Ireland's Olympians to race firmus energy City of Derry Triathlon

Triathlete Aileen Reid.
(Photo: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE) — Triathlete Aileen Reid. (Photo: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE)

Ireland's Olympic triathletes will take part in their final home-soil warm up for the Rio Games in Derry this weekend.

Aileen Reid and Bryan Keane will put their pace to the test in the firmus energy City of Derry Triathlon on Sunday morning as part of their countdown to the 2016 Olympics.

The duo have opted to use the technical Category One draft-legal sprint race as a stepping stone to the summer games. It will be their final race together in Ireland ahead of Rio 2016.

Both triathletes have returned to Ireland from high altitude Olympic training camps to take part in the North West Triathlon Club’s annual showpiece which takes in the fast flowing River Foyle and spans the city’s three bridges.

Ireland's Bryan Keane, from Cork.
(Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE) — Ireland's Bryan Keane, from Cork. (Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE)

Keane announced last week that he intends to use the race as “great training opportunity”. Determined to get in on the action, Derry native Reid has decided to join her teammate following her 17th place finish in the Leeds World Triathlon Series Race last weekend.

Reid, who holds the distinction of being the only Irish triathlete to ever make it to an ITU World Series podium, has been making steady improvements following a winter training programme which was disrupted by illness for lengthy spells.

And Ireland’s highest ranked elite triathlete is looking forward to enjoying the support of her home town as she steps up the training intensity for Rio.