Rooi opens season with African gold

Namibian para triathlete Jeromius “Jerome” Rooi secured a gold medal on Saturday in his first international outing of the year at the Africa Para Triathlon Championships in Blue Bay, Mauritius.

Rooi won the men’s PTS2 classification after completing the 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run course in a total time of 01:22:07 as the sole competitor in the classification.

PTS2 is a para triathlon classification for athletes with severe physical impairments who compete in the standing classes.

Also making his first international outing of the year at the same event was Mateus Angula, who clocked 01:33:22 to win bronze in the men’s PTWC classification.

PTWC is the wheelchair classification in para triathlon, where athletes use a handcycle on the bike leg and a racing wheelchair on the run leg.

The men’s PTWC race was won by Tunisia’s Fathi Zwoukhi in 01:09:29, ahead of Morocco’s Redouane Ouassif, who took silver in 01:22:40, finishing 10 minutes and 42 seconds clear of Angula.

Maximilian Betts also represented Namibia at Blue Bay, competing at the Africa Triathlon Sprint Championships in the elite men’s and U23 men’s categories.

Betts’ third outing

The African Championships marked Betts’ third event of the year, after he competed at two Africa Triathlon Premium Cups in Swakopmund and Mossel Bay, South Africa, in March.

Despite his valiant effort, Betts finished 3 minutes and 13 seconds behind elite men’s winner Jawad Abdelmoula of Morocco. His overall time of 55 minutes and 39 seconds placed him 12th in the elite men’s race.

The Namibian also competed in the U23 men’s category, where his time of 55:39 placed him fifth, 1 minute and 14 seconds behind winner Jack Spence of South Africa.

On his social media, coach Jean-Paul Schmidt, who is accompanying the athletes, confirmed that it was Rooi and Angula’s first race of the year, saying: “The pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games has started in earnest.”

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