1:17pm Thursday 2nd September 2010
TRIATHLETE Beau Smith is making a name for himself in the British Triathlon Super Series.
Still only aged 16, Beau from Yealand Redmayne, near Burton-in-Kendal, has been taking on his elders in the Junior Elite Male Under-20 category.
And he has fought his way into the top six going into the competition's final race in Wales later in September.
Beau's busy schedule - he is also an accomplished middle-distance athlete on the track - saw him in action in the Challenger World London Triathlon during August.
Held in the ExCel Centre in London's Docklands more than 13,000 athletes took part in the two-day event, making it the largest triathlon in the world.
After a 750-metre swim in the Royal Victoria Dock, Beau exited the water on the leaders' heels.
Running inside the centre to the first transition for the 26k bike section, he was quickly up with the leading pack over a closed-roads route that took them past some of the capital's famous landmarks such as Big Ben and the Houses and Parliament.
Beau capitalised on a mix-up made by most of the 30-strong pack going into the second transition and he headed off on the 5K run in second place.
Although eventually overtaken by some of the older, stronger competitions, he still put in a fast run to finish strongly in eighth place overall.
That effort in the fourth race of the British series leaves him placed sixth overall going into the final race, the British Elite Championships, which takes place in on September 19 in Tredegar in South Wales.
He said: “London is a huge event and there was a great atmosphere so it made it more special.
“I have applied for the National Talent Squad through the British Triathlon and if I can get onto that there are three or four training camps with top triathletes over the year.
“I have a new coach in Mark Walsh from Kendal and we are looking at building my distance to 1,500m or 3,000m to get used to longer distance running."
At local level, Beau won the third event in the Tri-South Summer Series at Capernwray Diving Centre, near Carnforth, compelting a hat-trick of success in the series against senior competition.
Away from triathlon, Beau, who attends Royal Lancaster Grammar School has enjoyed a successful track athletics season this year, racing in the U17s over 800m and 1500m.
He won over both distances at the Lancashire Championships, won the 1500m at the Lancashire Schools Championships, won the 800m at the Northern Championships, and most recently took the 800m bronze at the UK Athletics Championships at Bedford International Stadium on August 22.
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