2014 was a year unlike any other for the Great Britain Age Group Team. More than 1500 athletes pulled on the Z3R0D tri-suit and helped fly the flag for the nation. Collectively, they amassed a total of 260 medals across all 18 events throughout the season.
Action kicked off in Colgne for the ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships back in February. Evidently inspired by Sochi’s success the team got off to a gold-medal winning start - with Nics Wetherill topping the podium in the 24-29 age group.
The wins kept coming at the Horst ETU Powerman Long and Sprint distance Duathlon European Championships. Peter Ellis clocked the quickest time from GB in the sprint; cutting the tape at 56 minutes, 49 seconds in the men’s 30-34 age-group whilst Gill Fullen (50-54) was the first female across the line. Phil Holland was the quickest of the team in the long distance; winning the men’s 35-39 age-group in 2:53:45. All in all, these championships alone saw GB make the podium on 57 occasions.
There were 26 medals handed to team GB Age Groupers in Pontevedra – the hosts of the ITU World Duathlon and Sprint Duathlon Championships. Notable results came from Abigail Bagshaw who won the female 20-24 age-group in a time of 1:04:41. Also, in only his 2nd season of competing for the team, Tom Stead won gold in the U20’s.
Cologne staged the ETU Aquathlon European Championships later in the year, claiming 9 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze medals. This was followed by 2 lower podium finishes in Sardinia in the Cross-Tri Europeans.
European glory was extended into the Triathlon and Sprint Triathlon Championships in Kitzbuhel. The picturesque Austrian location hauled in strong opposition but the GB Age-Group team helped themselves to 41 individual medals over the weekend.
The Great Britain Standard Distance Age-Group Team Manager, Ian Kitchen, said: "It was a fantastic location.
“It was the third ETU Triathlon European Championships I have managed and was by far and away the best I have seen - everybody loved it”.
Jane Leslie – British Triathlon’s Female Age Group Athlete of the Year- produced one of the standout performances, topping the 65-69 age-group.
Peter Norman delivered the teams only gold medal during the August Cross-Tri World Championships in Zittau, competing in the 75-79 age-group.
The same month saw the GB Age-Group Team celebrate three European Duathlon Champions in Weyer - Joanna Freeman (20-24), Elspeth Knott (60-64) and Barbara Law (70-74). Joanna’s feat was ever-more impressive considering this was her first competitive season after coming from a sailing background.
Arguably, the season was building for a Canadian crescendo as a 400-strong GB Age Group Team headed to Edmonton for the Triathlon, Sprint Triathlon and Aquathlon Championships. Five members pushed themselves to the limit by taking on all three challenges in Hawrelak Park.
Coming home with 30 medals in tow, the team boasted seasoned competitors as well as those pulling on the GB tri-suit for the first time. Paul Ryman picked up a silver medal for the sprint distance and a bronze medal for the standard in the 30-34 age-group. His results also placed him 5th overall in the sprint race and 7th overall in the standard race.
Special credit should be given to Karl Hunt, whose journey to Edmonton started a little differently to others. Read more about Karl’s route to 31st place in Edmonton here.
The season didn’t show signs of winding down though, with the ITU Powerman Long Distance Duathlon World Championships just round the corner. Six gold and silver medals were claimed by GB, with an impressive performance from Julian Lings (25-29). He stopped the clock at 06:50:32 – nearly 48 minutes before second placed Richard Mathie, also competing in the Union Jack.
September saw the team out in force again in Almere near Amsterdam, with some 50 GB Age-Groupers competing in the ETU Challenge Long Distance Triathlon European Championships. 8 made the podium as Elaine Garvican (35-39) picked up GB’s singular gold.
A small team travelled to Weihai for the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships – retuning from China with one gold and three silver medals. David Patten was crowned World Champion in the 60-64 Age-Group; his first ever international Age-Group medal. He won by twenty minutes after overcoming the ocean swim, technically demanding bike course and multi-terrain run in 6 hours 54:57.
Closing the championship season for a supreme GB Age Group Team, Nikki Bartlett succeeded at the ETU Paguera Middle Distance Triathlon European Championships. She managed gold in the 25-29 AG whilst also being the first female across the line -28 minutes faster than the next person in her age-group. The team collectively brought back 23 medals.
Saving the best ‘til last, this event was acknowledged by those that took part as being the hardest event they’d ever encountered due to the technicality of the course and temperatures soaring above 30 degrees.
Can they top it in 2015? Let’s wait and see.
