Fresh off claiming the gold medal at the Africa Championships, Jawad Abdelmoula (MAR) has reclaimed his spot at the top of the continental pecking order. His victory in what was only his second international appearance since the Paris Olympic Games nudged him up a place in the African rankings, ostensibly setting him up perfectly for a big year. Things, however, might not be quite so simple.

“It was a great race,” he said of the action in Nelson Mandela Bay. “I had a strong swim and bike with Jamie Riddle in the breakaway. Then it was decided on the run.” A field-leading split of 32:26 over the 10km was too hot for anyone else in the field to handle.

Abdelmoula was part of a gold-bronze triumph for Morocco at the Africa Championships, with compatriot Bar Siwane also making the podium. With the World Cup circuit set to return to the country this summer – after debuting in Tangier in October 2023, the racing will take place in Saidia – the fortunes of triathlon in Morocco are looking positive.

“I feel like this really motivates young Moroccan triathletes to take on the high level. Our performances demonstrate the strength of our country. We have what it takes to compete with South Africa, which is the greatest triathlon nation in Africa.”

For his part, Abdelmoula has certainly stepped up to the task. A WTCS medallist and a Paris Olympian, he has scaled the heights of the sport. Moreover, he became the first non-South African male triathlete from Africa to qualify for the Games through the Olympic rankings as opposed to through the New Flag or Universality pathways. However, his Olympic debut did not go entirely as planned as he did not finish.

Of the race, he said, “It was a race with a lot of technical complications. I made a lot of mistakes in the swim and took risks on the bike to get back into the race. I was unlucky because nothing aligned. It's the sad law of sport. Performance is not just a question of preparation but also of luck on the day. I was not lucky that day.”

“I really want to make up for it for the next Olympics in Los Angeles. I've changed a lot in my personal life, and I've also changed my coaching staff for the preparation.”

One stepping stone on that journey involves looking to return to the podium at the WTCS level. When Abdelmoula claimed the bronze medal behind Hayden Wilde and Matthew Hauser in Hamburg in 2022, it was momentous on multiple fronts. Naturally, it made him the new face of Team World Triathlon, of which he was a key member in the build up to Paris. Similarly it represented a historic moment for African triathlon in bringing a medal to a second National Federation (after South Africa).

Perhaps the most startling detail, though, was that it came on his third ever Series start. The time has now come to recapture that early dizzying high. “We need to change some things to get back on the right track to performance. I need to find a balance between social life and sport.”

But then comes the catch. Abdelmoula returned to his job as a firefighter in September 2024, shortly after the Olympics. Far from a post-Games holiday, that was a core reason behind his absence from elite racing until March.

Africa’s best triathlete does not mince his words. “Unfortunately, I don't have enough financial support at the moment to become a professional triathlete again.”

The support Team World Triathlon – so helpful to his growth previously – is also not available as he no longer qualifies on age grounds. Altogether, the situation is rather complicated.

“I was planning to go to Egypt at the end of the month for the African Sprint Championships, but the race has been postponed until the end of July. I was also planning to do the World Cup in Samarkand.” Yet without Team World Triathlon support, that likewise may be a bridge too far.

This is where the tape jarringly runs out. Silence follows. After all, we don’t yet know what comes next. There are words that might spring to mind, particular adjectives that could describe the circumstances. But there are solutions too. Whether they come together is the question that matters.

By day saving lives, by night training for international triathlon, by weekend putting his country on the sport’s map. Jawad Abdelmoula has achieved plenty already. He is back on top in Africa. Now triathlon must hope that he is afforded the chance to pursue more.