http://www.triathlon.org/news/ en masa.takaya@triathlon.org Copyright 2010 2010-08-26T22:10:44+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/budapest_press_conference_sound_bites/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/budapest_press_conference_sound_bites/#When:12:46:16Z Earlier today, six of the top triathletes in the world attended the pre-race Press Conference ahead of the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Grand Final in Budapest. Over 100 journalists from Europe, Asia, South America and North America were in attendance, eager to hear from triathlon superstars Emma Moffatt (AUS), Andrea Hewitt (NZL), Lisa Norden (SWE), Jan Frodeno (GER) and Alistair Brownlee (GBR). Also attending the presser was track and field legend Edwin Moses, chairman of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, the charitable partner of the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series. Here’s what triathlon’s top athletes, and two-time Olympic gold medallist Moses, had to say. Javier Gomez On starting off the year with an injury… “I was very disappointed to start of the year with a hip injury, but I was lucky, things turned around quickly. I have been feeling great for the past few months and I am looking forward to finishing off the season on a high note.” On racing in unfavourable weather (like the cold and rainy conditions all week in Budapest)… “I’ve always done well in tough conditions—whether it is in the rain or in the heat. I like racing when it’s hard. Hopefully the weather will improve for tomorrow, but if not, I won’t mind racing in these conditions.” On the amazing year for Spanish athletics… “Spain has had a great year in sport with the World Cup win and [Raphael] Nadal playing so well. I hope that I can do my part this weekend to give Spain another World Championship.” Jan Frodeno On the possibility of becoming the first male triathlete to win an Olympic gold medal and World Championship… “It’s huge motivation for me. To be the first person to do something is what every athlete wants to do. The thought of being the first man to win Olympic gold and a world title has really pushed me all year long.” On the growth of triathlon in Germany… “Swimming, biking and running have always been popular sports in Germany, so I think that’s why triathlon has become so popular so fast. People in Germany now know who all the top triathletes are. When I go to the supermarket, the cashier asks me how many more points I need to win this year’s world title. That wouldn’t have happened ten years ago.” On the depth of the men’s field… As an athlete, I think winning a second title always means more than the first. The first one is very special, of course, but winning something like a World Championship twice is the way you... 2010-09-10T12:46:16+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/how_to_watch_budapest_live/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/how_to_watch_budapest_live/#When:13:45:35Z No matter where you are in the world, you’ll be able to catch this weekend’s Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Budapest Grand Final live. The Elite races will be shown live, free of charge, on triathlon.org/tv and simultaneously on 15 major networks around the world. Additionally, 14 networks will be featuring tape-delayed coverage of the race. The men’s race kicks off at 1pm local time on Saturday (click here to view time in your location), with the women to follow at 2pm on Sunday (click here to view time in your location). In addition to the full television elite broadcasts the U23/Junior/Paratriathlon and age-group races on Saturday and Sunday will feature a live finish-line camera together with live splits from all events on triathlon.org/live. To watch the elite races online, simply log on to triathlon.org/tv and register for a free account. Or, catch the races live on one of the following networks: Australia ONE (Network 10) Belgium EXQI Canada CBC Germany ARD (men’s only) SportDigital (women’s only) Hungary Magyar TV Indian Sub Continent Ten Sports/Ten Action Ireland Setanta Malta GO Mexico Televisa Portugal RTP (women’s only) Russia NTV Slovenia Sport TV Slovenia Spain TVE (men’s only) Please check your local listings for tape-delayed coverage on the following networks: Australia ONE Austria ORF Belgium EXQI Canada CBC Germany SportDigital Japan NHK Malta GO Mexico Televisa New Zealand Sky NZ Russia NTV Slovenia Sport TV Slovenia Spain TVE UK BBC USA Universal Sports 2010-09-09T13:45:35+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/budapest_grand_final_preview/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/budapest_grand_final_preview/#When:10:31:23Z The world’s top triathletes are in beautiful Budapest, Hungary, ready to take on the second annual Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Grand Final. After races in Sydney, Seoul, Madrid, Hamburg, London and Kitzbühel, the final event of the 2010 Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series lands in the Hungarian capital, showcasing many of Budapest’s most iconic landmarks. On Saturday and Sunday, world champions will be crowned in the Age Group, Junior, U23, Paratriathlon and Elite categories. Over 3,000 athletes representing 67 nations are scheduled to compete in this weekend’s events. The Elite races will be shown live in 15 countries and at a later date in an additional 14 countries. The Elite men will kick things off with a 1,500-meter swim in the Danube River at 1:00 pm local time on Saturday. Heading into the final race of the Series, Germany’s Jan Frodeno leads the ITU World Rankings. Frodeno has been red hot this season, finishing on the podium four times, including a win at round two of the Series in Seoul. Currently second in the rankings is 2008 World Champion Javier Gomez of Spain. The Spaniard is the only man to win two Series events this year, taking back-to-back titles in Hamburg and London. Gomez sits 231 points back of Frodeno in the current standings, which means that if he wins and Frodeno finishes off the podium, Gomez will earn his second world title. Live video coverage of the Elite races will be available at triathlon.org/tv While Frodeno and Gomez are the favourites to take home the World Championship, they’re not the only ones in the hunt. World number three Alexander Brukhankov will be looking for another strong showing to put the icing on the best year of his career. If the Russian takes the title in Budapest and Frodeno and Gomez finish outside of the top ten, Brukhankov will be world champ. Others will a shot at the world title include Aussie Brad Kahlefeldt (currently ranked 4th), Germany’s Steven Justus (5th), Aussie Courtney Atkinson (6th) and American Jarrod Shoemaker (7th). Each of these athletes will need the top three men to finish outside of the top ten in order to move up to the top spot in the rankings. Because he missed the first two events of the Series, reigning world champ Alistair Brownlee of Great Britain will not have a shot at repeating as world champion, but the fleet-footed Brit is always a threat to take the win. The race for the women’s world title is even tighter, with... Events, World Championship Series, Media Centre, Event Release, Press Release, Regions 2010-09-09T10:31:23+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/varga_vanek_crowned_itu_aquathlon_world_champions/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/varga_vanek_crowned_itu_aquathlon_world_champions/#When:19:27:36Z Slovakia’s Richard Varga and Hungary’s Margit Vanek took home top honours at the 2010 ITU Aquathlon World Championship in Budapest, each using a strong swim leg to pull away from the field. The fast and furious event, which consisted of a 1,000-meter swim followed by a 2.5-km run, was the first race of this year’s Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Grand Final. This Saturday and Sunday, ITU World Champions will also be crowned in the Age Group, Junior, U23, Paratriathlon and Elite categories. In the men’s Elite Aquathlon, Varga was the only man to finish the swim in under 12 minutes, doing so in 11:26. Great Britain’s Daniel Halksworth exited the chilly swim in the Danube River 35 seconds later, with a small group of men right on his heels. By the time the rest of the field got onto the run course, Varga was too far up the road and he strode the easy win in 20:27. Halksworth hung on for second, finishing in 20:48. Hungary’s Attila Fecskovics delighted the crowd by finishing third, using the day’s second-best run to finish in 20:57. Click here for all Age-Group Results. The excitement for the Hungarian fans continued in the women’s contest, with Hungary pulling off the one-two punch. Italy’s Gaia Person took the early lead out of the swim, finishing in 12:46, but Vanek was only four seconds behind. The pair headed out onto the run neck-and-neck, but it wasn’t long before Vanek pulled away. Vanek broke the tape with a run split of 8:36, as teammate Szandra Szalay pulled up to second at the finish, coming in 40 seconds later. Peron held on for third, finishing just five seconds back of Szalay. In the men’s U23 competition, Great Britain’s Phil Wolfe pulled out the win, finishing in an impressive time of 20:51. Wolfe’s time was faster than all but two of the Elite men. The Junior titles were won by Italy’s Elena Maria Petini and Ireland’s Benjamin Shaw. Over 290 age-group athletes representing 34 countries also took part in today’s Aquathlon World Championship. The Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Budapest Grand Final will culminate with the Elite races this weekend. The Elite men will race at 1pm local time on Saturday, with the Elite women to follow at 2pm on Sunday. Live coverage of both races will be available on triathlon.org/live Multisports, Aquathlon 2010-09-08T19:27:36+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/age_group_focus_american_steve_jonas/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/age_group_focus_american_steve_jonas/#When:09:38:31Z When 74-year-old American Steven Jonas steps up to the start line, he isn’t looking to win, or even go fast. He’s looking only to finish, and that “take it easy” attitude has brought him to the finish on 214 occasions. When he toes the start in Budapest this weekend, he can take pride in knowing that he’s completed more triathlons than the rest of the 70-74 year-old age group combined, even if he knows he can’t beat all of them. Jonas has also shown amazing endurance when it comes to his work, and still teaches as a professor of Preventative Medicine at Stony Brook University in New York. He has also written, co-written and co-edited more than ten books on fitness and wellness. His first book Triathloning for Ordinary Mortals has sold over 45,000 copies. Jonas qualified to compete in the Olympic-distance event, but a nagging knee injury now has him setting his sights on the Sprint-distance competition in Budapest. We caught up with Jonas a few days ahead of this year’s Age Group World Championship. This is your 6th time competing in the ITU World Championship. What do you find special about this event that keeps you coming back? First there are the different places and the opportunity to travel. Just in the last two years I’ve been able to see two new places, Australia and Budapest. The second aspect is that there’s a great group of athletes in the 70-plus age group that I’ve made friends with and it’s always nice to see them. My major goal is that I’d still like to be racing when I’m in the 80-84 age group. Even if it means I’m only doing Sprint races and short duathlons at that age, I just want to be out there racing. Steve Jonas Lastly, for me it’s such an honour to get to go to a world championship event. I was a non-athletic kid. I was the kid always picked last for gym glass and I really didn’t become an athlete until I found triathlon almost 30 years ago. So for someone who wasn’t an athlete growing up to have the chance to compete at an event like this is something really special. And I’ve gotten here not because I’m fast, but because I’ve lasted. I’m usually the only one in my age group at nationals, so as long as I can finish, I know that I’ll get the opportunity to race at Worlds. Very few people can claim to have done over 200 triathlons. What’s been key to your longevity in this sport? One thing is just the mental attitude. It means so much for me to be able to be part of this sport. I’m lucky to do it. The other thing is that... Age Group, Events, World Championship Series, Media Centre, Event Release, Regions, Americas 2010-09-08T09:38:31+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/coaching_from_the_heart_-_an_itu_sport_development_story/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/coaching_from_the_heart_-_an_itu_sport_development_story/#When:05:30:38Z A now advanced coach, Mick Delamotte speaks of his journey of gaining through giving – the process at the core of development success in triathlon When something exciting, valuable and rewarding exists, you always remember its beginning. My involvement in the ITU Sport Development Program began in 2007, just a year after it initially kicked off. As a Coach of Junior athlete’s within the city of Sydney Australia I was (and still am) a passionate advocate for the development of Triathlon from grass roots through to Elite.  In early 2007 I contacted our federations National Talent and Development Manager Craig Redman to seek his views on international events that would provide me with a fuller perspective on our sport. I had planned to take annual leave from my full time job and self fund an excursion to anywhere in the world that would provide me with an opportunity to further develop my skills and knowledge of the sport of triathlon. I would do this primarily to come home and benefit the athlete’s I coach. Coming from an area where past ITU World Champions Greg Welch, Michellie Jones and Chris McCormack had developed, had inspired me to explore the world of triathlon further. I was put in contact with ITU Director of Sport Development, Libby Burrell, and invited to attend the 2007 ITU World Junior Camp in Tiszaujvaros Hungary as a mentor Coach. The journey had begun. This experience would change my life. Apart from the exciting professional development opportunities gained, I also networked with a variety of home coaches from every continent of the world. I had the opportunity to work with aspiring Junior athlete’s, some from adverse environments who were nothing more than wide eyed kids with raw a talent at the time. I immediately found working with the likes of Libby Burrell, Bobby McGee, Zeljko Bijuk and many others immensely gratifying. I came home from Tiszaujvaros a different Coach, indeed a different person, inspired by what I had experienced and excited by the contribution I felt I had made to the athletes and other home coaches within the camp. From this point forward, I vowed to assist Libby Burrell and her marvellous team within ITU Sport Development with any future initiatives. I felt I could positively contribute and I was willing to do whatever it took to do so. In 2008 I was provided with an opportunity to work at the ITU Level 2 Competitive Coaches Course in Medulin Croatia, this time with Alan Ley, Zeljko Bijuk and their team. We... Regions, Europe, Sport Development 2010-09-08T05:30:38+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/age_group_focus_european_champions_in_budapest/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/age_group_focus_european_champions_in_budapest/#When:10:26:22Z A total of 11 age-group winners from this year’s European Championships in Athlone, Ireland will be competing on Sunday in the Olympic-distance competition at the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series Grand Final in Budapest. Here’s a closer look at Europe’s finest age-group athletes as they get set for the biggest race of the season. 20-24 Women Katerine Henderson (GBR) The Briton has shown huge improvements in 2010, highlighted by her age-group win in Athlone. She’ll be competing in her second consecutive Grand Final after finishing 67th in this age group at last year’s Gold Coast Grand Final. 30-34 Men Dale Grassby (GBR) Grassby will be competing in his fourth consecutive ITU World Championship in the 30-34 age group. He’ll be looking for his first win, after finishing 9th at the Gold Coast (2009), 16th in Vancouver (2008) and 12th in Hamburg (2007). 40-44 Women Sophie Whitworth (GBR) Whitworth is one of the most decorated amateur athletes competing in this year’s Grand Final. She’ll be looking for her first age group world title, after finishing second in the 35-39 category at the last three ITU World Championships. She also won the ETU European Championship in Copenhagen in 2007. 40-44 Men Matt Molloy (IRL) Molloy, winner of the 40-44 age group in Athlone, will be competing in his second Grand Final. He raced in both the Aquathlon and Triathlon World Championship last year, finishing second in the Aquathlon and 54th in the triathlon in the 40-44 category. 45-49 Women Kay Hack (IRL) Ireland’s Kay Hack is competing in her first ITU World Championship after winning the 45-49 age group in Athlone. She also competed in this year’s ITU Long Distance World Championship in Immenstadt, Germany, finishing 14th in this age group. 50-54 Men Reto Schawalder (SUI) Switzerland’s Schawalder is one of the most successful age groupers in the history of ITU and will be competing in his 11th ITU race on Sunday. This year he won his age group in Athlone and at the Long Distance Champs in Immenstadt. He won the 45-49 category at the 2004 ITU World Champs in Madeira and finished second two years later in Lausanne. 55-59 Women Joan Griffin (IRL) Griffin is one of Ireland’s top age-group athletes and will be competing in her first ITU World Championship. She won the 50-54 category at the 2005 ETU Championships in Lausanne. 60-64 Women Jane Leslie (GBR) Leslie will be competing in her fourth consecutive ITU World Championship on Sunday.... Age Group, Events, World Championship Series, Media Centre, Event Release, Regions 2010-09-07T10:26:22+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/morrison_aernouts_take_duathlon_world_titles/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/morrison_aernouts_take_duathlon_world_titles/#When:17:05:50Z Scotland’s Catriona Morrison thrilled the crowd on hand to watch the 2010 ITU Duathlon World Championship in Edinburgh today, winning on home soil to take the fourth ITU Duathlon World Title of her illustrious career. Morrison won the ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championship in 2007 and 2008, after winning Duathlon Worlds at the standard distance in 2006. Today’s race took place in Edinburgh’s historic Holyrood Park, which served up one of the most challenging Duathlon World Champs courses of all time. The relentlessly hilly course consisted of a 10K run, followed by a 38.4K bike, and finished with a 5K run. Click here for a video of the women’s finish Morrison, the heavy favourite entering the race, finished the gruelling course in 2:02:47, to top France’s Sandra Levenez by 18 seconds. It was the second year in a row that Levenez finished in the runner-up spot at the Duathlon World Championship, having finished second to Czech Vendula Frintova in Concord, North Carolina, USA last season. Australia’s Felecity Sheddy-Ryan finished a distant third in her first-ever Duathlon World Champs, rounding out the podium in 2:06:14. Click here for a video of the men’s finish The men’s Elite competition was all about the Belgians, who pulled off an unprecedented podium sweep, with Bart Aernouts taking top honours in 1:50:22. It’s the biggest result of the 26-year-old’s career, after finishing third at the 2008 Duathlon World Champs. Aernouts topped countryman Rob Woestenborghs by 22 seconds. Fellow Belgian Joerie Vansteelant, younger brother of the late Benny Vansteelant (four-time ITU Duathlon World Champion), rounded out the men’s podium, finishing six seconds behind Woestenborghs. Events, Media Centre, Event Release, Press Release, Multisports, Duathlon, Regions, Europe 2010-09-05T17:05:50+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/age-group_focus_grand_final_contenders/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/age-group_focus_grand_final_contenders/#When:17:22:39Z Australia’s age-groupers were dominant at last year’s Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Grand Final on the Gold Coast, winning a total of 11 Olympic-distance titles. While a strong Aussie age-group contingent is set to compete in next week’s Grand Final in Budapest, they will not enjoy the advantage of competing close to home again, which opens up the door for the European age-groupers to steal the spotlight. Last year on the Gold Coast, Europeans won a total of four age-group world titles, led by the British squad with two wins. Spain and France each won one title. North American athletes will also look for a strong showing in Budapest, after taking top honours in 11 age-group categories in the Olympic-distance event. U.S. athletes won eight titles last year, with Canada taking the win in three categories. Here’s a closer look at a few of the top returning age-group athletes in the Olympic-distance competition who will be looking to earn the title of 2010 ITU World Champion in Budapest next Sunday. 30-34 Men Aussie Troy Drinan of Melbourne will return to defend his 2009 title. Drinan had a huge year in 2009, taking the Olympic-distance world title by eight seconds over countryman Michael Prince. Drinan, who also won this age-group at last year’s ITU Long Distance World Championship in Perth, was the only 30-34 year-old man to run under 35 minutes in Gold Coast. Prince, who finished only a few metres back of Drinan last year, will also be competing in Budapest. 35-39 Women All eyes will be on Canadian Suzanne Chandler in this age-group. Chandler, who resides in ITU’s homebase of North Vancouver, used a solid swim-bike combination to take last year’s world title in this age-group by eight seconds. She was named the 2009 Canadian Female Triathlete of the Year in the 18-39 year-old category. 40-44 Women Canadian Stephanie Kieffer will look to defend her 2009 title from the Gold Coast, and will be the heavy favourite to do so. The Vancouver resident won this age-group by over 2:30 in 2009. 50-54 Women The Canadian women will also look to take the 50-54 category, with returning champion Margaret Ritchie of Edmonton set to compete. She was dominant last year, winning this age-group by over a minute. Ritchie, who was named 2009 Canadian Duathlete of the Year in the 40+ category, also won her age-group at last year’s Duathlon World Champs. 65-69 Men This should prove to be one of the most exciting races to watch, with all three of... Age Group, Events, World Championship Series, Media Centre, Event Release, Regions 2010-09-04T17:22:39+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/be_green_athletes_-_green_triathlon_in_budapest/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/be_green_athletes_-_green_triathlon_in_budapest/#When:21:00:55Z Green Triathlon® initiative rolls out at the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Grand Final Budapest With a commitment to making the sport of triathlon as green as possible, the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Grand Final will feature several initiatives to minimize the environmental impact. The five-day event, which begins on September 8, will advocate athletes’ responsibility to keep the air and water in which they compete as clean as possible. The primary focus of the Green Triathlon® programme during next week is to raise awareness and understandings of the interrelation of athletics and environmental protection, while proactively involving competitors, spectators, contributors and local and international media.  Reducing the event’s waste products, ensuring recycling through separate waste collections, and organising a Green Expo are some of the examples. Several well known Hungarian athletes have been appointed as Green Ambassadors to help the initiative gain awareness among the public.  Zsolt Erdei, a former boxing world champion, Kinga Bóta, an Olympic silver medallist in kayaking, and Gábor Balogh, an Olympic silver medallist in modern pentathlon, planted a commemorative Green Triathlon tree at the Kopaszi-gát Race Center in April.  Hungarian triathlon legend, Péter Kropkó, is also a Green Ambassador.  The Hungarian Olympic Committe’s Irány a zöld! (Let’s head to the green!) programme further encourages Olympians to support Green initiatives. Staff members of the International Triathlon Union are now taking up the Green Triathlon® initiative with unprecedented enthusiasm, and will be actually participating in the Green Triathlon Team Relay Event, which is scheduled for September 8th.  ITU Executive Board members are also set to organise a team to compete. ITU Secretary General Loreen Barnett, said: “Our planet is the competition venue for all our events, so it is our responsibility to keep this venue as clean as possible. I am very passionate about participating in the Green Triathlon with all the ITU staff members to demonstrate how keen ITU is to raise awareness of this global issue.” Some tips to become Green Athletes: Carpool or take public transit to get to and from events Use reusable bottles instead of throwaway plastic water bottles. Buy apparel made of natural and renewable resource Rethink your purchasing decisions, and wear your existing apparel as long as you can Donate... ITU 2010-09-03T21:00:55+00:00