Rachel O’Donoghue Heads To Europe As Zimbabwe’s Youth Olympics Triathlon Preparation Intensifies

Zimbabwean Youth Olympic Games-bound triathlete Rachel O’Donoghue is set to leave for Lithuania as she steps up preparations for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. The talented teenager will compete in the 2026 Europe Triathlon Junior Cup Moletai as part of a European racing tour designed to expose her to strong international competition. The Moletai event will take place on Saturday and will provide O’Donoghue with an important opportunity to test her fitness and racing skills against junior athletes from across Europe. Her European tour will continue the following weekend with another major race in Jurmala, Latvia, giving her two competitive events as she builds towards the Youth Olympic Games. The races are expected to provide valuable experience as the Zimbabwean teenager prepares for one of the biggest competitions of her young career.

O’Donoghue’s trip to Lithuania comes after an interruption to her preparations when illness forced her to miss the 2026 World Triathlon Development Regional Cup in Kilifi, Kenya. The young athlete had travelled with coach Pamela Fulton but was unable to compete after falling sick. Fulton has since confirmed that O’Donoghue has recovered well and has returned to training ahead of her departure for Europe. Her return to competition will therefore be closely watched as she looks to regain race rhythm and continue developing her form. The European tour provides an important opportunity for her to make up for the competitive experience she missed in Kenya while testing herself against athletes she has not previously faced.

“Rachel has recovered well and is back training in preparation for her tour in Europe,” Fulton said. The coach confirmed that O’Donoghue will depart on Wednesday to compete at the 2026 Europe Triathlon Junior Cup Moletai. The Lithuanian event will be contested over a two-stage super-sprint format, with athletes taking part in a semi-final in the morning before the final in the afternoon. This format will test O’Donoghue’s ability to perform at a high level more than once on the same day. Fulton believes the event will serve as an effective warm-up ahead of the more demanding race scheduled for the following weekend in Latvia.

The Moletai competition will provide O’Donoghue with an important introduction to racing in a large international field. The women’s section has 28 entries, while the junior men’s category has 47 entries, creating a competitive environment for the young athletes. O’Donoghue will face junior women from several European countries, including Latvia, Slovenia, Germany, Croatia, Ukraine, Poland, Switzerland, Malta and Finland. Many of these athletes compete regularly in European junior events, giving the Zimbabwean a chance to measure her development against a broad range of international competitors. Fulton believes this exposure will be particularly useful because O’Donoghue will be racing against athletes she has never encountered in competition before.

The second race of the European tour will take O’Donoghue to Jurmala, Latvia, where she is scheduled to compete on August 29. Unlike the super-sprint format in Lithuania, the Latvian event will be contested over the sprint distance. Fulton expects the race to present an even stronger test, with more than 40 junior women expected to compete. O’Donoghue has recently turned 16 and will be racing against competitors aged between 16 and 19, meaning she will face athletes who may have more experience at this level of international competition. The opportunity to compete against older and experienced athletes should provide valuable lessons as she continues preparing for the Youth Olympic Games.

Fulton believes the European races will give O’Donoghue a clearer understanding of the level of competition she can expect at Dakar 2026. Racing against larger fields and older athletes can help a young competitor develop tactical awareness, confidence and the ability to remain composed under pressure. The experience can also reveal areas that require improvement before the Youth Olympic Games, particularly when athletes compete in unfamiliar environments. For O’Donoghue, the races will be more than opportunities to chase results because they will form part of a wider development programme. Fulton believes the experience of racing strong fields in Lithuania and Latvia will stand the young Zimbabwean in good stead when she competes at the Youth Olympic Games.

Although illness prevented O’Donoghue from competing in the Development Regional Cup in Kenya, she was still able to benefit from the Africa Triathlon and World Triathlon YOG Development Camp that followed the event. The camp brought together selected African athletes and coaches who are preparing for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. It provided an opportunity for participants to improve technical skills, discuss important areas of athlete development and exchange ideas about training and competition. Nutrition and warm-up procedures were among the topics addressed during the programme, while coaches also discussed long-term athlete development beyond the Youth Olympic Games. The camp therefore provided useful preparation for O’Donoghue even though she could not participate in the main competition in Kenya.

Fulton explained that the camp was designed to strengthen athletes’ technical abilities while giving coaches an opportunity to collaborate and discuss challenges affecting the development of young triathletes. The programme also focused on creating stronger relationships between athletes and coaches from different African countries. Fulton said building a strong bond within Team Africa was an important part of the camp and that the connection was clearly evident by the end of the programme. O’Donoghue attended the lectures and discussions and watched some of the training sessions while avoiding exposure to the heat because of her recent illness. The experience allowed her to remain involved in the development programme while prioritising her recovery ahead of the European tour.

Athletes and coaches from Algeria, Kenya, Namibia, Mozambique, Mauritius, Tunisia and Zimbabwe benefited from the Africa Triathlon and World Triathlon YOG Development Camp. The gathering provided a valuable platform for young African triathletes to learn from one another while preparing for the demands of international competition. It also gave coaches the chance to exchange knowledge and develop strategies that can support athletes beyond the Youth Olympic Games. For Zimbabwe, having O’Donoghue involved in the programme adds another important layer to her preparation for Dakar 2026. Her exposure to the camp, followed by competitive racing in Europe, gives her a broader preparation programme as she approaches the Games.

O’Donoghue will represent Zimbabwe in triathlon at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, which are scheduled to take place from October 31 to November 13. Her European tour comes at an important stage in the countdown, with the competitions in Lithuania and Latvia providing opportunities to test her progress before the major event. At just 16, she will be competing against athletes with varying levels of international experience, making every race an opportunity to learn and develop. The focus will be on building confidence, improving race skills and understanding the level required to compete successfully at a global youth event. With her recovery behind her and her training programme back on track, O’Donoghue now has a valuable chance to strengthen her preparation.

Rachel O’Donoghue’s upcoming European campaign represents an important step in Zimbabwe’s preparations for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Her races in Moletai and Jurmala will expose her to larger and stronger fields while allowing her to experience different race formats and competitive environments. The support and guidance of coach Pamela Fulton, combined with the lessons from the African development camp, will give the young triathlete additional tools as she works towards the Games. While her missed race in Kenya was an unexpected setback, her recovery and return to training have allowed her preparation to continue. As she takes on Europe’s junior triathletes, O’Donoghue will be looking to gain experience that can help her arrive in Dakar better prepared, more confident and ready to represent Zimbabwe on the Youth Olympic stage.