Emirati triathlete Faris Al Zaabi kicks-off his 2020 season by going up against British double Olympic gold medallist Alistair Brownlee at the Punta Umbria ETU Duathlon European Championships in Spain.
Also among the among the elite field on Saturday will be Canadian World No 5 Tyler Mislawchuk. Ahead of the ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon in 2019, Al Zaabi said that his target for the future was to go head-to-head against the best in the business. He is now getting that opportunity.
The race has a host of world-class athletes and will provide Al Zaabi with a massive challenge, but he insisted that it will provide another stone to build on the foundations he and his coach have already laid.
"In 48 hours I will be living this dream and representing the UAE at the 2020 Punta Umbria ETU Duathlon European Championships," Al Zaabi told The National from his training base in Spain.
“I have a lot of respect for Alistair, Tyler, and all the athletes competing. I do not have to say more than the fact that Alistair is a double Olympic champion. Being in that start list is a privilege.
“I am looking forward to the enriching experience to be gained and representing the UAE in the best way possible.
In the competition, Al Zaabi hopes to achieve his best career performance in the 5km run followed by the 20km bike and the 2.5km run.
The 26-year-old began his 2020 with a pre-season camp during in Mallorca in January. He and his team then travelled to Abu Dhabi for a training camp ahead of the ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi.
“We raced in local races such as the Hudayriat Island Triathlon and the 10th edition of the Daman Challenge TriYas,” he said.
“We were based at New York University Abu Dhabi and did the majority of our training there, Al Hudayriat Island and Yas Marina Circuit.”
Al Zaabi has reorganised his schedule following the postponement of the ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi that was to be staged from March 5-7.
“The Coronavirus has imposed challenges globally,” he said. “In terms of my training and competitions, I have had to make some changes in my racing and training itinerary.
“I think the ITU and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council's decision to postpone the race lies in the best health interest of the athletes, coaches, and spectators.”
Al Zaabi meanwhile has raised the bar for himself as he looks forward for his third season as a professional athlete.
He may have been a late starter, but Al Zaabi progressed well, winning the UAE's first medal, a bronze, in the duathlon at the 2019 ATU African and Arab Championship in Egypt in October.
He also became the first Emirati to compete in an ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“I am always hungry and aspire for more,” he said of the challenges ahead. “The body has responded well to the first couple of training blocks this year. Sometimes you take two steps forward and then a step back but the net gain is a step forward.”
As far as races stand, Al Zaabi’s next objective is the Sharm El Sheikh African and Pan Arab Championships on April 5, 2020. It’s an event in which he won the UAE’s first medal, a bronze, in the duathlon in Egypt in October.
