http://www.triathlon.org/news/ en erin.greene@triathlon.org Copyright 2013 2013-05-22T17:08:19+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/kris_and_barrie_talk_auckland_video_preview http://www.triathlon.org/site/kris_and_barrie_talk_auckland_video_preview#When:07:05:54Z Welcome to first of a new video series featuring two of triathlon’s top analysts. Five-time ITU World Cup winner and Olympian Kris Gemmell and voice of the ITU Barrie Shepley will be offering insights into the ITU World Triathlon Series, both pre and post-race. This weekend they aim their target straight at the series opener in Auckland, discussing the tricky course - with three hills in each of the eight laps on the 40km bike, and which athletes are primed to attack for the podium on Saturday. The 2013 ITU World Triathlon series gets underway on April 6 when the Elite Men start at 12.06pm, followed by the Elite Women’s race at 3.06pm. Be sure to follow all the action live through the ITU’s live video stream on www.triathlon.org/tv, or follow via Twitter at @triathlonlive. International start times Auckland: April 6 - 12:00 Noon San Diego: April 5 - 16:00 Toronto/New York: April 5 - 19:00 London: April 6 - 00:00 Midnight Sydney: April 6 - 10:00 Athletes, Events, World Championship Series, Olympics, Media Centre, Event Release, Press Release, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2013-04-04T07:05:54+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/2012_highlights_outstanding_olympic_races http://www.triathlon.org/site/2012_highlights_outstanding_olympic_races#When:11:00:08Z It’s impossible to talk about highlights from the 2012 triathlon season without talking about the biggest event of the year – the Olympics. It was, without a doubt, the central focus of the year with two of the most mind-boggling races we have ever seen. According to Olympic triathlon history, pre-race favourites have struggled to perform on the Olympic stage. This year’s race saw a monumental shift from this paradigm when several of the pre-race heavyweights made the podium. Women’s Race Several standout females toed the Olympic start line. The contingency included a strong Australian team, expert swimmers like Lucy Hall (GBR) and Laura Bennett (USA), fierce runners in Anne Haug (GER) and Gwen Jorgensen (USA) and all around solid triathletes such as Andrea Hewitt (NZL), Helen Jenkins (GBR), Lisa Norden (SWE), Barbara Riveros Diaz (CHI), Nicola Spirig (SUI) and more. With such a stacked field, predicting the winner was practically impossible.  A small pack broke away on the swim, but it did not foreshadow the would-be winners, as a lead group of 22 women entered the second transition together. Fueled by Olympic dreams, 10 competitors pumped out a furious pace to separate themselves from the field. By the second lap, the group whittled down to just five – Norden, Spirig, Hewitt, Jenkins and Erin Densham (AUS). While the crew first dropped Hewitt followed by Jenkins on the third lap, Groff worked her way back up to the leaders. Though Densham controlled the pace from the helm, it was Spirig who went sprinting past her on the final straight away. Norden responded to the challenge, and the pair gutted out a photo finish for first and second, with Spirig taking the gold. Behind them, Densham stayed ahead of Groff for third. Men’s Race: The men’s competition also featured a deep field of contenders with all-star Russian, German and British teams, in addition to tough Olympic veterans like Simon Whitfield (CAN) and Javier Gomez (ESP). However, with the Brownlee brothers and Gomez in the lineup, the men’s podium appeared more predictable. Under grey skies and wet conditions, the men’s race got underway with sensational swimmer Richard Varga (SVK) setting a ferocious pace in the Serpentine Lake. Both Brownlee brothers followed, as did Gomez and Alessandro Fabian (ITA). The small group of five flew off for the bike course, but it wasn’t long before a strong field of 15 men caught up. Joao Silva (POR) ran out of Transition 2... Olympics, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2012-12-19T11:00:08+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/2012_highlights_smashing_sprint_finishes http://www.triathlon.org/site/2012_highlights_smashing_sprint_finishes#When:11:01:34Z This season we were treated to a number of sprint finishes. Heart pounding, nerve racking, nail biting, awe-inspiring all out sprint finishes. In this week’s review of the best moments from 2012, we take a look back at some of those finishes that made us all hold our breath until the very last minute. London Olympics Without a doubt the most exciting, down to the line finish was the battle between Nicola Spirig (SUI) and Lisa Norden (SWE) at the 2012 London Olympic Games. After a midsized bike pack entered the second transition together, the women’s podium was wide open. Strong runners Norden, Spirig, Sarah Groff (USA), Andrea Hewitt (NZL), Erin Densham (AUS) and hometown favourite Helen Jenkins (GBR) were amongst the group that emerged as the athletes to beat on the first lap, clouding who would be the next Olympic champion. But by the last of four laps, Norden and Spirig ran slightly ahead, while Densham and Groff tried to keep pace from behind. The leading pair flew down the finishing chute together, making the winner more unclear than ever. With Olympic victory on the line, neither athlete relented as they went stride for stride down the blue carpet. Roared on by an enthusiastic crowd, Spirig thrust her chest out while Norden lunged forward for the tape. In a photo finish, Spirig earned her first Olympic gold medal, while Norden took home silver. ITU World Triathlon Yokohama Norden found herself in a gritty duel for the second time this season when her training partner Anne Haug (GER) challenged her in Yokohama. After the flat bike course, Norden, Haug, Densham, Emma Moffatt (AUS), Maaike Caelers (NED), Ashleigh Gentle (AUS) and Barbara Riveros Diaz (CHI) surfaced as the leaders on the flat 10km run course. Aussies Gentle and Moffatt trended in front, but it was Norden and Haug who entered the lengthy finish chute first. With the home stretch nearly one-third of a kilometer long, Haug momentarily pumped ahead of Norden. But the powerful Swede responded, pulling even with Haug before just edging her out as the first woman to hit the finish tape. Barfoot & Thompson World Triathlon Grand Final Auckland In a heavy weight fight for the World Championship title, Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) and Javier Gomez (ESP) wanted the same thing – to win. Brownlee and London training partner Richard Varga (SVK) got a head start on the bike after a lightning fast swim. But the hilly bike course leveled the playing field, as the leaders were reeled in.... Events, World Championship Series, Olympics, Regions, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2012-12-13T11:01:34+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/itu_at_london_paralympics_in_preparation_for_paratriathlons_debut_in_rio_20 http://www.triathlon.org/site/itu_at_london_paralympics_in_preparation_for_paratriathlons_debut_in_rio_20#When:21:09:36Z The International Triathlon Union (ITU) is in London at the Paralympic Games as an International Paralympic Sport Federation (IPSF) for the first time, learning and preparing for Paratriathlon’s debut in the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016.   ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado and ITU Vice-President Dr. Sarah Springman, met with Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to update him on ITU’s progress and planning to ensure Paratriathlon’s readiness for Rio 2016. He was delighted to hear of the sport’s worldwide growth and explained how he was eager to see Paratriathlon complement the sport programme in Rio. “Witnessing the Paralympic Games up close and personal has been a wonderful experience and ITU is motivated more than ever to deliver a spectacular Paratriathon competition in Rio 2016,” said Casado.  “The meetings and sessions have been incredibly valuable as ITU prepares for a significant milestone in our sport when Paratriathlon takes its place in the Paralympic Games in 2016.” ITU’s delegation in London also includes Paratriathlon coordinator Eric Angstadt Torres and Thanos Nikopoulos, Senior Manager of Technical Operations. Through the IPC’s Observers Programme, ITU has attended several roundtable sessions about transition planning and implementation and a sport overview. They have also been on two site visits for sport and venue operations as well as seeing village and training facilities, with more sessions to be completed before the end of the Games. ITU has met with IPC Governing Board Members, as well as IPC Athletics, IPC Swimming and UCI technical staff and classifiers to discuss sport-specific aspects and relevant areas of operations. To better understand the current status of Paratriathlon and its development, ITU also met with IPC sports managers, IPC classification committee members along with several National Paralympic Committees with particular focus on the development of the Paratriathlon Classification System and the work the research group has been conducting in the last month. ITU has supported the development of Paratriathlon for over 15 years and has held ITU Paratriathlon World Championships every year since 1995. The sport was officially accepted into the Paralympic Games at the IPC Governing Board meeting in Guangzhou, China in December 2010 and will make its Paralympic Games debut in Rio 2016. Click here for more on... Events, Major Games, Olympics, Paratriathlon, Media Centre, Press Release, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2012-09-07T21:09:36+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/london_2012_ends_with_entertaining_closing_ceremony http://www.triathlon.org/site/london_2012_ends_with_entertaining_closing_ceremony#When:17:14:17Z The London 2012 Olympic Games officially came to a close on Sunday night with a highly entertaining closing ceremony, a fitting end to a successful Olympic Games. Triathlon was represented by a number of athletes highlighted by gold medallist Nicola Spirig who had the honour of carrying the Swiss flag into Olympic stadium. Kim Gavin, Artistic Director of the Olympic Closing Ceremony, brought together Britain’s biggest international stars and emerging talent to perform in an event that celebrated the achievements of the world’s greatest athletes during the London 2012 Olympic Games. The Ceremony at the London 2012 Olympic Stadium paid tribute to UK music, fashion and culture. British artists who performed in the Closing Ceremony included The Who, The Spice Girls, Take That, Tinie Tempah, George Michael, Fatboy Slim, Madness, Jessie J, Annie Lennox, Kaiser Chiefs, Taio Cruz, Beady Eye with lead vocalist Liam Gallagher, Ray Davies, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Pet Shop Boys, One Direction, Muse, Elbow, Emeli Sandé, Eric Idle, Julian Lloyd Webber, Ed Sheeran, Richard Jones, Mike Rutherford and Nick Mason. Singers Jessie J, Taio Cruz and Tinie Tempah emerged from three limousines to sing their numbers. The Spice Girls entered the Stadium in five black cabs for renditions of ‘Spice Up Your Life’ and ‘Wannabe’, and Russell Brand performed ‘Pure Imagination’ and ‘I Am the Walrus’ atop a psychedelic bus. Eric Idle led a singalong of ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’, from the film Monty Python’s ‘Life of Brian’, the Kaiser Chiefs covered The Who’s ‘Pinball Wizard’ and The Who led a triumphant rendition of ‘My Generation’ to close the show. Eric Idle said: ‘I’m delighted to be an Olympian, and proud to have been chosen to represent my country at Show Business. I’m hoping for a brass medal.’ A tribute to British fashion was soundtracked to songs by David Bowie and featured appearances from supermodels Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Lily Donaldson, Stella Tennant, Karen Elson, Lily Cole, Georgia May Jagger, Jourdan Dunn and David Gandy. Lord Sebastian Coe, Chair, London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), said: ‘Kim Gavin has delivered a fitting celebration of the athletes, the volunteers, this City and the whole country, who have helped us stage a great Olympic Games. ‘We have shown the best of us throughout these Games and provided the platform for the world’s greatest... Events, Major Games, Olympics, Olympic Tab Player, Media Centre, Event Release, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2012-08-13T17:14:17+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/london_2012_olympic_games_highlights_from_the_mens_race http://www.triathlon.org/site/london_2012_olympic_games_highlights_from_the_mens_race#When:16:03:08Z The men’s triathlon competition at London 2012 didn’t disappoint with an amazingly fast display of athleticism. As triathlon at the 2012 London Olympic Games comes to a close, we reflect on the men’s race and bring you some highlights from the men’s race. Breaking Bad The win for Alistair Brownlee in the men’s triathlon broke a bad streak of favourites failing at the Olympic Games. In its fourth Olympic cycle, nobody that won a test event had repeated the feat the Olympics. Alistair became the first person to break the spell, as he came up golden in both the test event and the real deal. On the contrary, the bronze medal winner at the test event has now gone on to finish third in the Games for the third consecutive Olympics. The trend began with Sven Riederer, continued with Bevan Docherty and was carried on in London by Jonathan Brownlee. The win also ended a dry period of medals for Brits in the sport, as none had ever stood atop the podium in an Olympic triathlon. The Brownlee brothers outdid themselves, scoring not just one, but two medals for their country. Meddling with Medals While the gold and bronze were the first for Great Britain, other countries also came up big for the first time. Spain saw its first triathlon podium with silver in Javier Gomez. With the absence of a Swiss at the medal ceremony, Australia remains the most successful country in Olympic competition to date, with a total of five. Switzerland follows with four, including Nicola Spirig’s gold medal from Saturday’s women’s race. New Zealand ranks third on the charts with three medals, two of which were courtesy of Bevan Docherty. Canada and Germany each have two medals. Both of Canada’s medals belong to Simon Whitfield. Austria, the Czech Republic and the USA currently have one medal each. A Threatening Trio The London 2012 Olympic Games marked the seventh time the Brownlee brothers have stood on a podium together. Two of them were series podiums in 2011, Madrid (Alistair gold, Jonny silver), London (Alistair gold, Jonny bronze), and the Beijing Grand Final (Alistair gold, Jonny bronze) followed by Kitzbuehel in 2012 (Alistair gold, Jonny silver). They also went 1-2 at the 2011 ETU European Triathlon Championships, Alistair gold and Jonathan silver, and both were a member of the gold medal winning Great Britain team at the 2011 ITU Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships. It is also the fourth time Gomez has joined the Brownlees on the podium in a major ITU race.... Events, Major Games, Olympics, Olympic Tab Player, Media Centre, Event Release, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2012-08-08T16:03:08+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/london_2012_olympic_games_mens_social_wrap http://www.triathlon.org/site/london_2012_olympic_games_mens_social_wrap#When:17:04:08Z Alistair Brownlee, Javier Gomez and Jonathan Brownlee were already favourites, but put in some of the best performances of their already stellar careers to storm the Olympic podium. See the social reaction here.[View the story “#London2012 #triathlon - Men’s Competition” on Storify] Events, Olympics, Olympic Tab Player, Media Centre, Event Release, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2012-08-07T17:04:08+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/alistair_brownlee_storms_to_olympic_gold_at_london_2012 http://www.triathlon.org/site/alistair_brownlee_storms_to_olympic_gold_at_london_2012#When:13:55:59Z The men’s triathlon competition was a day of many firsts for the Olympic sport. For the first time ever, Great Britain took home not one, but two medals when Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee finished first and third, respectively. Javier Gomez also claimed Spain’s first medal in the sport when he posted the second fastest time of the day. Alistair scorched the 10km run course with a mind-bending 29:07 run split to cruise to Olympic gold. “First off, (I am) immensely proud that my brother could get a bronze,” Alistair said. ” It was no secret we wanted to get both of us on the podium and that’s not an easy thing to do considering Britain has never won a triathlon medal and all the things that could go wrong for one of you, like a penalty. Then when there is two of you the odds are even worse. But we gave it everything and it shows the strength of training together and pushing each other all the time and the relationship we have.” Watch a full replay of the race on YouTube To make the podium, the men had to endure a very strategic race in Hyde Park. The day started in The Serpentine in sub 20-degree Celsius wetsuit worthy water. Athletes didn’t catch much of a break exiting the water, as the air was a prickly 17 degrees. After a pontoon dive into the lake, Ivan Vasiliev (RUS) wasted no time bolting to the front from the left side of the pontoon. But it wasn’t enough to beat powerhouse swimmer Richard Varga (SVK) to the first turn buoy. Jonathan and Gomez, who elected to start from opposite ends of the pontoon from each other, hugged the course marker to stay on Varga’s hip. A line of five men began to swim hand to foot, carrying a thin and elongated group behind them. At the back of the five were the Brownlee brothers, swimming side by side. Varga owned a body-length lead rounding the final set of buoys, with Gomez closest to him. Varga pulled along six men, including all of the eventual medallists for a small lead heading into the first transition. Another pack of 19 entered 18 seconds later, which included Russians Dmitry Polyanskiy and Alexander Bryukhankov, as well as Athens bronze medallist Sven Riederer (SUI), and two-time Olympic medallist Simon Whitfield (CAN). The group of Alistair, Jonathan, Gomez, Varga and Alessandro Fabian (ITA) took off for the seven-lap bike. Behind them Polyanskiy had to stop for a quick wheel change, while Leonardo Chacon (CRC) crashed with Olympic two-time medallist Simon Whitfield (CAN). The fall rendered... Events, Major Games, Olympics, Olympic Tab Player, Media Centre, Event Release, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2012-08-07T13:55:59+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/london_2012_olympic_games_men_to_watch http://www.triathlon.org/site/london_2012_olympic_games_men_to_watch#When:16:50:48Z The Brownlee brothers might be the overwhelming favourites in the men’s triathlon competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games, but as history goes to show, nothing is certain in this event. Here is a quick snapshot of who to watch for in Hyde Park on Tuesday August 7. Alistair Brownlee (GBR) The eldest Brownlee has two ITU World Championships, 12 ITU World Triathlon Series wins (nine more than anyone else) and is one of the best swimmers, bikers and runners the sport has ever seen. Any lingering concerns from an Achilles injury he suffered at the start of the year were put to bed in a dominant comeback win in Kitzbuehel this year. If there is an athlete that seems destined to break the curse of the test event winner never taking Olympic gold, it would be Brownlee. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) The younger Brownlee brother dominated his first two races this year, in San Diego and Madrid, but is yet to beat his older brother when fit over the Olympic distance. He did outrun him in last year’s Lausanne sprint distance world titles, and in Sydney in 2011 when Alistair slipped and fell on a rain-slicked road, but London could be his time to shine. The same as his brother, Jonathan excels in all three disciplines. Sven Riederer (SUI) The Athens 2004 Olympic Games bronze medallist knows how to perform on the day, prefers race conditions wet and cold and last year ran over Jonathan Brownlee in the Beijing Grand Final to finish second. He will have no doubt all been inspired by teammate Nicola Spirig’s incredible win in the women’s triathlon competition in London on Saturday. Alexander Bryukhankov (RUS) The big Russian is the most successful man in ITU World Triathlon Series history yet to actually win a race. He’s collected five silver medals, including in last year’s test event – sandwiched between the Brownlees on the podium – and one bronze. It’s only a matter of time before that win comes, and it wouldn’t be surprising if it did come in Hyde Park on Tuesday given he’s another all-round strong triathlete. Javier Gomez (ESP) Gomez was the favourite in Beijing, but carried an injury into those Games and finished an agonising fourth. Back with that experience in his mind, the dual ITU World Champion has engaged in some thrilling battles with the Brownlees and when both Alistair and Jonathan have made the podium – he’s been the man most often up there with him. In the six ITU major races where the Brownlees have both medalled, Gomez has been... Athletes, Events, Major Games, Olympics, Olympic Tab Player, Media Centre, Event Release, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2012-08-06T16:50:48+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/london_2012_olympic_games_what_the_men_said_pre-race http://www.triathlon.org/site/london_2012_olympic_games_what_the_men_said_pre-race#When:10:32:25Z We spoke to some of the athletes who will compete in the Men’s Triathlon Competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games, about their pre-race preparations, how the race will pan out, what they noticed from the women’s race and their own chances on the Hyde Park course. Javier Gomez (ESP) On his preparation for London compared to Beijing: “I’m feeling much better than four years ago, I was travelling with an injury four years ago for two months before the Games. I could train but it was hard, physically hard and mentally hard and now although I was a bit ill one month ago, training has been going really good and I’ve been working really hard.” On whether he would try and go with the Brownlees at the start of the run: “If you start with them, maybe the pace is too high and I’m sure I would have run a bit faster in Kitzbuehel if I had run my own pace. But when you see the race, you don’t want to let the race go, so it’s something you have to decide in the race. At the beginning you try to start with the leaders but you have to be smart enough to realise if the pace is too high and try to go your own pace and maybe you will be more successful in the end, you will find them at kilometre 6 or kilometre 8. You need to be ready for anything. Alistair was pretty impressive his performance in Kitzbuehel, but it’s a one day race, anything can happen.” Alistair Brownlee (GBR) On his preparation for London compared to Beijing: “It feels a million times away from this time. Last time I qualified for Beijing last minute. Just squeaked in. Went into the Olympics, and I was happy to be there really. I thought top 20 at the Olympics would be good. We were trying to prepare for different conditions, obviously hot and humid. It was a real steep learning curve. By the time I got there I had been away for months and months and was convinced I could win the race even though I had no chance. I just went for it. This time I’ve come in very late and it doesn’t feel too much like an Olympic Games. This time it feels very different coming in as a favourite. But it’s still a triathlon, you still have to swim, bike, run. I prepared for it a bit better I think. I took some things from last time, and hopefully that will come out.” Jan Frodeno (GER) On his preparations for London, that included a frustrating time with injury: “It’s been a long time of not knowing what’s going on and searching and obviously huge ups and downs also for me mentally not knowing if I could... Athletes, Events, Major Games, Olympics, Olympic Tab Player, Media Centre, Event Release, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2012-08-06T10:32:25+00:00