Academy head coach, Sarah Coope reflects on a season that has seen a number of athletes selected to represent Great Britain as well as seen the region defend their national mixed relay title in August.

Each year, British Triathlon co-ordinate the Youth and Junior Super Series that provides developing young athletes with regular, competitive racing against their peers.

In total, 20 athletes have represented the South East across the series, with a quartet of Bethany Cook, Hamish Reilly, Issy Hayes and Michael Gar successfully defending the region’s mixed relay title at Mallory Park in August.

“Our squad loves relays, the thing that I love more than anything was how many athletes wanted to do it,” Coope said.

“In some cases, people don't really want to bother with a relay or having to stay around. I think we had 14 and they all wanted to be involved. 

“It was great for them to get the experience of doing it and the teamwork and the way they delivered was really good and a really positive time for the academy.”

Two of the team, Reilly and Cook, will now represent Great Britain at the World Junior Championships which have been moved from Bermuda to Portugal at the beginning of November. Cook and Gar were also due to race at the European Youth Championships however travel restrictions meant that the British team were unable to travel.

“Hamish [Reilly] is in his final year of being a junior, he would be looking to be competitive in that field, his standard is such that he can go out and be competitive and look to race the event,” said Coope.

“Whereas Bethany [Cook], it's her first year as a junior so for her it is really about going and getting an experience, that’s not to say she will be trying any less. But the first year, it's really about gauging the standard and learning to race at that level.  

“They have got different ambitions but my main thing for them is that they come away and they're satisfied and feel that you gave everything they could, and they give their best on the day and whatever that gets them is absolutely fine.” 

For the past few years, youth and junior athletes have also had the opportunity to compete over Super League Triathlon formats in Jersey, with 2021 being no different.

There was more medal success for the region here too, with Daisy Burton coming second in the youth girls race and Cook and Issy Hayes taking first and third respectively in the junior girls race.

With domestic and international racing winding down for the year, Coope’s attention will now turn to the winter season as she welcomes some new recruits. 

She added: “With every athlete who comes in, I don't like to see them as year-on-year intake, I like to see when someone comes in they are coming in for the five years of the academy and look on it as the long-term development of them as athletes. 

“More than anything for me I just want to engage with athletes who know what their goals are, what their targets are when they go into a race, and they have done enough training in the winter to be able to do their best.” 

Thumbnail and Header Images ©Super League Triathlon

Images on this page from Sarah Coope, Academy Head Coach.