British Triathlon has today (Monday 5 August) confirmed the largest ever Great Britain Age-Group Team with over 1,200 athletes is set to compete at the ITU Age-Group World Championships in London from 11-15 September.
The ITU Age-Group World Championships will be held in Hyde Park as part of the free-to-view PruHealth World Triathlon Grand Final London with Britain’s finest age-group athletes contesting world titles across aquathlon, sprint distance and standard distance triathlon races.
The Great Britain Age-Group Team includes 340 athletes competing in the aquathlon, 520 in the sprint and 480 in the standard distance race. To represent Great Britain on home soil is an exciting prospect for many of the athletes. Dwynwen Lewis (25-29) a member of the standard distance triathlon team from Wales commented: “It is great to be a part of something showing GB as a united nation in sport; I am therefore honoured to be representing Great Britain for the first time at the ITU World Championships in September.”
"I don't think any course has come near to matching the scenery that London will provide.” Kat Berry
Whilst the team has many newcomers, there are plenty of regulars who have delivered medal-winning performances around the world. The aquathlon team includes seven returning medallists from New Zealand. Mike Trees and Caroline Whittaker both in the 50-54 category are the two reigning world champions and Caroline, who is also a silver medallist in the standard distance triathlon is looking forward to competing on home soil, commenting: “It would mean even more to win in London than it did in Auckland. I will have many friends cheering me on and it would feel really exciting to win a medal in front of them.”
The sprint distance triathlon team has just the one returning world champion, Michael Parsons in the 25-29 age-group, although there are five additional Auckland medallists all aiming to repeat last year’s success on home soil.
Laura Siddall in the 30-34 age-group is the returning standard distance triathlon world champion for the Great Britain Age-Group Team. Three other returning medallists as well as plenty of newcomers to the team will join Laura in London where athletes will compete over an iconic course taking in many of the capital’s most iconic landmarks.
Each of the courses that will be used throughout the PruHealth World Triathlon Grand Final will create an unforgettable experience for all of those competing. Kat Berry (30-34) who races in the aquathlon event commented: “I'm London born and bred so to be racing in my hometown is amazing. I can't wait to race round the streets of London with family and friends supporting, and to hear the comments of all the other nations’ athletes when they see the course we've put on. I've raced at the Worlds for the past three years and I don't think any course has come near to matching the scenery that London will provide.”
Malcolm Westwood, British Triathlon Director for Age-Group concluded: “The Great Britain Age-Group Team has a reputation for delivering medal-winning performance around the globe. Every athlete on this team has had to go through our toughest ever qualification process as competition for places has been incredibly high. Of course, this ensures we have an extremely strong Great Britain Age-Group Team lined up for London and with the event being on home soil this year, the support of the athletes friends and family should ensure there is plenty to celebrate in the Olympic triathlon venue of Hyde Park.”
The free-to-view PruHealth World Triathlon Grand Final London welcomes the world’s best back to Hyde Park from 11 to 15 September and includes elite, paratriathlon and age-group ITU World Championship racing. To find out more visit: www.britishtriathlon.org/london2013
