Story audio is generated using AI
Pro triathlete Keegan Cooke is gearing up for a stab at the title of Ironman Kärnten-Klagenfurt on the streets of Austria on Sunday.
With the event seen as his last genuine shot at earning an invitation to this year’s Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, in October, Cooke will leave nothing on the table in pursuit of that goal.
While the race in Austria will be only his third event of the season, having done IM South Africa and Challenge Sir Bani-Yas in Abu Dhabi at the start of the year, an accident while out on a training ride just 10 days before the race almost derailed his entire season.
Despite the setback, Cooke still made it to the start line of the Gqeberha event in April and managed to finish 19th, stopping the clock in eight hours, 52 minutes and 54 seconds.
Now, heading into the event in Austria, Cooke feels his training has been fruitful — even though he is still technically recovering from the incident.
“After getting a solid race under the belt in Abu Dhabi to get my year going, things were looking good heading into my IMSA training block, and I was feeling good as we approached taper week.
“The accident was a setback for sure, but luckily I didn’t have any broken bones. I had some stitches in my chin after hitting the windshield. I had some other bumps and bruises, but I kept telling myself that if I could race, I would — so I was pretty stoked to have made it to the start and finish lines,” Cooke told The Herald on Wednesday.
Cooke said since the accident he has taken a safer approach by increasing the amount of indoor training he does.
He admitted it has not been an easy road to get back to peak fitness, both physically and mentally, but said his main objective has been to keep focusing on the positive things he was doing in his training.
“I had taken about two weeks post-IMSA where I did a minimal amount of training. I decided that after the accident and going straight into a full IM race, I hadn’t given my body enough rest.
“There were lingering issues with my lower back and neck, so things were quite chilled in the beginning, but by week 3 the intensity and lengths of my sessions started to increase. After about a month, we were pushing at a level that was decent but still not too strenuous.
“Despite everything that had happened and nursing all the little niggles, I’m pretty pleased with the work I have put in coming into the race. I am always grateful to be able to race professionally, so I will always try to put my best foot forward, be that in training or out on the course.”
Chasing that Kona invite, Cooke is well aware of the strength of the men’s pro field — and with only two WC slots up for grabs, he said it will not make or break his race if he is not to achieve it.
- Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world.
The Herald