Jodie Stimpson eyes improvement as she targets victory
Jodie Stimpson today vowed there is more to come as she gears up to keep her No.1 ranking.
The Oldbury triathlete races in Cape Town today as the early leader in the World Triathlon Series after winning the season's opener in Auckland this month.
The series goes to South Africa for the first time this weekend before Yokohama and London in May.
And Stimpson believes after her first season with coach Darren Smith last year – where she finished second in the series – she can still improve.
"I feel stronger and learnt more about myself as an athlete and things to do and try and avoid in training racing. I've still got a lot to learn but building as we go, which is exciting," said the 25-year-old.
"Yes, there is more to come for sure, well I hope so. To be honest I'm just enjoying having the No.1 and having it on my helmet for the race. I know it's going to be pretty hard to keep so I am just making the most of it.
"Cape Town is a new WTS race so will be new for everyone and will be everyone's first race there, I don't have any expectations on myself for the race just try to do a good job that's all I can try and control."
The season has already outstripped last season after Stimpson suffered hypothermia and was forced to pull out of the Auckland race last year.
This month she beat Anne Haug and Helen Jenkins after a gruelling final run to claim her second WTS win after victory at Kitzbuhuel last year.
And Stimpson admitted she was making up for lost time in New Zealand after previous disappointment.
"You could say that - I started my WTS in Auckland last year and didn't want to have the same result in getting hypothermia and a DNF," she said.
"This year in the swim I was just non-stop fighting in the swim for space which is never a good thing but was just one of those swims were everyone was on top of each other. I will for sure have more of those this year."
GB's Olympic gold medallist Alistair Brownlee has pulled out after declaring himself unfit for the men's race but brother and Olympic bronze medallist Johnny is racing after finishing second in Auckland.
