World Triathlon

ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Team World Triathlon: Double Podium in Yengdo (KOR)

Romana Gajdosova of Slovakia and Erica Hawley from Bermuda created a significant moment as part of Team World Triathlon. They both secured podium finishes at the 2023 World Triathlon Cup Yeongdo, achieving their best-ever results in a World Cup event. Their success also earned them valuable points for their individual Olympic qualification leading up to the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Commonwealth Youth Games: Malta & Namibia historical results
August 4-11, Triathlon made its debut at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago.

The perspectives and reflections of key individuals added depth to the event’s importance. Karen Araujo (President of Trinidad and Tobago), Darren Treasure (President of Barbados), Adele De La Rey (Secretary General of Namibia) and Warren Muscat (Secretary General of Malta) share their insights that highlighted the event’s significance, including Namibia’s historic achievement of winning their first international medal. 

Athletes Ryan Muscat, Keira Attard and Kai Azzopardi are also quoted below, providing their development athletes’ views of the event.

Namibia’s historic bronze at the CYG

Adele De La Rey (Secretary General, Namibia) “Firstly, Maja’s bronze medal came as a surprise. We knew she was good, but because of her age and experience, we did not think a podium was possible. Since 2019, the Namibia Triathlon Federation has tried its utmost to become a recognised triathlon nation in Africa. The federation is run by volunteers and athletes who put their own aspirations on hold to make this project a success.

We brought class events to Namibia. We ensured we had a team and some success in Birmingham 2022, and a youth/junior development program was identified as a priority. Maja is proof that hard work pays off. Her medal has given the small nation of Namibia the belief that we can compete and not just participate.”

What should we know about Maja Jeanne Brinkmann (NAM)?

Maja competed in her first Triathlon in March 2023. The Youth Commonwealth Games was her fourth triathlon ever!  Majahails from a strong swimming background and despite limited running and no cycling experience,her potential was recognised by her triathlon coach, Adele De La Rey, during a local swim-run event in late 2022. Unfortunately, Maja was forced her to take a break from training for most of January and February 2023 after suffering a broken collarbone in December of 2022.

Malta: A big step forward for a small nation

Warren Muscat - Secretary General, Malta “The positive result obtained by our young athletes at the Commonwealth Youth Games is the fruit of the Youth Development, Talent Identification and Monitoring Program run by the Maltese Federation in recent years. We believe that even a tiny federation like ours, with limited financial and human resources, can achieve big things if there is a functioning framework set up and good use of the resources that prioritise the development of the athletes holistically. 

On behalf of the Malta Triathlon Federation, one needs to thank World Triathlon, Europe Triathlon, The Maltese Olympic Committee and Maltese Gov Sport Authorities,  the Maltese Triathlon clubs and their coaches and also many Triathlon Federations that have supported us in the past few years. As a federation, we have had to go through a fast and steep learning curve and still have much to learn. We hope this is one of a long streak of results that will continue to see Maltese athletes, youths, and seniors proudly representing our country at the international level and bringing home top results.

None of the above would have happened without the hard work and dedication put in by these young athletes and the sacrifices of their legal guardians. Their dedication towards the sport is to be applauded. They are the perfect ambassadors for our federation, nation and beloved sport. An inspiration for younger and senior athletes and a motivation for us administrators to keep working hard. They are the real meaning of ’ Where there is will there is a way’ especially when all parties pull the rope in the same direction.”

Ryan Muscat, athlete “Being a good athlete isn’t about consistently placing but seeing what you can do to keep improving. New experiences racing in different temperatures and time zones are always challenging but rewarding when you realise you are competing with all these great athletes.”

Keira Attard, athlete “The Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago were an experience that I will never forget… the atmosphere, people and culture make it to die for, and the race was excellent for a super fast race. Meeting people from all over the globe was also a highlight, and I got to race with some of the best youths in the world.”

Kai Azzopardi, athlete “I am very proud to represent Malta with some of the worlds best youth Commonwealth triathletes. An experience I will cherish forever!”

Commonwealth Youth Games’ legacy lives in the Caribbean

Karen Arauju (President, Trinidad and Tobago)
“Trinidad & Tobago were very proud to host an event of this calibre. The Commonwealth Youth Games created a spark among athletes, technical officials and coaches. These games left behind a drive and a thirst for more events to participate in as athletes, coaches and technical officials. It also left behind the spirit of all the Commonwealth nations in attendance and the greatness of the athletes that competed.”

Darren Treasure (President, Barbados)
“The Commonwealth Youth Games is an essential benchmarking tool for triathletes and NF’s in developing Caribbean countries.  The event allows coaches and administrators to collaborate and network with other countries to compare notes on development and how to improve their sports infrastructure in their home countries.  The results are tangible so NF’s can reflect and evaluate whether their young triathletes are being supported and what needs to happen to bridge the performance gap between developing and developed triathlon nations.”

For full results, please visit:
Results: 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games • World Triathlon

Nassau (BAH) gathers the future generation of the Caribbean

After the conclusion of the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Caribbean, there was little respite, as just three weeks later, the Bahamas played host to the 2023 CAIFRA Triathlon, Aquathlon, and Mixed Relay Championships in Nassau. The CARIFTA Championships, a long-standing tradition and the largest gathering of its kind in the region, offered a unique opportunity for the next generation of athletes aged 11 to 21 to compete in an international and enjoyable environment.

Dorian Roach, President of the Bahamas Triathlon “We were very pleased with the outcome of the event, we had a few hiccups to begin with road closures and the swim course, however, once these were taken care of, the event was very smooth.  The Bahamas Triathlon Association was very proud to be able to showcase an event such as CARIFTA within the beautiful backdrop of The Bahamas and it gave us more confidence that we can hold more international events.”

The Barbados team won gold for the second straight year. They scored 180 total points and came away with 15 medals, 8 of which were gold. Bermuda took overall silver with 130 points and 8 medals. Rounding out the points table was Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, Aruba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Antigua and Grenada.
Barbados is expected to host the event next year.

“We are extremely proud of this group of dedicated young triathletes.  For the second year in row Barbados has demonstrated its leadership and dominance when it comes to triathlon in the Caribbean.  Winning a CARIFTA Championship for two consecutive years is a tremendous achievement for our sport and Barbados.  We are thankful for the many sponsors who have assisted the team in achieving success, especially the Barbados Olympic Association, the National Sports Council and the Arts & Sport Promotion Fund.” President of the Barbados Federation of Island Triathletes, Darren Treasure.

Read more: 200 young triathletes compete at the 2023 Carifta Championships • World Triathlon

First Development Regional Cup in Africa

The inaugural Development Regional Cup event took place in Diani, Kenya, marking Africa as the second continent to use this ‘developmental tool’ approach. This strategy aims to foster the growth of triathlon by means of an event accompanied by various developmental initiatives targeting coaches, athletes, technical officials, and event organisers within the region.

Coach Pamela Fulton (ZIM) shared her thoughts and impressions about the 2023 World Triathlon Development Regional Cup Diani:
“Once again, I had the privilege of spending time with some of Africa’s elite and up-and-coming junior athletes, this time at the World Triathlon Regional Development Cup Diani in Kenya. A new initiative by World Triathlon to support our athletes and coaches in their quest to compete and develop the sport further, offering a development event (exclusive to NF Group 2, 3B, 3A) with joint activities around. Four federations supported this event. The athletes competed in the Individual Sprint and 2-person Mixed Team Relay events over two days.  I was humbled and inspired as each athlete shared their dreams, goals, ups and downs. It takes many years of planning, commitment, sacrifice, dedication and emotion! Thank you, World Triathlon, for giving these athletes this opportunity. New friendships were made, and old ones strengthened. Well done, athletes. Stay focused and keep believing. Thank you, Kenya Triathlon Federation, for welcoming us with open arms. Onwards and upwards!”

For full results, please visit:
Results: 2023 World Triathlon Development Regional Cup Diani • World Triathlon

Asia Triathlon also joins America and Africa and will host the first Development Regional Cup in Jordan
2023 Asia Triathlon Regional Development Cup Aqaba 4 Nov, 2023 •  Aqaba, Jordan •

2023 Druskininkai European Triathlon – World Triathlon Junior Development Camp between 14 and 20 August in Lithuania was dedicated to the athlete and coach development of the Baltic nations. This was the third Development Camp in 2023 that Europe Triathlon conducted with the support of the World Triathlon Development grant.

Eleven athletes (3 girls and 8 boys) accompanied by three national coaches from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia attended the camp, which was designed according to the World Triathlon Skill Development Camp Curriculum by Ljudmila Medan (SER) and Tomas Perucca (ARG) as head coaches.

Beate Bula (LAT)  triathlete “I really like this atmosphere. That’s why the training is excellent. The coaches somehow support us to do better and better. When we do something wrong, they immediately give us recommendations for doing better and show us how. I really liked that each of us can see ourselves individually and we can talk to the coaches and express ourselves. I am especially pleased because I have the opportunity to discuss my future goals, so I can get an answer as to whether what I want is realistic in my future athletic career.”

Mart Leo Ruus (EST) coach “I have been thinking about coming to this kind of training camp with my triathletes for many years. It was definitely a good decision. I really feel that I have learned a lot about myself as a coach. I now want to change my coaching style a little daily. Together, it can bring us to a new level. Now I have new methods.”

Jaunius Strazdas (LTU) coach “I really liked that the camp was relatively small, with a total of 14 participants, because, as a coach, I had much more space to learn from the facilitators, and that was the same for the athletes. I also believe that this format (a 7-day training camp with three training sessions and three briefings every day) is excellent to maximise learning outcomes.”

August sees a long awaited development camp in Mongolia

After experiencing two postponements due to the challenges of COVID-19, the Mongolian Triathlon Federation successfully organised the 2023 Ulaanbaatar Asia Triathlon – World Triathlon Development Continental Camp (Central Asia) from August 23rd to August 26th. The camp was facilitated by Franz Studer, hailing from South Africa.

Franz Studer, World Triathlon Coach Facilitator “The camp was an opportunity for athletes and coaches from various parts of the country to meet and work together for a few days. Some benchmark testing done during the camp will help to develop young talents to hopefully compete on a regional and continental level. Nice to see as well that some recently retired athletes stay close to the federation and are helping the next generation of Mongolian Triathletes achieve their goals”

Sodonchimeg Sodovjamts, Youth athlete “(The) Training camp has been very effective and fruitful for everyone in Ulaanbaatar. It was nice to be taught by a professional coach. Thank you for choosing me for the camp.”

Jargalsaikhan Davaasambuu, Vice President of Mongolia Triathlon “During the Ulaanbaatar 2023 Asia Triathlon-World Triathlon Continental Camp, our young triathletes learned a lot and made many friends. I am confident that they will be successful in the future using such good knowledge and experience”

TECHNICAL OFFICIALS

Trinidad and Tobago trains a new generation of Level 1 Technical Officials

As part of the preparation for hosting the Commonwealth Youth Games in Port of Spain the National Federation of Trinidad and Tobago organised the 2023 Port of Spain World Triathlon Technical Officials Level 1 Seminar for their enthusiastic volunteers who previously completed the TO Community E-Seminar. David Markham from Canada guided the participants on their learning journey to become certified TRI Technical Officials.

Paris gets ready

August’s highlight was the Olympic Games Test Events in Paris not only for the athletes but for the entire triathlon community including Technical Officials. It was a unique opportunity to attend the 2023 Paris World Triathlon Technical Officials & Event Organizers Level 2 from 11 to 13 August just prior to the test event.

For more details, the full article can be found at this link -
Technical Officials attend Seminar in Paris to build on expertise and knowledge ahead of Paris 2024 • World Triathlon

COACH EDUCATION

Lini Kazim joins the WISH program

Lini Kazim from Malaysia joined the last cohort of the WISH Program (Women in Sport High Performance Pathway) in August attending the residential week at the University of Hertfordshire to start the 21 month programme. World Triathlon previously gave the same opportunity to ten female coaches from various National Federations to support the acceleration of women’s meaningful representation in coaching and beyond.

Lini Kazim (MAS) “A week that had taught me to develop world-class mentality, bring my best to the game, celebrate success, visualise the future and become a phenomenal woman! It was a life changing experience.”

About the WISH Programme
The role of WISH is to prepare future high-performance women coaches for coaching or leadership roles in World Championships and the Olympic Games through appropriate personal and professional development opportunities.

The WISH programme is a dynamic experiential learning programme designed to further develop confidence and competence in a range of leadership behaviours. A skilled facilitators’ team uses multiple approaches to achieve learning outcomes brought to life through theory, reflection and action.

The programme is led by the University of Hertfordshire (UH), supported and delivered by Females Achieving Brilliance (FAB) and International Federations. Olympic Solidarity provides funding and monitors the programme. It is managed through a collaborative partnership of International Federations, ASOIF, AIOWF and the ICCE.

Certified Coaches Reunite in Port of Spain

Several lucky participants of the 2022 Americas Triathlon - World Triathlon Coaches Level 2 E-Course (English) had the chance to travel to Trinidad and Tobago for the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games and reunite after one year.

Christos Christou (CYP) shared his feelings with World Triathlon Development about the occasion, “Triathlon unites us all. I am always amazed at how triathlon and sports unite people. We all attended the online Level 2 coaching seminar, and I never really imagined that we would meet in person someday!”

At World Triathlon, we are delighted to see that our courses continue to create excellent networking opportunities. Thank you all for your dedication!

Coaches from left to right: Carl Seymour Sharpe (JAM), Christos Christou (CYP), Riana Harrinauth (TTO).

Coaches from left to right: Angelo Clark (TTO), Christos Christou (CYP), Jonah Camps (TTO).

Practical sessions in Asunción put the icing on the cake

The last and most crucial part of the 2023 Asuncion OS - World Triathlon Coaches Level 1 Course took place in the capital of Paraguay between 1 and 3 August 2023. The blended delivery that we already showcased in our June edition concluded in three days of intense hand-on coaching practice, where all candidates delivered multiple micro-sessions to each other before their final practical assessments and 1-2-1 evaluation sessions with their facilitators. These coaching practice opportunities are the focus of World Triathlon’s coach education, where participants get the chance to test themselves in real-life scenarios, closely monitor their peers, and participate in mutual feedback sessions. Claudia Beristain (MEX) and Lucas Mendez (ARG) were the two World Triathlon Coach Facilitators to guide the group at the facilities of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee and the BCP Olympic pool.

Javier Mon, Americas Triathlon Athletes and Coach Development Coordinator “Americas Triathlon are very grateful and proud for having developed the World Triathlon Coaches Level 1 Course in Asunción (Paraguay) in a hybrid model (a balanced combination of the online and face-to-face phases). With this blended approach, face-to-face hours can be used directly with a focus on practical issues based on a better previously gained theoretical base.

The course also allowed us to get involved and mentor newly trained facilitators at the Americas Triathlon. Cecilia Fares (ECU)  and Lucas Méndez (ARG) worked in a team under the guidance of the experienced facilitator Claudia Beristain from Mexico.
 
With updated anti-doping modules in the courses, individuals will have a clear status to apply for coach accreditation in any World Triathlon-sanctioned events in the year of completion and the next one as well.

Finally, education and sharing knowledge is the best way to reach a great culture of sport.  Undoubtedly, this way is the most powerful tool to grow in the sport and the quality of life in society. I would like to thank the NF of Paraguay for getting all the facilities to become a perfect venue for this course.”

Rejoining the World Triathlon Coach Education Pathway

Coaches who had been certified before 2014 World Triathlon’s current coach development curriculum was launched are welcome to rejoin the pathway and be officially recognised on the World Triathlon Certified Level 1 Coaches and World Triathlon Certified Level 2 Coaches lists.

A continuous-intake fully online course is available for here. Alternatively, another option is open to anybody here who missed their revalidations and their coaching certificate has expired.

Both e-learning opportunities are accessible for 30 days after enrolment, which is plenty of time for self-paced successful completion. Graduates have access to World Triathlon Coach Certificates and badges yearly until they maintain their statuses by revalidating.

With updated anti-doping modules in the courses, individuals will have a clear status to apply for coach accreditation in any World Triathlon-sanctioned events in the year of completion and the next one as well.