Gregory Barnaby will not line up at this weekend’s opening T100 race of the season in Singapore after failing to recover from the illness that caused him to DNF in South Africa last weekend.
The Italian confirmed on his Instagram page how he was still feeling unwell and had made the difficult decision to head home and recover instead of battling the heat and humidity of the Asian city.
The T100 Triathlon World Tour gets underway on Saturday morning as Kiwi Hayden Wilde heads an all-star cast that also includes Australian short-course legend Matt Hauser, German pair Mikka Noodt and Jonas Schomburg, plus Frenchman Mathis Margirier.
Plans scuppered by illness
Barnaby had hoped to double up with last Sunday’s IRONMAN South Africa leading into Singapore, but his plans have been scuppered.
Writing on his Instagram account, he explained: “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose… That’s the rollercoaster of a professional athlete’s life.
“I had one of my best winter preparations so far, and not being able to show it on race day is incredibly frustrating. I went to bed the night before feeling ready and excited to race, but I woke up feeling sick.
“I couldn’t have breakfast or take in any fuel before the start. Deep inside, I knew I couldn’t do an Ironman in those conditions, but I wanted it so badly that I decided to give it a try anyway.
“Unfortunately, as expected, I felt completely empty, and my stomach couldn’t handle any fluids or gels. I made the decision to stop during the first lap of the bike.”
‘The only right decision’
In a race that was won by Matthew Marquardt in a new record time, Barnaby managed to complete his swim in a time of 52:26, which saw him exit the water in eighth position, less than two minutes behind the American, and very much in contention.
Having seen progression throughout his winter training, Barnaby is now hoping that a swift recovery can help him return to competition quickly and that he can show off his improvement to a wider, global audience.
“It’s never easy not to finish an Ironman. You think about all the preparation and effort you’ve put into it… But it was the only right decision,” he continued.
“I’m still pretty sick and not feeling well, which is why I’ve decided not to race T100 Singapore next Saturday and fly back home. Another super tough decision for me, as it was a race I was really looking forward to.
“A few days to let the body heal now, and hopefully I will be back to work soon and will manage to show the progress at the next races.”
The next men’s event on the T100 schedule is in San Francisco on June 6, but it is possible that he could decide to switch and take on an IRONMAN 70.3 race in May to kick-start his season; his last race under the M-Dot brand was the 2024 70.3 World Championships, where he finished ninth.
