Cirencester Athletics and Triathlon Club are celebrating after excellent performances by two of their triathletes.

Jenny Manners and Oliver Pritchard were competing for Great Britain in the European Championships in Weert, Netherlands, and they certainly did themselves proud.

Manners was competing in the women’s elite race – her highest profile race – and before the event she was presented with her triathlon suit by Alistair Brownlee, the two-time Olympic Games gold medal winner.

Manners’ event was the standard distance which comprised a 1,500m swim, 40k bike and 10k run and she came out of the swim in the lead group in a time of 17.26.

She was in the strong peloton of 18 athletes and they worked hard to close down the threat from the chase group. The lead grew until it was over 90 seconds with Manners well placed as the group entered T2 with a 54.08 bike leg.

The twisting and technical course for the 10k run took its toll after a recent lay-off from running, but nonetheless Manners achieved 37.00 for an overall time of 1.49.22 and a superb 19th place and third GBR.

Two days later it was Royal Agricultural University student Oliver Pritchard’s turn as he took part in the men’s age group 20-24 race.

As with Manners, this was Pritchard’s highest profile race having qualified for selection after he competed in a standard distance event in Arundel, West Sussex, last summer.

On the same technical course Pritchard, who has been deaf since birth, enjoyed the overall experience and exited the swim in 24.32. His strong 59.20 bike leg kept him with the main contenders, but he found it was a run for survival in heat of 25 degrees, but still achieved a very credible 40.45.

Overall, Pritchard achieved a superb 11th place and was fourth GBR athlete home in 2.08.40 and was delighted with the experience.

Pritchard’s mantra is ‘it’s abilities not disabilities’ and one of his big aims is to raise awareness for deaf athletes and deafness in sport and encourage other children not to feel put off by sport if they have a health condition.

He is aiming to turn professional after he finishes his final year at university.

And the efforts of Manners and Pritchard have certainly not gone unnoticed at Cirencester Athletics and Triathlon Club with chairman Pam Wheeler saying of their efforts: “It is a magnificent achievement for the club.”