħitha tiegħi “.
Bir-rizultat tagħha Seguna spiccat fid-disgħa post, min tnejn u ħamsin atleta, fil-klassifika generali. L-impenji ta-Seguna wara din it-tellieqa huma il-kampjonati Ewropej tat-Triathlon li ser siru f’Ġunju, meta hi tingħaqad mat-Tim Nazzjonali Malti tat-Triathlon f’Geneva, l-Isvizzera. Seguna behsieba ukoll tippartecipa fit-tlielaq lokali tal-iSprint Series li jsiru matul is-sajf.
Seguna hija grata għall-appoġġ hija tirċievi mill-familja tagħha , b’mod partikolari is-sieħeb tagħha Joseph Cremona, kif ukoll il-Coach tagħha Dermot Galea, il-Malta Triathlon Federation u l- Kunsill Malti għall- iSport biex jagħtu l-opportunità li jibbenefikaw mill- iskema Flexi Training li tippermettilha tibbenefika minn sessjonijiet ta ‘taħriġ professjonali fil-preparazzjoni għall -impenji internazzjonali taghha.
