British Triathlon celebrated another successful year at its annual awards dinner in Birmingham. As well as crowning Non Stanford as the women’s world champion at a packed out Hyde Park in September, the sport has seen another big increase in participation and grassroots development during 2013.

Non Stanford and Jonathan Brownlee were winners of the British Triathlon Elite Triathletes of the Year awards and Stanford also received the Olympic Athlete of the Year award and the Peter Holmes Award for Inspirational Performance in International Competition.

The 24 year-old Leeds based athlete from Swansea overcame a broken arm mid way through the season to lift the ITU world title in London with Britain’s Jodie Stimpson in second place.

Stanford commented: “It’s a massive honour to win. I’ve sat in the audience for the last few years and I’ve been in awe of the athletes who have received this award. So to be on the other side and be the recipient is a testimony to hard work and perseverance, and it’s also a continued testimony of the quality of the team up in Leeds.”

Jonathan Brownlee narrowly lost out on winning the men’s world title following a sprint finish in front of the capacity crowd in Hyde Park. Just a second separated him from Gomez, the Olympic silver medallist at the finish.

Eight other British world champions were crowned across multisport disciplines this year, including the winner of the British Triathlon Female Paratriathlete of the Year, Faye McClelland and Duathlete of the Year, Richard Horton.

Performance Director, Brendan Purcell said: “Following on from the Olympic year was always going to be a challenge but we’ve risen to it in terms of the performance delivery of our senior women and the juniors in particular.

“Next season there’s a big focus on the Commonwealth Games, and qualification for the 2016 Olympics starts. Our Paratriathlon programme is also evolving all the time, but we’ve maintained our position as the world number one team this year.”

Initial participation data from 2013 indicates another ten percent increase in triathlon participation this year, demonstrating the popularity of the sport. And, as London celebrated the anniversary of the 2012 Games, triathlon welcomed five new clubs that were established in the London Olympic boroughs.

Full list of award winners:

British Triathlon Female Age-Group Triathlete of the Year - Gill Fullen
British Triathlon Male Age-Group Triathlete of the Year - Brian Forster
Leigh Day British Triathlon Volunteer of the Year - Dave Wardle
Leigh Day British Triathlon Official of the Year - Maisie Bancewicz
Leigh Day British Triathlon Coach of the Year - Andrew McMenigall
British Triathlon Female Elite Duathlete of the Year - Lucy Gossage
British Triathlon Male Elite Duathlete of the Year - Richard Horton                                        
British Triathlon Event of the Year - Deva Triathlon
British Triathlon Female Elite Long Distance Triathlete of the Year - Lucy Gossage
British Triathlon Male Elite Long Distance Triathlete of the Year - Ritchie Nicholls
British Triathlon Female Elite Junior Triathlete of the Year - Georgia Taylor-Brown
British Triathlon Male Elite Junior Triathlete of the Year - Marc Austin
British Triathlon Female Paratriathlete of the Year - Faye McClelland
British Triathlon Male Paratriathlete of the Year - Phil Hogg
Peter Holmes Award for Inspriational Performance in International Competition - Non Stanford
British Triathlon Female Elite Triathlete of the Year - Non Stanford
British Triathlon Male Elite Triathlete of the Year - Jonathan Brownlee
Olympic Athlete of the Year - Non Stanford
Gold Pin Winners – Professor Sarah Springman CBE and Leanda Cave

Published 23 November 2013