The second stop of the ITU World Triathlon Series will see Ryan Bailie return to his country of birth in Cape Town, South Africa this weekend.
After his recent selection to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games later this year, Bailie is returning to South Africa for the first time since moving from Johannesburg to Western Australia with his family as a 6 year-old.
“This will be the first time I’ve been back to South Africa since I immigrated and I am excited to get back there,” said Bailie.
Bailie is set to compete in a 62-strong men’s field which is headlined by world champion and Auckland race 1 winner Javier Gomez. Auckland podium finishers Jonathan Brownlee and Australian Aaron Royle are also in the field, along with hometown hopefuls Richard Murray and Henri Schoeman of South Africa.
Now 23, Bailie is competing in his second full season as a World Triathlon Series athlete after turning pro as a 17 year old.
“I’m hoping for consistency across the whole series. Last year, my first year on the WTS was a bit up and down. I just want to be more consistent at that pointy end of the field.”
The 23 year-old will be hoping to find that consistency in Cape Town after a stellar performance in Auckland saw the Australian claim his first ever Top 5 finish.
Bailie believes it has been hard work and dedication in the swim leg which has helped his sudden rise in the sport.
“I’ve been working on my swim for a good five years with [my coach] Jamie and it’s been nothing but hard work.
There’s no secrets to it; it’s been endless hours in the pool but as soon as we unlocked that it’s just opened up the rest of my race.
I am no longer playing catch up on the bike, I can start working on the other two legs with the belief that the swim is there and knowing that I can swim with the super fish of the ITU,” concluded Bailie.
The men’s race starts 3.00pm local time (11.00pm AEST). Follow the ITU World Triathlon race in Cape Town live on twitter via the Sam Maxwell Sports Management Twitter Account.