Shaikh Nasser quits Triathlon

Manama : HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, President of Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC), withdrew from the Challenge Family Championship Triathlon which was held in Samorin, Slovakia yesterday after suffering from a muscle strain. 

The event witnessed the participation of a group of elite athletes as well as a lineup of strong teams specialised in the triathlon sport in which Shaikh Nasser had to withdraw during the running phase of the event.

Shaikh Nasser gave his all to complete the race, but had to retire from the race as the injury got worse after being listed among the professional athletes, and first time to compete against such participants. 

The event composed of three stages comprising a 1.9km swim which Shaikh Nasser completed in 30 minutes 51.5 seconds, then the 90km of cycling was completed in two hours 15 minutes and 48 seconds, before pulling out during the 21.1km run.

“The Championship in Slovakia is one of the most powerful races and witnesses the participation of a wide range of athletes from all over the world. This makes it one of the toughest and most technically challenging competitions in the world and its great to be able to compete against such athletes and gain more experience,” Shaikh Nasser said.

“All the technical things were good before the race and I finished the training courses very successfully. I managed to reach my peak after training in swimming, cycling and running. I entered the race with a large enthusiasm with the hope of achieving an advanced position that confirms excellent progress at a personal level and the development of triathletes from Bahrain.  I finished the swimming event without any problem, and then I went to the cycling race, after which I joined the group in the running race, where I suffered the injury,” Shaikh Nasser added.

“After more than 5 km, I picked up the muscle strain. I stopped a little to rest and tried to continue the race but I could not because of the aggravation of the injury. Thus I decided to retire from the event and withdrawing from the race is not the end. Players in all sports face challenges, including injuries at events and though it was a muscle strain, it will start to ease in the coming days and I will compete in upcoming races,” Shaikh Nasser explained.

Shaikh Nasser despite his withdrawal from the race, praised other members of the Bahrain Team, who completed the race and successfully met one of the preset goals for participation in the event.