Drum Roll Please…
Ok, so we kind of gave it away with our hints on social media, but Zone3 are incredibly excited to welcome Sophie Coldwell to our athlete roster for 2020!
This lightning-fast young Brit seemed like the perfect match for our award-winning products and will be training/racing with our award-winning swimwear and accessories, as well as the Vanquish wetsuit for the coming season.
Sophie’s Standout Season
Sophie made her way through the British junior elite team, finding senior success in 2017 with a 4th place at the WTS in Yokahoma, as well as a bronze at the U23 World Championships. Since then she has continued to flourish on the biggest stages, last year’s highlight being her ITU World Cup win at Cagliari – not forgetting stellar performances alongside the mixed relay team to bring home two podiums.
The Loughborough based swim specialist has really come alive in the Super League Triathlon series, the fast and furious, spectator-friendly racing suiting her down to the ground.
We can’t wait to watch Sophie race, in what we’re predicting will be another big year for her! The fact that we can assist her, even in the most marginal of ways, with Zone3 innovation and quality merely adds to this excitement!
The Pro’s Choice
Ahead of announcing the Zone3 partnership, Sophie told us:
“I'm absolutely chuffed to have partnered with Zone3. Swimming has always been one of my strongest disciplines and the kit you choose to wear can be key to your performance, so it was an important choice for me. The Vanquish wetsuit fits perfectly for me – it’s very thin and flexible on the arms, and like nothing, I’ve swum in before. The hi-vis pink silicone swim cap has got to be favourite!"
Eyes on Tokyo?
It’s no secret that 2020 is an Olympic year. With hot competition and a tough qualification process, Sophie will need to be on the front foot to earn her spot amongst the British women. With three spots up for grabs, Sophie will have to be selected over perhaps more seasoned teammates. Despite the sport’s biggest stage looming however, her approach for this year will be no different to the last.
“I’m taking each race as it comes for 2020 but my main focus will still be around the WTS series, followed by Super League later on”
Winter Training
The foundations for a strong season are built in the colder months. Winter hibernation is simply not an option (nor would she want it to be!) for an athlete of Sophie’s calibre:
“I took a two-week break after my last race of the season and then started building my training back up. I’m getting some good volume training in ahead of the next season of racing. I’ll be heading out to Australia to do some training before of my first race in Abu Dhabi”
When not competing…
…Sophie can be found walking/playing/cuddling with her dogs. It goes without saying that the life of a professional triathlete consists of a huge amount of travel, so returning home to see her four-legged friends is a real treat! Other interests of Sophie’s include her immaculately kept and coloured nails, proving that a tough athlete with bags of grit, can still maintain a glamorous exterior!
One To Watch
As well as monitoring Sophie’s progress at races throughout the ITU and Super League seasons, we’ll be asking her to take over our social media for a day, so you can see some raw footage of what a training day as a pro athlete entails. Make sure to follow the Zone3 page on Instagram and Facebook (@zone3official) to stay up to date, and catch Sophie’s first WTS race of the season in Abu Dhabi on 8th March.
