Pietermaritzburg Girl’s High old scholar, Mikaela Jonsson (20), and Jeep Team SA international triathlete, is having an impressive first season as a professional athlete competing across Europe.

Jonsson who only turned professional a few months ago is flying the South African flag across the toughest elite Cross-Triathlon and MTB races in Europe.  Two weeks ago, Jonsson raced in Austria’s well-attended Salzkammergut Trophy, in the highly competitive 55km MTB marathon, and raced to 6th place overall elite. Over 5000 participants from 43 nations compete in eleven different events at this meeting.

This past weekend in Romania, Jonsson raced in the 2017 Târgu Mures ETU Cross Triathlon European Championships - Elite Women.  She crossed the line in an outstanding 2nd place in the Women’s U23 category and 7th Elite Women overall. The Triathlon European Champs started with a 1km swim at the Complexul Weekend, a recreational and sports complex, with Jonsson exiting the water 9th elite female in a very fast 00:17:05. The technical MTB leg was a 3.75km race to the forest Platou Cornesti, followed by 4 x 5km laps in the forest

. Jonsson finished the leg in 01:23:22. The trail run covered two technical 3.1km laps through forest. Jonsson finished the 6.2km run in 00:33:19. Jonsson’s overall time was 02:15:09, just over a minute behind the Russian U23 winner, Daria Rogozina.  Says Jonsson, “I had the race of my life in Romania! I finished 2nd u23 and 7th elite overall at the European Cross Triathlon Championships. I am so stoked and exhausted! It was a successful Euro racing trip and first season out of Junior.” 

Results –

Women u23 - 2017 ETU Cross Triathlon European Championships

1. Daria Rogozina (RUS) - 02:13:58
2. Mikaela Jonsson (RSA) - 02:15:09
3. Antoanela Manac (ROU) - 02:19:55 

ELITE WOMEN - 2017 ETU Cross Triathlon European Championships

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PIETERMARITZBURG, 07 JULY 2017 – Over the weekend, Lac de Longemer in Xonrupt, France, played host to the XTERRA FRANCE CHAMPIONSHIP, an official qualifier for 2017 XTERRA World Championships in Maui, Hawaii in October. This 11th annual XTERRA France is part of the XTERRA European Tour, the premier off-road multisport brand in the European Union with races in 16 countries providing top competition for professionals and amateurs.

KZN’s Mikaela Jonsson (20, Jeep Team SA), started her first season racing as a Professional at Xterra France, and what an introduction to her capabilities, managing an impressive 13th place finish in one of the toughest XTERRA races in the world. Jonsson completed the gruelling race in 05:08:33.The cold XTERRA France began with over 900 Elite male and female swimmers entering the water for a 1500m water-start swim in the 18°C Lake Longemer, which was 10 degrees warmer than the air.

 Jonsson had a great swim and was 111th out of the water in 23:21, and straight into a quick transition to start her 2 laps of 20.5km MTB.  It rained hard the day before, leaving the MTB trails ridable, but very slick. By the time 900 Decouvert (sprint) athletes finished the MTB course, and 900+ long distance finished their first lap, it was a slow, gruelling and dangerous.                                                                                                 

Jonsson had a decent first lap in 1:39:02, but the much slower second lap in 2:00:31, which included an accident, was the decider of her fate, because her times on all other legs and laps were very close to the top 5 elite women.  Women’s Elite winner, Laura Phillip (31, Germany), was 10 minutes slower on her second MTB lap and this was common through the results. To make matters worse, each year, the Charbonnier family creates a new monster MTB ramp and this year was no exception, and it was built with two separate ramps.  Both down ramps and the banked U-turn got very slick and slippery. Some riders lacked the confidence to let their bike roll down the ramp and tried to walk it – and slipped and dropped their bikes.  Others rode it but touched their brakes and went down, causing queues and chaos.   

Jonsson’s 10km trail run was brilliant and fast and would have put her in 5th place overall had her second MTB lap not decided her fate earlier.  Jonsson has what it takes at the tender age of 20 to compete with the best in the world and achieve top 5 against those that are 10, 15 and 20 years her senior with bags full of experience. Watch this space!  Says Jonsson, reflecting on the race, “That was tough! I really had to dig deep after a crash on the 2nd bike lap, but I am happy to have finished my first full distance pro race as the 13th elite woman. Thank you to everyone for the support at the race and back home, and thank you to XTERRA France for such an awesome event!” 

Results - XTERRA FranceElite Men

1.  Ruben Ruzafa (ESP)       03:27:52

2.  Yeray Luxem (BEL)          03:30:12

3.  Arthur Forissier (FRA)      03:31:10 

Elite Women

1.    Laura Philipp (GER)          03:58:52

2.    Brigitta Poor (HUN)           04:06:55

3.    Helena Erbenova (CZE)    04:08:06

13.  Mikaela Jonsson (RSA)     05:08:33 

###  EDITOR’S NOTES 

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Our rising on-and-off-road triathlon star, Mikaela Jonsson (19, Jeep Team), leaves for Europe on Tuesday 27th June to race the 2017 XTERRA France for the first time in the Professional Division.  XTERRA France takes place on the 1st and 2nd July 2017  As a pro athlete, Jonsson will be swimming one loop of 1500m in the lake of Longemer, mountain biking 34km in the heart of Vogesen Mountains, and trail running 10km to finish. 

The Triathlon XTERRA France is the official qualifier for XTERRA World Championships 2017, which Jonsson will be aiming for. There will be more than 1000 athletes from around the globe on the start line at the 2017 edition of EXTERRA France making this a formidable racing calendar event to conquer.  The XTERRA Editions have expanded globally as qualifying circuits for the World Championships taking place every October in Hawaii on Maui Island.  

Says Jonsson, “My major Triathlon racing focus this year is to get to Europe to race part of the European XTERRA Tour starting with EXTERRA France. It will be my first season racing as a pro and I can’t wait to give it my all. Finally, I aim to compete in the ITU World Cross Triathlon Championships in Canada on the 20th of August this year.” 

SIDE BAR: If you are fan of the Tour de France, XTERRA France is the place to be as the Tour de France to going to Vogesen on Tuesday 4th July at Vittel, and on Wednesday 5th July, the first stage finish is at the high altitude, La Planche des Belles Filles.  

###Written and Distributed by Hot Salsa Media on behalf of Jeep Team SA

All enquiries to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 084 486 2136  Thank you.    

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GAUTENG, SOUTH AFRICA, November 2016 – Jeep Team athlete and KZN’s rising multisport superstar, Mikaela Jonsson (18) proved her mettle by getting a well-earned silver medal at the 2016 Snowy Mountains ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships (Under 19’s) on the 20 November in Australia. Located in the heart of Australia’s High County, and starting at an altitude of 1100m with Australia’s highest peak, Mt Kosciusko as the backdrop, Jonsson’s Junior U19 race consisted of a 500m swim in the cold 16-20 degree Lake Crackenback; a 12km MTB, which was two 6km laps comprising approx. 80% grippy, flowing single track, rocky paths, bridges, rock gardens and creek crossings; and a 3.3km trail run, which was a technically-challenging course with energy-sapping short, punchy climbs and descents with creek crossings, a river run, a suspension bridge, obstacles, rock scrambles and some true off road terrain.

Says Jonsson, “I'm really happy because I left it all out there. Came out the swim 3rd, onto the bike 2nd. Unfortunately, I got a hectic chain suck just as I was catching the leading girl on the bike so lost a lot of time sorting it out. Went onto the run like a mad woman and just couldn't catch her after closing the gap a lot on the run. But that's racing! Standing on that podium was so incredible.” This is Mikaela’s final junior year and Under 19 athlete, and she made the most it conquering the high altitude and rugged terrain in an impressive time of 1.14.17, a minute behind Australian Laura May who claimed the World Champion title in a time of 1.13.20.

Jonsson, who placed 4th in the champs in 2014, skipped 2015 due to clashes with her Matric studies and set her sights on the 2016 World Championships with a gruelling 6-day-week training schedule. Undeterred by a lack of funding to compete in the event, Jonsson turned to a crowdfunding platform to achieve her goal. Said Jonsson, “Unfortunately no support is given by our National Federation and all travel, accommodation and team kit costs have to be covered by the athletes, hence my fundraising efforts to go after my goal.” It has been an epic year for the determined Jeep Team Athlete, with Jonsson winning her first ever Olympic Distance Triathlon at the Tinman Tri-Series in Durban in July. What’s next for the athlete? “Going forward I hope to be able to race around the globe doing what I love while representing my country - swimming, cycling, running, and of course capturing moments through my camera lens. My ultimate goal is to compete at the Olympic Games one day,” she said. 2016 Snowy Mountains ITU Triathlon World Championships: 2016 Junior Women Results breakdown Pos First Name Last Name Country Time Swim T1 Bike T2 Run

1 Laura May AUS 01:13:20 00:07:03 00:00:51 00:44:53 00:00:46 00:19:47

2 Mikaela Jonsson RSA 01:14:17 00:08:56 00:00:46 00:44:54 00:00:52 00:18:50

3 Georgia Silvestri AUS 01:21:28 00:09:37 00:00:48 00:48:06 00:00:48 00:22:10

4 Victoria Vaquero Florez ESP 01:25:29 00:09:18 00:00:38 00:49:34 00:00:41 00:25:18

5 Emily King AUS 01:28:55 00:08:53 00:00:52 00:54:37 00:00:41 00:23:52

DNF Olivia Nendick AUS DNF 00:09:31 00:00:53 00:00:00 00:00:00 00:00:00  

OTHER JEEP TEAM NEWS: Obstacle Course Racing – Jeep Team take 1st and 3rd in the overall Jeep Team Series Men and 3rd in the Women. OCR Athletes Thomas Van Tonder won the Legends MX Jeep Warrior Race in Pretoria (01:57:23) and the overall Jeep Warrior Series on Sunday 20th November 2016, netting R50 000 in prize money.

Jeep Team athlete, Jay Jay Deysel placed 4th earning him a massive 3rd overall in the series. Greg Avierinos claimed second (02:07:53) and Claude Eksteen third (02:10:32). In the women’s race, Hanneke Dannhauser took the title on race day in a time of 02:28:55, with Michelle Meyer second in a time of 02:42:01 and Dominque D‘Oliveira third in a time of 02:45:16.Jeep Team’s Carina Marx ended her season with an impressive third in the Black Ops Elite Women’s division in the 2016 Jeep Warrior Series.

JEEP WARRIOR SERIES WINNERS 2016:

Women: 1. Hanneke Dannhauser    20,000  2.  Trish Bahlmann        18,082    3.       Carina Marx                           15,860

Men: 1.  Thomas van Tonder       19,844  2.Greg Avierinos   17,253             3.       Jay Jay Deysel                       16,550  

About Jeep Team SA: Jeep Team SA was founded in 2001 with its first calendar year of racing in 2002. 13 years later the team continues to identify and produce world class athletes across its selected sporting disciplines. Its core ethos and focus has never changed and has always been based on helping the athletes achieve their goals and dreams by providing them with the right building blocks and teaching them the business of sport.   Keep up with the action on the Jeep Team SA social media platforms #JeepTeamSA Facebook:     www.facebook.com/jeepteamsa Twitter:         www.twitter.com/jeepteamsa Instagram:    www.instasgram.com/JeepTeamSA Issued by Hot Salsa Media on behalf of Jeep Team SA For more information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.jeepteam.co.za

KWAZULU-NATAL, 26 JULY 2016 - The weekend saw Jeep Team Multisport athletes, Michael Lord, winning gold in the Standard Bank Duo and Trail Challenge in Boschendal, and Mikaela Jonsson (19) winning her first Olympic Distance Triathlon at the Tinman Tri-series in Durban. On Saturday, 23 July 2016, Michael Lord competed in the Standard Bank Duo Challenge – the Duo Challenge Long, which consisted of a 25 km MTB and a 10 km trail run. During the bike leg, he had a quick start and managed to break away from the rest of the field with fellow competitor, Andrew Houston. Completing the bike leg together, Lord was then able to put some distance between him and Houston during the run, finishing in a winning time of 02h04m26s.

Says Lord of his weekend win: “The two of us rode the whole of the bike course together. I have never ridden Boschendal before. There are some absolutely stunning trails and awesome little nooks and areas on route. At one stage we were riding just below the cliff faces with huge views of the whole of the Franschoek Valley. I definitely want to ride here again. We finished the bike together and then I managed to get away on the run. Super fun race, thanks Andrew.” The TinMan Tri-series took place in Durban at the Suncoast Sundeck on Sunday, 24 July.

The TinMan Triathlon is a fast-paced, action-packed Triathlon and Running event. From the 4 different races offered, junior triathlon superstar, Mikaela Jonsson, competed in the tough, highly contested Ultra Tri Challenge - the Olympic Distance Triathlon - a 1km swim, a 30km cycle and a 10km run. Despite only being back in training for 3 weeks, Jonsson’s performance was impressive in all 3 stages, coming out of the water in a close 3^rd in 13m27s, she gave it everything in the cycle leg, finishing in a close 2^nd in 59m21s, and again ran hard to finish 2^nd in 43m46s, winning in an overall time of 01h58m34, ahead of 2^nd placed Teneal Featherby in 01h58s42, and 3^rd placed Hayley Mee in 02h02m14.

Jonnson won women overall and her age category, but interestingly, as in all triathlons, the transition time taken between legs can mean the difference between winning and losing, as in this race. Jonnson’s race-time against Featherby was slower overall by 8 seconds, but 1m03s faster than Featherby in transition time.

Says Jonsson of her experience: “I'm so happy to have taken the win overall in my first-ever Olympic Distance Tri at the Tinman Triathlon in Durban. I had such a fantastic race. Thanks to some incredibly strong ladies for pushing me all the way, especially on the bike course. Finally feeling like myself again, after only being back at training for 3 weeks after battling with illness for over a month, and my first swim race after doing shoulder rehab for more than 2 months. I'm so grateful to everyone who has helped me with such patience and wisdom over the last few months. Onwards and upwards.”

RESULTS

Standard Bank Duo and Trail Challenge

Men

1. Michael Lord (Jeep Team) 02:04:26
2. Andrew Houston 02:05:48
3. Dylan Janos 02:09:37

Women

1. Carla Beyers 02:36:46
2. Esther Lategan 02:45:00
3. Hanlie Booyens 02:48:06

Tinman Tri-series

Women

1. Mikaela Jonsson (Jeep Team) 01:58:34
2. Teneal Featherby 01:58:42
3. Hayley Mee 02:02:14

Men

1. Rudolf Naude 01:38:14
2. Gareth Marquiss 01:38:52
3. Brad Venter 01:39:32

Other Jeep Team results MTB
The Ashburton Investments’ National MTB Series consists of seven events spanning across six provinces. The fifth in the series was hosted at Holla Trails, Collisheen on 23 July. Jeep Team’s Thinus Redelinghuys took part in the 102km Ultra Marathon Event achieving a Top 20 position overall, coming in 19^th place, in a time of 04h10m24s. Most of the country’s top mountain bikers completed this event, which ultimately saw Max Knox (3h45), Gert Heyns (3h46), Nico Bell (3h46) take the podium respectively.

Editor’s Notes Standard Bank Duo and Trail Challenge photo of Michael Lord by Govan Basson (Totalkaos Studio).

Have a look at the following platforms to keep up to date with Jeep Team SA: Website: www.jeepteam.co.za Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeepteamsa Twitter: @jeepteamsa Instagram: @jeepteamsa

For more information, please contact:

• Bronwen Blunden - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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