Applications invited for the British Triathlon Board

Applications are invited to fill a vacancy, which has arisen on the Board of the British Triathlon Federation.  This successful governing body – winner of the 2010 Sports Governing Body of the Year at the SIA awards –engages in progressive governance and has high sporting aspirations.  In line with the Memorandum and Articles of Association, British Triathlon is now seeking to appoint a Director with Age Group Teams portfolio to serve on the Board.

The British Triathlon Federation, a company limited by guarantee, acts as the governing body for the sport and recreation of Triathlon and her associated disciplines in Great Britain, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The Board consists of the President, Chief Executive Officer, six Portfolio Directors and three representatives from the National Associations. 

Applications are invited for the following position:
•    Director – Age Group Teams Portfolio

The successful candidate will be appointed for a period of two years, and will be subject to all the commensurate fiduciary responsibilities and duties.

Applications detailing your qualifications, experience and interest in the role, should be sent to sueroberts@britishtriathlon.org or in writing, marked Private and Confidential, to Sue Roberts, Human Resources Manager, British Triathlon Federation, PO Box 25, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3WX.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday, 1st September 2010. Interviews of shortlisted candidates are currently anticipated to take place on either Friday 17th or Saturday, 18th September 2010.

British Triathlon is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to ensuring that no job applicant, employee, volunteer or member receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, gender, disability, race, ethnic origin, nationality, colour, parental or marital status, pregnancy, religious belief, class or social background, sexual preference or political belief.

Related Documents
•    Job Description and Person Specification download  download

With two years to go until the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the ITU Triathlon World Championships demonstrated that London’s preparations are right on track by hosting one of Europe’s largest triathlons in Hyde Park this past weekend. The event was organised in conjunction with the International Triathlon Union and the British Triathlon Federation. Over 3,000 athletes took part in the ITU World Championship Series event, including 130 of the world’s best Elite triathletes.

“Hyde Park offers the ideal venue to host an event of the magnitude of the Olympic Triathlon,” said ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado. “The course is very spectator friendly and will no doubt make the event one of the most memorable events of the 2012 Games. We’re very excited to return to London in 2011 to test the same course set for the Olympic Games, which runs around Hyde Park."

Debbie Jevans, Director of Sport at the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG), said: “Hyde Park is an iconic venue in central London and this will without doubt be one of London’s most popular venues putting on a world class Olympic event.  We look forward to working on all the details of the event with the ITU over the next two years.”

This Tuesday, 27 July, marked exactly two years to go until the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, which will make London the first city ever to host three Olympic Games, having also hosted in 1908 and 1948.  London demonstrated in emphatic style that it is ready to host the Games, by hosting one of the most successful triathlon events ever.  Over a quarter of a million spectators lined the roads of London to watch Great Britain’s Olympic hopefuls, and they were not disappointed. Helen Jenkins claimed a bronze medal and the Brownlee brothers made it clear that there could be two Brit’s on the podium in the men’s race come 2012.  20-year-old sensation Jonathan Brownlee claimed silver, beating his older brother, reigning world champion Alistair, who led the race until 800 meters to go.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson added: “The Triathlon World Championships are an exhilarating spectacle, both for the world-class athletes taking part and the fans cheering them on. Hosting them will be an opportunity for Londoners and visitors alike to experience the thrill of an Olympic sport on the capital's streets and for organisers to see one of the chosen venues in top-flight action as anticipation builds for the 2012 Games.”

In 2012, triathlon will make its fourth appearance in the Games, having made its debut at the 2000 Games in Sydney. The sport will feature the top 55 men and women in the world.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the preparations made so far for London 2012,” Casado said. “We have no doubt that LOCOG will do everything possible to make the event hugely successful. Certainly after this weekend’s races London has clearly demonstrated that they are willing and able to host a truly amazing Games in two years time.”

Triathlon is anticipated to be one of the most exciting events in the Games, and also one of the most accessible with Londoners being able to watch the event for free.
 

Current ETU Long Distance Triathlon European silver medallist, Jodie Swallow claimed victory in the spectacular Alpe d'Huez Long Course Triathlon.

The location, well known for its association with the Tour de France, is now in its fifth year and is becoming something of a classic in the triathlon world too. This 2.2km, 115km and 22km event, pushes triathletes to the limit, making Jodie’s victory all the more impressive.

This weekend has a long distance theme with the 2010 Immenstadt ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships taking place on 1 August.

Jodie Swallow won’t be defending her world crown but a 40-strong GE Great Britain Age Group Team will complete the 4km swim, 130km bike and 30km run.
The cycling course from Immenstadt to Oberstaufen will force athletes to ride up inclines of up to 18 percent and a gain of 2,000m – climbing more associated with Alpe d’Huez, than triathlon.

“Whoever is able to handle this cycle course best will be crowned world champion. In the past we have often seen race favourites overexerting themselves on the bike and thus running out of steam on the last kilometres of the run,” says German Altenried, President of the organising committee.

Triathlon fans from all over the world and the passionate triathlon population of the Oberallgäu region, will provide a perfect setting for the title race. The organisers estimate that on each of the two days about 20,000 to 25,000 visitors will come to cheer on the world’s best athletes with their cowbells, air horns and applause.

Good luck to all the GE Great Britain Age Group Team, and full results will be posted on Monday.

 

The inaugural British Cross Triathlon Championships will be hosted by the Durty Triathlon, and will be held on the hills above St. Mary’s Loch in the beautiful Scottish Borders on Saturday 31 July 2010.

The race will be one of the largest triathlons in Scotland this year, and is likely to be one of the most spectacular due to the challenging course and amazing location.

Organised by the Scottish Borders Triathlon club, the inaugural Durty Triathlon in 2008 was the winner of the prestigious Triathlon Scotland ‘Event of the Year’ award. The event grew in 2009, with over 300 participants, making it one of the largest triathlons in Scotland.

Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, the national events agency, said: “The Durty Triathlon is one of Scotland’s most unique competitive events and will make a sensational host for the British Cross Championships.  The Scottish Borders is, without doubt, one of the UK’s most popular outdoor activity destinations and, as such, the Durty Triathlon has an ideal home which will have huge appeal to competitors.”

The organisers are also excited to announce that the race will be televised in the BBC2 ‘Adventure Show’ slot later in the Summer. Race Director, Paul McGreal said “this is a superb opportunity to showcase the best off-road triathlon in the UK, and illustrate just how exciting and challenging the sport is. The Scottish Borders will provide a fantastic atmospheric backdrop to add to the impact – there’s simply nowhere better to race in the UK”.

Entries are well ahead of expectations. Competitors are coming from across the UK, and entries have also been received from Europe. Several UK-based professional racers have also entered in order to try to win the inaugural British title. These include Jim McConnel and Tim McDowell, both regulars on the professional XTERRA Europe circuit.

The British Cross Triathlon Championships, aka the ‘Long Hard Durty’ consists of a freshwater loch 1500m Swim, 30km challenging Mountain Bike, and 10km Hilly Trail Run with a few obstacles thrown in for good measure.

The course is designed to be fun but challenging with epic climbs resulting in stunning panoramic views across the Southern Uplands and fantastic technical descents by bike. The run also has a significant climb of around 800m on rough forest roads, and a unique descent, initially across trackless wild moorland followed by a grassy, muddy quad track.  The entire triathlon course is over some of Scotland’s most spectacular wilderness, ensuring competitors get a real taste of the Scottish countryside.

David Moffat, winner of the 2009 Durty Triathlon said “the race has a wonderful course in the best of settings. The marshalls are the most helpful, relaxed and friendly crew I’ve come across”.

Craig Mattocks, winner of the 2008 race said “what a great event! Well worth 5hr the drive up from Northampton!”

Comments from other competitors include;

“This was not so much the Durty as the Hurty, not a triathlon but a series of ordeals rejected by both the Gurkas & the SAS as being inappropriate for today's society”.

“What a fantastic venue, it was particularly refreshing to have good quality MTB course rather than a tame fire road one”.

“The atmosphere was superb - just the right mix of competition and banter”.

“It was the most fun triathlon I’ve ever done and that was reflected in the obvious enjoyment of the competitors and the banter exchanged throughout”.

The race has attracted prestigious sponsors, headlined by Edinburgh-based retailer The Tri Centre. Other sponsors include Craft, Honey Stinger. Support also comes from Awards for All Scotland, EventScotland and Scottish Borders Council.

More details and results can be found on www.durtytriathlon.com.

Elsewhere this weekend

Aside from the British Championships, age group athletes will also be racing in the penultimate qualifier for the 2011 ETU Triathlon European Championships on Sunday 1 August.

The Blithfield Triathlon takes place in rural Staffordshire at Blithfield Reservoir, which provides a stunning visual aspect in a particularly picturesque landscape.

For full results, please visit: http://www.punishingevents.com/

 

The search for 70,000 London 2012 Olympic Games volunteers has started and British Triathlon wants experienced volunteers from within our fast moving, dynamic and modern sport to have the opportunity to be a part the most memorable Olympic event of 2012.

British Triathlon is keen to ensure volunteers have passion, enthusiasm and energy, alongside relevant sporting experience and an understanding of the sport.

To become a sport specialist volunteer, you will need a bespoke British Triathlon code and unique identifier, which is only available to Home Nation members and volunteers within a registered club or event. The code must be entered during the application process, which starts on 27 July  (today) via www.london2012.com. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the British Triathlon community to be an integral part of 2012.

As a Home Nation member, you can log into your account online at www.britishtriathlon.org and complete a validation process to receive the code. Any club or event volunteers should contact their club secretary or local event organiser directly to receive the code.

This stage of the volunteering process is only available to experienced volunteers, and from 15 September, the wider volunteer recruitment campaign will start. There will be a strict vetting process in place, so early application is essential.

In your online application process, you will need to highlight relevant skills, experience and abilities before returning it to LOCOG. This will form the basis of a short list, so your relevant triathlon experience will be an integral part of your application.

The best way to acquire the relevant experience is to volunteer in a major event. In 2010, there are still events requiring volunteers including the 2010 GE Edinburgh ITU Duathlon World Championships on 3-5 September and GE Parc Bryn Bach Triathlon on 19 September. To apply for this event visit: www.edinburghduathlon2010.com/volunteers or www.britishtriathlonsuperseries.com. 

Volunteering can open the door to a range of opportunities within the sport as Jonathon Riall, National Paratriathlon Manager comments: “As a volunteer at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, I was able to have a real hands on experience of a major international sporting event. Eight years on, I am now National Paratriathlon Manager for British Triathlon and would encourage anyone looking to get more involved or just to have a once in the lifetime opportunity to sign up and apply for 2012.”

John Lunt, Triathlon Event Manager at the London Olympics comments:”Experienced and enthusiastic volunteers are fundamental to the success of the games. This is where people from our great sport can be part of a fantastic, once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Head Coach, Joel Filliol is a strong believer in the value of experienced volunteers commenting:  “To achieve success in the London 2012 Olympic Games is British Triathlon’s overriding objective for the next two years. To deliver that success requires world class support staff and volunteers to ensure that every aspect of the event is delivered to the highest standard and provide the best possible environment for our athletes to compete in.”
 

 The North West Region has been allocated a sum of money to improve event quality. The region is short of referees and does not have enough to cover all the events that take place. Referees are crucial in monitoring event quality and making suggestions for improvement. So the Regional Committee decided at their meeting in May to offer a £100 golden handshake to referees once they qualify. To become a referee you need to complete a learning pack and then shadow at 4 events before becoming qualified. Trainee referees do not receive any travel expenses or fees for this. Therefore we hope that the £100 will offset the cost and encourage more people to volunteer. The golden handshake is available to referees who qualify at level 1 or level 2 and to motorcycle referees. Please spread the news to anyone who may be interested.

If you are interested in becoming a referee or motorcycle referee or progressing to level 2  please contact either of

Sue Taylor Regional Refereeing and Technical Co-ordinator  4sue.taylor@btconnect.com

Dave Rigby Regional Secretary dnrigby@virginnedia.com

Be a part of our legacy!

Events and Volunteer Officer

Triathlon in Scotland is experiencing an exciting period of growth and triathlonscotland are now looking for an ambitious, dynamic individual to take on the new Events & Volunteering Officer post. This is a hands-on part time development/administrative role based at the triathlonscotland office within the Stirling University campus.
Our focus for the next 4 years will be to develop our membership, to recruit, train and up skill our coach and volunteer workforce whilst developing our events calendar.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is an important driver for us to develop a lasting legacy. The Events and Volunteer Officer will have a key role to play in this vision.

The Post Holder will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of the triathlonscotland domestic events/championship programme, for increasing the number and quality of events and for the administration of the registration, sanctioning and branding of events in Scotland. They will also be responsible for developing and implementing the volunteer plan with a key role in recruiting, retaining and developing the volunteer workforce.

The successful person will have experience within a sports environment, will have a track record of working with volunteers, have good administrative and analytic skills and a genuine desire and ambition to develop a burgeoning sport.
Salary Range - £18,000 - £21,000 pro rata
Closing date – 6th August
Interview date – 18th August
Application forms and additional information can be downloaded from the triathlonscotland website at www.triathlonscotland.org

Completed applications should be returned to admin@triathlonscotland.org
For further information or an informal discussion please contact Jane Moncrieff, Chief Operating Officer, on 07961 910337.

Javier Gomez continued a fabulous summer for Spanish sport by winning an epic men’s elite race at the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship London, which is presented by Tata Steel. Jonny Brownlee had a breakthrough performance in second, while brother, Alistair, staggered exhausted across the line in tenth.
 
Gomez’s dramatic victory in 1:42.08 at the London 2012 Olympic Games venue meant he has secured back-to-back world championship wins, following his success in Hamburg a week ago. Jan Frodeno, Germany’s Olympic champion and world number one, took bronze.
 
There was disappointment for Britain’s reigning world champion and 2009 London winner Alistair Brownlee, who gave it everything – battling with his brother and with Gomez in a remarkable 10k run, before finally running out of steam just a few hundred metres from the line.
 
Gomez, who crashed out in the ride in last year’s London race, said he had to give it everything to hold off the Brownlee brothers in a thrilling race.
 
“I’m really happy. Two victories in a row in two weekends is fantastic,” he said. “We were running pretty fast the whole time and I had reached my limit at the end.
 
“On the final lap I decided to go as hard as I could. I looked back with 300m to go and realised I was running by myself,” he added. “It’s really hard to beat the Brownlees. They’re great champions.”
 
Jonny Brownlee said he had nothing left at the end of the race. “That was the hardest race of my life. To be honest it was a massive shock to find I was so near the front. It’s the first time I’ve been at the front in a race like this. I thought ‘what’s going on here?’
 
“After the first lap I thought I’d try to stay up there for two laps, and then I thought I’d try to stay there for two and a half,” he said. “I had absolutely nothing left, but I’m absolutely delighted. It’s a dream come true.”
 
Germany’s Frodeno still sits on top of the world rankings. He looked out of contention for a podium place until Alistair Brownlee ground to a halt in the latter stages of the run, leaving the German to collect the bronze.
 
“It was a tough day for me today after peaking for last week’s home race,” he said. “I was quite uncertain what was going to happen, but I’m really happy with the outcome. It shows that it’s not over till it’s over. I’ve shown before that I have a strong finish, but I guess I did get a little lucky today, even though that’s not the way you want to get lucky.”
 
There was further success for Britain with 31-year-old Stuart Hayes – who had thrown down the gauntlet in the ride – coming home in eighth place.
 
He said: “That was the perfect race for me, I gave it everything. I knew I didn’t have enough on the run, so I had to take it on the bike. At the end I kept going until my legs gave away.”
 
Ben Collins (USA) had been the early pacesetter in the swim, but was overhauled by Maik Petzold (GER) by the halfway mark. But Alistair Brownlee who worked his way up the field and dived in for the second leg of the swim just a fraction of a second behind the German.
 
Despite losing his goggles, Alistair Brownlee established a lead and was first out of the water, just ahead of Petzold, with Frederic Belaubre third and Jonny Brownlee in fourth.
 
Alistair Brownlee rapidly established an early lead in the bike, but by the 5k mark the lead pack had caught him, and double Olympic medallist Bevan Docherty (NZL) was leading a front pack of 27, with Hayes (GBR) and Olympic champion Frodeno (GER) both well up in the leading pack.
 
By the 20k mark of the ride, the chasing group had caught up with the leaders, with the top 56 riders separated by just 10 seconds.
 
In the final 5k of the bike, the leading pack was joined by Ivan Rana (ESP) Erhard Wolfaardt (RSA), Belaubre (FRA), Pais and Clark Ellice (NZL) with the 26-second lead over the next pack. Alistair Brownlee, meanwhile, was 34 seconds off the lead in 14th.
 
On to the run Alistair Brownlee hit the throttle to try to close the gap on the front seven and was joined by his brother and both Gomez and Frodeno, but Hayes was still ahead.
 
It only took a third of the 10k run for the chasing pack to swallow up the leaders, with Alistair Brownlee clocking 9.29 for the first 3.3k.
 
The two Brownlees, Gomez and Frodeno over the final two laps before the Spaniard produced a final surge that took him away from his rivals and set up that epic win.
 
Top 10
1 Javier Gomez (ESP) – 1:42.08
2. Jonny Brownlee (GBR) – 1:42.14
3. Jan Frodeno (GER) – 1:42.30
4. Alexander Bryukhankov (RUS) – 1:42.44
5. Mario Mola (ESP) – 1:42.46
6. Brad Kahledfeldt (AUS) – 1:42.54
7. Jarrod Shoemaker (USA) – 1:42.57
8. Stuart Hayes (GBR) – 1:42. 59
9. Steffen Justus (GER) – 1:43.04
10. Alistair Brownlee (GBR) – 1:43.05

13. Tim Don (GBR) - 1:43.20
20. Will Clarke (GBR) - 1:43.48
38. Olly Freeman (GBR) - 1:45.06

Europe’s largest ever elite Paratriathlon race took part in Hyde Park today, and produced three gold medals for British athletes in an event featuring athletes from around Europe and the USA.

Iain Dawson continued his winning form from the European Championships. The visually impaired athlete was a winner by over three minutes from Leicester’s Haseeb Ahmad. Dawson was followed during his preparation and performance by a camera crew from BBC East, and will be featured on TV next week.

He said: “The Swim was fairly tough. Lots of people were trying to swim in between us I had to fight not to lose position. It was a good result, and a good stepping stone to the World Championships in September.”

Susanna Rodriguez of Spain won the equivalent women’s race in the Tri6 category. She said: “My race was ok, and it was a really nice venue, really well organised and I’m happy to be here in London with this opportunity to race. Lots of people were shouting your name, not just the British athletes but for everyone.”

Faye McClellend continued her fine season with another win. She was exactly one minute ahead of world champion, Clare Cunningham.

She said: “It’s brilliant, it feels fantastic and it’s nice to win it twice in a row. It was great coming through the carpeted area, it really gets you going.”

Britain’s third gold medallist was Stephen Judge in the Tri2 category, who was a convincing winner over Britain’s James Smith. He made a good start in the swim and biked well. Smith was the faster runner, but Judge was well ahead. France’s Cedric Farrudja was third, on a successful day that saw his countrymen win two gold medals and another bronze.

The USA matched Britain’s gold medal performance with three wins across the different categories.

Other medals for Great Britain included silver for David Cooke in the Tri1 category, silver for Jane Egan in Tri4 and bronze for Anna Turney in Tri1.
 

Over 3,000 triathletes competed in sprint and standard distance Age Group races at the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship London presented by Tata Steel this weekend.

The two races formed an integral part of a festival of triathlon, which saw two elite races, the British Youth and Junior Aquathlon Championships and the largest elite paratriathlon in Europe take place in iconic Hyde Park.

With thousands of age group athletes taking part, the atmosphere was carnival like, and the elite athletes were certainly thankful for their support today as Heather Williams, British Triathlon Performance Director, commented: “This has been a big weekend for all our guys. The support in Hyde Park has been absolutely fantastic, and I am sure they will all agree that spurred them on to some great performances.”

There were some high profile sport stars taking part in the races including the former European and Commonwealth Champion, Iwan Thomas. Iwan raced yesterday in the sprint event and finished 18th in his age group with a time of 1:21.21. After the race, Iwan showed his enthusiasm for the sport commenting: “I love this sport, I got overtaken by a million 14 year olds, but I love this sport and am coming back.” You can watch the full interview and many other video clips from both day’s racing on our British Triathlon YouTube channel.

Sponsors, Tata Steel, hosted a sprint wave for employees. HR Director and triathlon novice, Tor Farquhar said: “The open water swim was a bit of a shock, I misjudged that a bit. I got used to it but it was harder work than I expected. The cycle was lovely. I was passing work mates on the opposite side of the road all the time, as we’d see each other on the laps. I’ll definitely be back next year, I loved it!”

In today’s standard distance race, the age group community came out in force with each athlete completing their personal triathlon challenge, with friends and family supporting them. One athlete was especially ready for the triathlon challenge, as all blacks’ legend Sean Fitzpatrick raced as part of the Team Laureus relay.

Fitzpatrick tackled the 40k bike ride and was joined by fellow New Zealander Andrea Hewitt – fourth in yesterday’s women’s elite race – who took the swimming leg, and by Sky Sports presenter James Gemmell, who completed the team’s effort by running the 10k run.

The stars of the race though were the thousands of novice and experienced Age Group athletes that competed. Not only did they race, but they also supported our elite men and women, helping Helen Jenkins to third and Jonathan Brownlee to an inspirational second place, behind the Javier Gomez.

Unofficial results from both races can be downloaded below:

Sprint Distance: Age Group results.pdf
Standard Distance: Standard Distance results

See the action on our youtube channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/BritishTriathlon

Britain’s Helen Jenkins finished third at today’s Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship London presented by Tata Steel. Canada’s 21-year-old Paula Findlay scored a stunning win in to to take gold from last year’s winner Nicole Spirig of Switzerland.

Jenkins, the 2008 World Champion, threw down the gauntlet in the run at London’s iconic Hyde Park, but the young Canadian stayed with her and took the lead in the final 2km. Findlay won her first Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championships Series race in 1:51.48.

Britain’s Helen Jenkins repeated her performance of 2009, finishing in third place.
Jenkins said: “I’m really happy to be out there on the podium in front of the home crowd. The home support was amazing and I couldn’t believe how many people were shouting for me. I’m disappointed not to win, but to be on the podium was brilliant.
 
“Considering the field, this is probably the best field assembled for a couple of years, to get on the podium is fantastic.
 
“I’ve met my goal today and I really tried to commit to it. I didn’t have the best swim, but I pushed hard on the bike and on the run... It didn’t get me the win but it got me on the podium.

Britain’s Vicky Holland finished sixth to back up her fifth place in Hamburg last week, and Jodie Swallow seventh.
 
Earlier, Findlay had come out of the water in 23rd, 20 seconds behind race leader Laura Bennett (USA), who had dominated the swim. They both featured in a 24-strong pack that broke away from the rest of the field following the swim to bike transition.
 
Between the 10k and 20k marks of the ride they had virtually doubled their lead over the pack. Spirig led the field into the run, with Britain’s Hollie Avil leading the chasing pack.
 
A gutsy Jenkins laid down the challenge with a pace that soon cut the leading group from 24 to 10. By the end of the first of three laps, and with 3.3km of the run out of the way, her pace had further reduced the leading group to seven, which still included three Brits.
 
Cheered on by a home crowd, Jenkins’ pace reduced the front pack even further to just four, but it was the young Canadian who made the decisive break to claim the best win of her career to date.
 
Holland and Swallow were pleased with their sixth and seventh finishes respectively at the London 2012 Olympic Games triathlon venue.
 
Holland said: “I’m very happy - I was nice and relaxed and managed to pull out another good result. It has been a really great week for me, a couple of fantastic results – fifth in Hamburg and then sixth here today.”
 
Swallow said:  “The run went off fast from the start and I never really got in control of it. After a lap I had to let the first girls go and find my rhythm. I’m pleased I held on and got seventh.”
 
“I love this race, everybody was screaming my name. I’m not sure if they were screaming for me or the other Jodie (Stimpson) but I don’t mind.”
 
Emma Moffatt, Australia’s Beijing 2008 Olympic bronze medallist, finished ninth today but goes to the next round in Kitzbuhel in Austria at the head of the overall ITU World Championships Series leaderboard.  
 
“I didn’t have my best day today, but I’m still at the top overall and I’m going to try to maintain that over the next two races,” she said. “The girls were pushing a really fast race today and I fell off it a bit.”

National Performance Director, Heather Williams said: “It was another fantastic performance from Helen. This race meant a lot to her and she really took it on during the run. Unfortunately there were two better people on the day, but Helen gave it her all.

“It’s going to be a great race tomorrow. All our guys are really up for it. Tim’s in great shape, as we’ve seen, and Alistair is in great shape too. It’s all set for a great race!”

The men’s elite race gets underway at 16.00 and will be live on BBC2 from 15.00.
 
Results:
1. Paula Findlay CAN 01:51:48
2. Nicola Spirig SUI 01:51:51
3. Helen Jenkins GBR 01:51:53
4. Andrea Hewitt NZL 01:51:55
5. Laura Bennett USA 01:52:34
6. Vicky Holland GBR 01:52:39
7. Jodie Swallow GBR 01:52:45
8. Kate Roberts RSA 01:53:04
9. Emma Moffatt AUS 01:53:12
10. Akane Tsuchihashi JPN 01:53:24
25. Jodie Stimpson GBR 1:55:06
43. Hollie Avil GBR 1:57.32

In the 2010 British Youth and Junior Aquathlon Championships,  Britain’s Lucy Smith used the tactical advantage of wearing a wetsuit to establish a lead during the swim in the junior, and was never caught. European Junior Triathlon Champion, Lucy Chittenden, ran well to finish second, but Smith was well ahead and also set the fastest run time to assure the win by 53 seconds.
                                                                     
Lucy Smith said: “I decided to wear a wetsuit and it seems to have paid off. I got out of transition in the lead and felt really good on the run and just went for it. There was so much support, it’s such a great course, I really enjoyed it.”

Tom Bishop won the men’s junior event, with twin brother, David, taking third. Greg Turner split the brothers for silver. Tom Bishop was fourth out of the swim, but used his run strength to take the victory by nearly a minute.

The race featured Andy Hood, who will join Thorogood at the Youth Olympic Games. He finished seventh, and said: “It was a tough swim, it was pretty quick. I found some free water and managed to come out pretty high up. The run was very fast, and the heat made the run tough.”

In the Youth events Sky Draper won the women’s race. She set the pace on the swim, and ran out for the win half a minute ahead of Georgia Taylor-Brown. Maddy Winzer was third.

Gordon Benson won the men’s youth race narrowly from Morgan Davies. His margin of victory was just 4 seconds. Grant Sheldon was third after exiting the water first.

The event is also the third of six races in the British Triathlon Youth and Junior Super Series, with competitors next competing in the London Triathlon on 8 August. Today’s event was part of the festival of triathlon as part of the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship London  presented by Tata Steel.

See all our videos of the days action from Hyde Park on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/user/BritishTriathlon

Here at British Triathlon, we hope you enjoyed the action at this year's Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship London presented by Hyde Park. If you have been inspired by the achievements of the athletes, then we have given some top tips below on how to take part in the sport.

About Triathlon

Triathlon involves a continuous race in the three disciplines swimming, cycling and running. A standard triathlon is made up of a swim, followed by a cycle ride and finally a run.  There are no gaps between the disciplines, which is why triathlon is often reported as having a fourth discipline.

Triathlon is a vibrant, exciting and rapidly growing sport that is accessible for people of all ages and abilities.  You don’t need expensive specialist equipment or any experience to get started and there are events all over the country with varying distances.

Events range from short pool based novice events designed to give people a taster through to the full Olympic distance events that Elite athletes race .

There are three race distances:

Super Sprint: 400m swim; 10km bike and 2.5km run
Sprint: 750m swim; 20km bike and 5km run
Standard or Olympic: 1,500m swim; 40km bike and 10km run

To find a registered event which you can take part in visit:

www.britishtriathlon.org/events/index.php


How do I get involved?

One of the best ways to get involved in triathlon is by contacting your local club. There will be opportunities to train and normally a coach to help you along. There are clubs which provide a service for adults and young people as well as clubs for beginners and seasoned triathletes.

All triathlon clubs are incredibly friendly and welcome anybody new to the sport.  The best way to get involved is just turn up and have a go.

All of the British Triathlon affiliated clubs are detailed at:

www.britishtriathlon.org/clubs/index.php


Become part of the triathlon community

There are membership organisations For those that want to get more involved in triathlon after taking part in an event or visiting a club, you can join your home nation:

Triathlon England
Welsh Triathlon
Triathlonscotland

Click here to join

The benefits of membership are that you will be insured while you are training, receive discounts on race entries and have access to a legal claims service. Triathlon is unique in that members of their Home Nation can also represent their sport at an international level, being part of the GB Age Group team. The Age Group competition system means that every athlete from aged 8 to 80 can take part in races in their own age category. This gives you the ability to race people of the same age and sex from the novice event through to National, European and World championships.

And finally
Triathlon is a unique sport. Our aim is to enable everyone to achieve there individual triathlon goals. Your goal may be to complete your first triathlon. Your goal may be to compete at a World Championship event representing Great Britain.

We can help with either of these goals through our structured programmes which we have developed to support you and your personal triathlon challenges.

Competition is not necessarily for everyone and triathlon can be a phenomenal participation experience that provides you with the framework and support to get fit and enjoy being part of a rapidly growing sport.

This weekend

The Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship London presented by Tata Steel.

The event takes place today, 24 July to the 25 July. It encompasses, age group races, a paratriathlon event and, of course the elite races.

If you can attend the event in Hyde Park, then we would encourage anyone from within London to make the journey.

However, if you can't, don't worry.

Follow us on twitter @BritTri

Join our Facebook community

Watch the latest videos from the event

Or tune into BBC2 from 15.00 on Sunday 25 July, and watch the men's event live, with highlights of the women's race.

Competitors racing in the Dextro Energy Triathlon World Championship in Hyde Park this weekend will receive the support of Britain’s greatest multi-sport athlete Daley Thompson, who will attend the event to cheer on the triathletes, including All Blacks rugby legend Sean Fitzpatrick, raising money for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, Global Charity Partner to the International Triathlon Union (ITU).

As team coach for 25 Laureus fundraisers competing in Hyde Park, Thompson has lent his support to the competitors in the lead up to the event, providing tips and advice and hosting a training day, to ensure his team of triathletes are race ready.

One of the projects to benefit from the Laureus partnership with the ITU is the Midnight Basketball League in Lambeth, South London, an initiative that aims to give young adults an alternative interest between the hours of 10pm - 2am, when drug and crime activity is at its greatest. On Thursday, Laureus Academy members Boris Becker and Sean Fitzpatrick were joined by elite triathletes Jan Frodeno, Emma Snowsill and Simon Whitfield to launch the project.

Daley Thompson is a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy, a unique association of 46 of the greatest living sporting legends backing the Laureus charity partnership with the ITU, and will be joined in Hyde Park by fellow Laureus Academy Member, the legendary All Blacks rugby captain Sean Fitzpatrick, who will be one of the members of a relay team in the Olympic distance event.  Thompson has also received the support of double Olympic 1,500 metres gold medallist and Academy Member Lord Sebastian Coe, who provided exclusive running advice for the Laureus fundraisers.

Speaking ahead of the Hyde Park event, Thompson commented: “The Laureus partnership with the ITU is a great initiative enabling sports enthusiasts to race at an iconic London 2012 venue alongside elite athletes, while raising funds for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. I’ve had great fun training the Laureus team, and have been really pleased with the commitment and level of fitness, so I’ll be looking out for some impressive results in Hyde Park. The best of luck to Sean (Fitzpatrick) and the rest of the team!”

Laureus Academy Chairman and former 400 metres hurdles Olympic and World Champion Edwin Moses, who was at the announcement of the global charity partnership between Laureus and the ITU in Sydney in April added: “I am delighted with the support the Laureus Academy, including Daley Thompson and Sean Fitzpatrick in London and Miguel Indurain in Madrid last month, have shown for our exciting new association with the ITU. The partnership, which will run for at least two seasons, has been a great success in year one, and we look forward to building on this in 2011. Funds raised as a result of the partnership will benefit our 80 sports-focused projects worldwide, which have helped to improve the lives of over one million young people.”

The Dextro Energy ITU World Championship series event in London, presented by Tata Steel, is the fifth of seven stages on the 2010 series. The race, which takes place on the London 2012 course, has attracted the world’s best triathletes, including reigning World Champion, Britain’s Alistair Brownlee, who will be joined by over 3,000 competitors. The event, which will be broadcast live on BBC 2 on July 25, 15.00-18.00; and live on red button from 13.00 – 15.00 on July 24, is also expected to attract thousands of spectators.

High res images will be available via http://drop.io/LaureusITU (password: Laureus). Further pictures will be available on www.laureusarchive.com

Anyone keen to join the Laureus team fundraising effort at the Budapest World Final in September, or at any of the ITU World Championship events in 2011, should contact Campbell Gray at Laureus on 020 7514 2794 or Campbell.gray@laureus.com
 

London’s Hyde Park will play host to the ITU World Championships Series Triathlon for a third time in 2011, it has been announced today.
 
The Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series event, to be staged on August 6 and 7th, will include a Royal view of the elite races with the world’s top competitors racing around Hyde Park and the streets of London to Buckingham Palace and back.
 
“We’re building on the success of staging this global event in 2009 and 2010 by announcing the 2011 dates today”, said James Robinson, Commercial Director, Upsolut Sports UK Ltd.

“Triathlon is a fast growing, dynamic modern Olympic sport which for this free to view event offers spectators the opportunity to watch the best triathletes in the World. Britain also has the reputation of being amongst the best nations in the world with triathletes like Alistair Brownlee, Helen Jenkins and Hollie Avil all having won world titles since 2008”, said Zara Hyde-Peters, Chief Executive of British Triathlon.
 
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson added: 'The Triathlon World Championships are an exhilarating spectacle, both for the world-class athletes taking part and the fans cheering them on. Hosting them next year will be an opportunity for Londoners and visitors alike to experience the thrill of an Olympic sport on the capital's streets and for organisers to see one of the chosen venues in top-flight action as anticipation builds for the 2012 Games.'
 
The unique mix of elite sport combined with amateur racers testing themselves at the same event has proven a successful recipe.
 
More than 3,000 are due to take part in the 2010 event this weekend which features a swim in the Serpentine followed by bike and run courses around the Park.
 
25,000 spectators are due in the finish area grandstands and more than 100,000 will see the action in Hyde Park and on the streets of London. 
 
The global TV reach of the event is already significant with live/ and or highlights in 146 territories. In the UK, live action from the men’s event will be shown on BBC2 (15.00 – 18.00, Sunday 25 July) with red button coverage of the women’s event on 24 July and with a further hour-long magazine package on Channel 4 and British Eurosport.
 
An Expo, including trade and other exhibition space and events, will be part of the spectator experience.
 
The team behind the 2009 and 2010 event - being run by Upsolut Sports UK Ltd and British Triathlon in association with the ITU and supported by UK Sport and the city’s “Events for London” team - has already succeeded in attracting a mix of private and public funding to ensure that the event continues to grow.
 

This weekend’s Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship London, presented by Tata Steel, in Hyde Park will feature Europe’s largest elite paratriathlon race. Entries are up thirty percent on last year as the sport enters the final stretch of a long process to decide its Paralympic future.

Paratriathlon is not currently included in the Paralympic Games, but has aspirations of inclusion in the programme for Rio 2016. The fast growing, dynamic and modern sport of triathlon was introduced to the Olympics just ten years ago. Paratriathlon now looks for International Paralympic Committee recognition to enjoy a similar boost to triathlon.

Britain has one current paratriathlon World Champion, Clare Cunningham, who will compete on Saturday in Hyde Park. Three of our four European Champions, recently crowned in Athlone, Ireland, will also race.

Cunningham already has Paralympic experience as a swimmer in 1992 and is desperately keen to see triathlon be included in Rio 2016. She said: “Being included in Rio 2016 will be absolutely massive for the sport. It would really see the sport move forward rapidly and help attract a high standard of athletes into the sport.”

For paratriathlon to be included, it will need to demonstrate that a minimum of 25 nations are competing in the sport from at least three different continents.

British Triathlon’s president, Dr Sarah Springman, OBE is closely involved in driving forward paratriathlon’s bid for inclusion in her role as an International Triathlon Union Vice President.

She said: “ITU submitted a large file containing our vision for paratriathlon as a paralmypic sport, supported by statistics and technical, governance and administrative documentation to substantiate our bid. We believe there are eight international federations bidding for a maximum of two slots. The compeition will be extremely tough! Should we be successful, we will hope that IPC will grant us our request for 75 places for men and 75 for women divided across six classification categories.

“We are very hopeful that our charismatic paratriathletes, and the wonderful stages, such as Hyde Park, that we have established for them to demonstrate their inspirational performances  will help convince decision makers in time for the IPC Congress in November.

Through the investment of corporate partner, Corus, British Triathlon has established a successful paratriathlon performance programme.

Paratriathlon Performance Manager, Jonathan Riall, said: “The GE Great Britain Team had a wonderful performance at the European Championships winning four gold, four silver and four bronze medals.

We are excited about hosting Europe’s biggest elite triathlon this weekend in Hyde Park, and are hopeful of achieving more international success.”

The Paratriathlon race at the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship London presented by Tata Steel takes place at 3.45pm on Saturday 24 July in London’s Hyde Park.
 

The official event press conference of the 2010 Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship London presented by Tata Steel, concluded this mornig with Alistair Brownlee, Emma Moffatt and Javier Gomez eagerly anticipating some fierce racing in Hyde Park.

Emma Moffatt, who originally planned to become a sports scientist or nutritionist, never thought she would helself become one of the athletes who was actually practiced on. Emma believes her Olympic triathlon bronze medal in Beijing has helped her, “live the dream of travelling around the world and being fit and healthy, really just doing what you enjoy.”

Javier Gomez, last week’s winner in Hamburg discussed his rivalry with British athlete Alistair commenting: “He showed last year he’s the best triathlete in the world. He doesn’t have any weak points. He's always in the top four or five in the swim, strong on the bike and very fast on the run. He’s the one to beat for all the other athletes.”

Last to speak was our own British athlete and current world champion Alistair Brownlee who said: “It’s a really strong field... and the fact it’s on the Olympic venue with two years to go, I think everyone is pretty motivated.”

He then discussed the value of having a world class support team behind you when racing, adding: “When things are going well you don’t think about the support you get and the sponsors. But then there are the times, like when I got injured, of being able to say ‘I need a scan’ and being able to get one within a couple of days [is great]. The medical support, the way that British Triathlon put so much physio and medical support to help me get me back on track. It’s just that, when you need it, it’s there.”
 

The world’s best triathletes compete in the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship London presented by Tata Steel on 24 and 25 July, with both men’s and women’s races broadcast live on the BBC.

The elite women’s race will be broadcast on the BBC Red Button from 13.00 on Saturday 24 July. The action will include former world champion, Helen Jenkins and current U23 world champion Hollie Avil, who will both be aiming to perform well in front of a home crowd. 

Last weekend’s French Grand Prix winner, Jodie Stimpson, current long distance world champion, Jodie Swallow, will also race, along with Vicky Holland, who finished 5th last weekend in Hamburg, and Liz Blatchford.  

The elite men’s race will be broadcast live on BBC2 from 15.00 on Sunday 25 July. Tim Don will race and aim to continue his excellent form, having finished third in Hamburg last weekend. Current world champion, Alistair Brownlee, races alongside his brother Jonathan, with Stuart Hayes, Will Clarke and Olly Freeman also competing.

The weekend also includes a youth and junior aquathlon and paratriathlon event on Saturday 24 July. Sprint distance age group races will be held on Saturday, and on Sunday Age Group athletes will be racing over the standard distance before the elite men’s race.

Throughout the two days, you can also follow all the action on twitter. So log on and follow @BritTri

There are also video's on YouTiube, including Helen Jenkins talking about her season so far and thoughts on Lonodn. Click here to watch the video.

 

Over 90 Aspiring young triathletes from Scotland, the North East, North West and Yorkshire competed in the open water triathlon at Hetton Lyons Country Park on Sunday 17th July.

This was the first time that many of the Tri star, Tri star 1, Tristar 2, Tristar 3 and Youth competitors had raced in open water conditions and it proved to be the perfect competitive preparation for the Northern triathletes, giving them a chance to experience the conditions they will be likely to face at the Inter Regional Championships (IRC's) at Parc Bryn Bach, Wales, in September. The event is also one of the North East selection events for their IRC team and was greatly supported thanks to the local triathlon clubs in the way of event marshals and equipment.
The event was also draft legal which meant that the youngsters could work together on the bike. This in turn made for an exciting days racing.

Hetton Lyons Country Park is already a popular site for British Cycling events and is a fantastic setting for triathlon with the open water swimming, a closed road tarmac path looping around the lake allowing for safe, draft legal cycling and a trail path ideal for the running course. Competitive settings such as this provide the aspiring triathletes with a realistic taste of what their  Olympic heroes such as Alistair Brownlee and Helen Jenkins compete in. With events like this, perhaps in the near future we will see the regions youngsters progress to the levels of Jenkins and Brownlee especially as Brownlee used to compete in events in the North East only a few years ago.

Many thanks to the event supporters North East Triathlon, Start Fitness, Triathlete’s World, Sun City Triathlon Club, Ryton Triathlon Club and One Life Racing.

Race distances
WAVE 1 8 – 10 yr olds: Tri start & Tri Star 1 – 100m open water swim / 2km bike / 600m run
WAVE 2 11 – 12 yr olds: Tri Star 2 – 200m swim / 4km bike / 1800m run
WAVE 3 13 – 14 yr olds: Tri Star 3 – 300m swim / 7km bike / 2400m run
WAVE 4: 15 + Youths – 400m swim / 10km bike / 3000m run

Where: Hetton Lyons Country Park, Houghton le Spring, DH5 9DT

WINNERS
WAVE 1: 8 -10 yr olds: Tri start & Tri Star 1
Male – Oliver Dollimore
Female – Rhianna Nitsch
Wave 2: 11 – 12 yr olds: Tri Star 2
 Male – Fergus Robinson
Female – Kate Waugh
WAVE 3: 13 – 14 yr olds
Male – Greg Chambers
Female – Lucy Farquhar
WAVE 4: 15 + Youths
Male – Charlie Harris-pratt
Female – Carly May Webster

 

Over the weekend of the 3 and 4 of July, the small town of Athlone in Ireland played host to the ETU Triathlon European Championships. This was the first event of the 2010 season that the GE Great Britain Paratriathlon Team were targeting in a year packed with high quality paratriathlon events.

Great Britain sent a team of 14 athletes across most of the ITU competition classes, which consisted of current European Champion David Cooke, and current World Champion Clare Cunningham.

The majority of members on the GE Great Britain Paratriathlon Team are also part of the Great Britain Paratriathlon Performance Squad, which since the beginning of 2010 has aimed to support the best athletes with an ultimate goal being success at events such as the European and World Championships.

Hopes were high leading into this event and these were not let down. The GE Great Britain Paratriathlon Team won more medals than ever before from one team in the Paratriathlon event, with a total of twelve, four gold, four silver and four bronze.

Some highlight performances were from both the winners of the Tri 6 visually impaired category, after Iain Dawson was the quickest athlete of the race overall and  Charlotte Ellis managed to overcome a 2min 30sec deficit to pass the leader. Faye McClelland managed to overcome Clare Cunningham, current ITU World Champion to win gold in the Tri 4 catergory.

All our GE Great Britain Paratriathlon Team medallists are listed below:

Jane Egan – Tri 1 – Gold
Faye McClelland – Tri 4 – Gold
Clare Cunningham – Tri 4 – Silver
Charlotte Ellis – Tri 6 – Gold
Sara Butler – Tri 6 – Bronze
David Cooke – Tri 1 – Silver
Alan Rayment – Tri 1 – Bronze
Steve Judge – Tri 3 – Silver
Paul Thomas – Tri 3 – Bronze
Iain Dawson – Tri 6 – Gold
Chris Goodwin – Tri 6 – Silver
Haseeb Ahmad – Tri 6 – Bronze