WATCH: Joy for Cameron Main after first international triathlon win at prestigious European Cup event in Melilla, Spain
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Dedication to his gruelling sport of triathlon paid off for Cameron Main with a first international victory last weekend.
The former Elgin Academy pupil, now staying at the British Triathlon base in Loughborough, described the thrill of claiming the gold medal at the opening European Triathlon Cup event in Melilla, Spain.
Not since 2015 had the 24-year-old won an event of any description, but he believes the result can be a turning point in his career and do wonders for his own confidence levels.
“I won a race when I was 15, a cross-country race in Edinburgh and that was the first proper time that I ever grabbed the tape and it felt crazy.
“I’ve not really experienced that feeling of crossing the line first and grabbing that tape and getting that same feeling since.
“That’s nine years since I have crossed the line first and got that winning feeling. It has taken a lot of work to get to this point.
“To be running round the corner and seeing the tape still there with no-one else in front of you, it was really quite special - especially on a European Cup level.”
Cameron, who represented Scotland at the last Commonwealth games, has only won one previous medal in international triathlon, also at a European Cup event in the Ukraine in June 2021.
“So to get my first win and my second-ever medal was quite special.
“I won that bronze when I had a really good breakthrough year when I went to my first World and European Championships and then finally got my first international podium.
“But the level of field wasn’t as strong in this one.
“The race at the weekend was quite a strong field. There were a lot of very good guys up towards the front which made it even better because the harder the race is, to then win it makes it a bigger deal and you get a bit more respect from it.
“Most of the top ten I have never really beaten before. The guy from Spain who was third went to the Rio Olympics and he has had several really good international results and is getting back from injury. A lot of really good French guys who have had several European Cup podiums and wins, I had never beaten them before so to come out on top was something really cool.”
Main swam 750 metres of open water, jumped on his bike over an 18km route then ran an addition 5km to the finish line in a total of 50 minutes, 39 seconds. he won by a seven seconds margin.
But he isn’t the only Moray triathlete to excel in his sport, as fellow Elgin star Sophia Green also competes at the top level and finished an impressive fifth in the women’s race.
She was able to create a special family moment for Cameron, as she connected with his mum Tammy back in Moray to share his medal ceremony on the podium.
“Sophia raced as well and she had a really good race finishing fifth. It was nice because she was there when I was on the podium and she Facetimed my mum, so she was able to see me on the podium because she wasn’t able to be there in Melilla.
“She just said it was amazing to see all the hard work I’ve put into my whole life of triathlon and the amount of money and effort it takes and to get on the top step, it just makes everything worth it and shows that you can get what you want if you really, really work for it.
“My dad (Russell) has poured so much money, time and effort into my career so again he was just buzzing for me.
“Everyone else back home in Elgin, they were sending me messages and were so pleased for me.
“It shows that Elgin is not a massive place and facilities are not world class there. But if you stay focused and work hard at school, get into university as well in a sports group outside of Elgin, you can pretty much achieve anything.”
Cameron knows his chances of making this summer’s Olympics are very distant, with numerous British triathletes standing between him and the second male spot in the GB team alongside Alex Yee, who won gold and silver in the Tokyo games four years ago.
A shot at glory in Los Angeles in the 2028 Olympics may be a long-term goal but Cameron is determined not to get too anxious or extend himself too far with his shorter-term aims.
He does admit to having one burning ambition, to be part of the prestigious World Triathlon Championship series held over at least eight events over the year and involving the very elite performers in the sport.
It’s a competition he used to watch as a schoolboy on television, inspired by the efforts of the planet’s best triathletes performing at a level he thought in his youth would be way beyond anything he could possibly achieve.
“I would like to try and race my first world championship series which is the top level of triathlon. There’s eight or nine races across the year and that’s the ones televised normally on TV.
“I have qualified but I still don’t have enough world ranking points to get on to them because I am still catching up from two years ago when I was injured - so it is still a little bit of a chase to get that.
“But that would be a goal to be on one of those starts. I used to watch those races as a 13-year-old kid thinking it was just incredible. Never would I have dreamt of being on one of those start lists and being on that start line so to be in one of those races would be a total dream come true and a big career goal.
“I need a few more points and the weekend has made a difference so I just need to get a few more results like that to get me in there.
“At the moment, the main goal for this year is to continue enjoying the sport and see what I can do, not put too much pressure on myself,” he said.
“It is essentially just a case of not trying to chase anything. The last couple of years I have tried to chase funding or chase a result because I’ve been a little bit behind where I’ve wanted to.
“Now I am at a point where I am in a good place and I just want to do races and race hard, hopefully be at the front and get a medal and enjoy the experience and the process and the exposure that comes with.
“I also want to go to the European sprint championships in Turkey in August, I want to try and qualify for that and I’d love to get a medal. It is a goal but I don't want to put too much pressure on myself.”
