Possible Injuries

However, if you don’t take the right precautions for steady bicycling before, after and throughout the day, it can lead to dangerous and painful repercussions on your body. By not doing things like maintaining a good diet, stretching before exercise and letting your heart adjust to upcoming strenuous conditions, there are may injuries that you can get from prolonged cycling. Some injuries could be a bad lower back from being constantly hunched over. Neck pain can be caused by the constant stretching of the nerves and ultimately lead to pain in your arms. Then, there’s the obvious ones. Excessive cycling if not done right can lead to constant pain in your gluteus muscles, pelvic area, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and ankles.
A very important part of making sure your body is equipped to handle cycling is a good diet of making sure you’ve got the proper amounts of the right minerals and vitamins. If your diet is lacking in certain vitamins, then supplements are available to help balance your body out. These vitamins and supplements are available at most drug and grocery stores over the counter.

Green Tea Extract

Green tea extract can give you a very effective edge in keeping pace. By taking it, you are loosening up fat in your muscles and using it to convert into energy. This will help you to maintain your strength and endurance for a longer period of time. Green tea itself is said to promote healthy living.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is great for killing pain. It helps in the healing of muscles and joints thus, killing pain as you heal. Vitamin C will help your muscles be able to handle longer trips on the bike and make daily training more tolerable. The supplement is available for purchase or, you can get Vitamin C from oranges and other citrus fruits.

Glutamine

Glutamine is a very effective supplement for cyclists because it synthesizes cells in order to boost performance. Glutamine kills free radicals. Free radicals are created in our body from the combination of vigorous exercise and the break down of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. They can slow you down pretty bad and drain your endurance. Do not add glutamine to anything you cook because you will destroy it as soon as the heat gets to it. Other than the supplement itself, there are raw foods you can eat for glutamine, like spinach.

Dietary Protein Supplements

Protein is a huge part of a cyclist’s performance. In order for muscles to heal and grow, your body has to be able to fill the gaps created by exercise with protein. Chicken, beans and fish are good sources, but dietary protein is one of the most popular supplements that are bought today to promote muscle growth.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 will play a big role in cycling. It breaks down protein and helps bring blood cells and oxygen to muscles. Vitamin B6 is also good for releasing serotonin. Serotonin is a substance in the brain that gets released and makes you feel good. You can get supplements for Vitamin B6 in powder form or in bananas.

Other Vitamins and Supplements

These vitamins and supplements are great but, they are just a few of the things that you should be consuming into your body to make you a better cyclist. Calcium for your bones, Vitamin D to keep you happy and Vitamin E to help with stamina will improve your skills as well. And, don’t underestimate carbohydrates and fat. They have a bad reputation but, protein won’t be as effective without them. All of these must be taken in the proper amounts because you can get too much of a good thing when it comes to your diet.

Water

Another important thing to make sure your body has lots of when cycling is water. You can avoid serious heat injury by making sure your body is well hydrated. Heat stroke, heat cramps and heat exhaustion are very serious if not treated immediately and could cause death. Keep a water bottle with you when you’re cycling for a long period of time. Keep a steady intake of water going but keep in mind, water should be consumed in small sips rather than by drinking excessively.

Conclusion

It’s important to understand the possibly injuries that can occur from cycling. Over time and not handling yourself in a proper manner, it’s possible you could end up with a very serious chronic injury that may not heal. Make sure you take the proper precautions in keeping your body fit so that you can take part in exercise with only positive side effects from it.
Some injuries can happen in an instant even to the most physically fit people in the event of falling. If not careful, you can end up with a very serious injury due to lack of attention towards what you are doing. By avoiding complacency and obeying the basic rules of the road in regards to bicycling, you will avoid any unnecessary and avoidable injuries.
Depending on the severity of a fall, you can break a leg, shoulder or arm. But, these injuries will not be as severe and will heal quicker if you maintain a good diet and workout program. Make sure you’re wearing the right clothing and equipment for the job. And, last but not least, stretch before and after any strenuous activity. These basic guidelines will definitely minimize the effect an injury has on you.

The triathlon event held in San Diego, United States, takes centre stage on Friday 11 May 2012 and Saturday 12 May 2012 as the start of the elite women’s race kicks off on Friday whilst the men’s event starts the following day.

USA Triathlon Team Showcase

For USA, it is the main opportunity for American athletes to prove that they have what it takes to compete for USA in the London 2012 Olympic Games. The qualification criteria set by the USA National committee for the women’s event states that a top-nine finish will automatically qualify them for the London 2012 Olympic Games. If more than 1 woman places amongst the top nine athletes in the San Diego event, the top finisher of the multiple athletes will secure the spot on the US Olympic team.

USA Team Qualification Process

If none of the US women athletes competing in the San Diego event finish in the top nine, then the US national committee for Triathlon will decide on whom to take with them to the London 2012 Games. Laura Bennett is the strong favourite for the San Diego event and she is currently ranked 6^th in the Women Olympic Rankings for London 2012 but Sarah Groff isn’t far behind in 11^th.

For the men’s event, it has been confirmed that the first male athlete to cross the line from the United States will earn a spot in the London 2012 Games regardless of where they finish the San Diego race. Unfortunately Triathlon hasn’t been the most successful athletic sports for the United States and as the Olympic Rankings stand at the minute, USA only represent one Triathlete in the top 50 with Jarrod Shoemaker ranked in 19^th place.

The WTS San Diego 2012 event isn’t just for Olympic hopefuls to gain more points for the London 2012 Olympic Games; it is also one of the ITU’s main events for the 2012 season.  There are 8 events altogether in the ITU World Triathlon series and Sydney have already hosted the first main event of the season.

The Birthplace of Modern Triathlon

It will be an especially proud moment for San Diego this weekend as it will be the first time that they have held an ITU race. San Diego is regarded as the birthplace for modern triathlon due to the very first set of Triathletes taking part in a course in San Diego dating way back to 1974. It seems fitting that San Diego has now been awarded a place amongst 8 countries to stage one of the 8 ITU events in a season. It is only the second time the ITU have decided to use the US for one of their events as they used Washington D.C previously in 2009.

Great Britain dominated the ITU World Championships last year with both male and female Triathletes being British. Unfortunately for the male champion, Alistair Brownlee, he is set to miss the San Diego 2012 event due to an Achilles injury that also ruled him out of the first event in Sydney. However, the current women’s champion, Helen Jenkins is set to feature at the San Diego event.

Women’s Preview

Helen Jenkins is a strong favourite to take the gold medal position in San Diego tomorrow as she looks set to go one better than her position in Sydney. In Sydney she was beaten to the gold by Australia’s Erin Densham but Densham had the advantage of the home crowds egging her on but it will be a different story in the US.

The U.S female Triathletes will have the advantage of hometown knowledge as the San Diego course is new so US athletes such as Sarah Groff and Gwen Jorgensen will be familiar with the new look course. Those 2 have both secured their spots for the London 2012 Games but will both be vowing to finish on the podium to boost their chances of winning the 2012 ITU World Series this season.

There are a few other Triathletes who will firmly believe they have a chance of winning the San Diego event with Switzerland’s Daniela Ryf and Melanie Annaheim also on the start line. Canada’s Kathy Tremblay has also been showing good form this season and will be looking to cause an upset on Friday.

Men’s Preview

As mentioned earlier, the current ITU World Series Champion won’t be taking part, as Alistair Brownlee is still recovering from his latest injury. It might not be all bad news for the Brownlee household though as Alistair’s younger brother, Jonathan is set to make his season debut in the San Diego men’s event on Saturday.

His form towards the end of last year makes him a strong favourite on Saturday and he will also be hoping to impress and gain some form going into the London 2012 Games. Similarly to the women, the US male Triathletes will have the knowledge of knowing more about the newly built course than other competitors will have. With the added incentive of the highest placed US athlete certain for a place in the London 2012 Games as well, USA’s Matt Chrabot, Manuel Huerta, Jarrod Shoemaker and Hunter Kemper will all be hoping to finish as high as they can and it wouldn’t be a surprise if one of them finished on the podium in San Diego.

There is also a vital battle between two National Olympic Committee’s at this Saturday’s men’s event between Canada and Australia. Australia are currently ranked 8^th in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic Games which means they will be able to send 3 male athletes to the London Games compared to Canada who are ranked 9^th and will only be able to send 2. Simon Whitfield of Canada and Courtney Atkinson of Australia are the athletes who are likely to be the third athlete for both countries will go head to head and the highest placed competitor could be likely to go to the London 2012 Games.

If you want to know more about any of the competitors that took part in this race visit our triathlete profiles page.

Yorkshire Champion

He has been raised up in Yorkshire for his entire life and can proudly say he is the reigning ETU European Triathlon champion. Not just the reigning champion either, Brownlee has also won back-to-back ETU European Triathlon titles. Not only is he the reigning champion of the ETU European circuit, but he is also the current ITU Triathlon World Champion, emphasising his superiority in the world of Triathlon today. He also won the ITU Triathlon Championships in 2009.

Sibling Rivalry

His victory at the ITU Triathlon World Championships in 2011 was especially memorable for Alistair as he just edged his brother in the event with Jonathan Brownlee coming in second position. The event that took place in Beijing, China last year were a tremendous accomplishment by both Alistair and his brother, Jonathan, and Alistair will be hoping to collect a hat-trick of ITU World titles when he is set to regain his title at Auckland, New Zealand in October this year when the ITU World Championships are being held for 2012.

Success in the Family

Alistair took up the sport at a very young age with his uncle, Simon Hearnshaw who himself was a triathlete and competed regularly. When Alistair originally started his career as a youngster, he was a successful cross country runner and was often crowned Yorkshire County champion in Cross Country. It wasn’t until 2006 when Alistair decided to concentrate primarily on Triathlon and try to achieve a career on this path rather that just running. He became a member at the Carnegie High Performance Centre which is based at Leeds Metropolitan University and has been a member there ever since.

Dual Coaches

Alistair has two coaches on his team because of the different events associated with Triathlon, his swimming coach is Jack Maitland and the Director of Sport at Carnegie High Performance centre, Malcolm Brown is his coach for running and cycling.

His successful career to date has lead to him obtaining many athlete sponsors with BT, Adidas, Gatorade and BMW all sponsoring the British athlete.

His opening success came at the ITU Triathlon World Championships at junior level of 2006. Held in Lausanne, Switzerland on the opening weekend of September, Alistair Brownlee topped off a good weekend for Britain as Tim Don had earlier won the Men’s Championship and Brownlee’s gold position at the juniors were the start of his success.

Junior Medals

Little did Alistair know that this was going to be the start of a brilliant career for the talented teenager. Aged just 18 when he won the ITU Triathlon World Championships at junior level in 2006, in the same year he also managed to achieve a Bronze medal position at the 2006 ETU Triathlon European Championships in Autun, France. It was again at junior level and many people now expected Alistair Brownlee to progress onto the men’s circuit within a few years.

Gold Medals

Another gold medal at the 2007 Copenhagen ETU Triathlon European Championships continued to prove Alistair on a junior level. 2008 marked an extremely good year for him and his progression in Triathlon. In June 2008, he won gold medal in the Men’s Under 23 event in the ITU Triathlon World Championships that were held in Vancouver, Canada and his performance at the event saw him rewarded with a call up for the Great Britain team for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China later that year.

Beijing Olympic Games

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games were an extremely exciting opportunity for Alistair as his country had no expectations for him to finish on the podium in his début Olympic event. He still managed to impress and finished in 12^th place, ahead of fellow British team member, Tim Don who was expected to finish above Alistair. Alistair boasted very strong times in the swimming and cycling but ironically his running was slightly off the pace which saw him gradually move away from the leading pack.

However, Alistair was to return to Beijing, China in 2011 to compete at the ITU Triathlon World Championships and by this period he was a strong competitor on the Elite level. Due to his performances in all the events leading up the grand final, Alistair Brownlee dominated the 2011 Beijing event as he won 3 out of the 6 events prior to Beijing. His wins at the Madrid, Kitzbuhel and London games all contributed to his final ranking position of 1^st that makes him the current ITU World Champion in Triathlon.

His previous ITU World Championship title was even more dominant than his latest victory. Alistair won all five of the season’s event in which he competed in. Madrid, Washington D.C, Kitzbuhel and London all saw Alistair victorious before he won the Grand Final in Australia in 2009 to take the ITU Triathlon World Championship crown. His title made him the first person to win the ITU Triathlon Championships at all 3 levels, juniors, under 23’s and senior.

Side-lined with Injuries

A recent Achilles tear suffered in February 2012 put serious doubts into his preparation for the London 2012 Olympic Games. It was a bitter blow for Alistair who would’ve hoped to compete in the events leading up the Olympic Games to give him much needed time in the competitive events but unfortunately Alistair has had to watch from the sidelines.

Fingers Crossed for London 2012

The final WTS Triathlon event is in Madrid, Spain later this year and will be the last opportunity for Alistair Brownlee to compete against other elite Triathletes before the London Games in August. Alistair Brownlee would’ve been a certain favourite to win his first Olympic medal in his home country but his recent injury could potentially jeopardize any plans he has to finish on the podium. Whether he makes it in time to compete for the London 2012 Olympic Games, at 24 years old he still has many years involved in Triathlon.

To visit Alistair Brownlee’s home page click here.

Under 20 Category

The European Triathlon Championships for the under 20’s were held in Israel and James Briscoe was one of 300 that the BTU had of Great Britain athletes represented at the Triathlon event. James Briscoe from Wistaston, Crewe was never expected to compete for the gold medal position but he was said to be overjoyed at his accomplishment in Israel and is now preparing to defend his title in Turkey next year when the European Championships for Triathlon come around.

James said after his win: “It is a proud moment to pull on a vest bearing your family name with GBR below it. It’s an honour.” Clearly James is overwhelmed at his success but you can’t blame him for the pride he must feel.

It is especially memorable for Briscoe as he only entered the Triathlon events 3 years ago as a 15 year old. Before that James was a keen swimmer and runner and competed at county level in both events but never thought of Triathlon until he proved successful in his first event in Nantwich.

Briscoe completed the course in Israel in a time of 2 hours 15 minutes which on the day proved more than enough to win the gold medal. His nearest rival in his age group was just under 3 minutes behind which emphasised his dominance in the under 20’s category.

James Briscoe wasn’t the only success story to come out of the European Triathlon Championships in Israel as Andy Roberson was also a success to come out of the events. Andy Roberson was the only Triathlete to quality for the event in Eilat from the Chichester Westgate Triathlon Club.

45-49 Age Group

Andy Roberson managed to finish in tenth position in the 45-49 age group in what was his first ever international event so on a personal level it was a big achievement for the Chichester triathlete. Roberson entered into the sprint distance and had he not had problems during the race he may have finished even higher.

He came out from the swim in 2^nd place and his transition to the bike was a very quick one. However, his downfall came during the bike mount as Roberson had difficulties with his shoes that ultimately cost him precious time. The conditions in Eilat, Israel for the event were extremely tough with strong winds blowing off the desert and straight into the Triathletes which made the event even harder.

Despite a strong finish to the race for Roberson in the final run he couldn’t close the gap between him and the front runners and had to settle for 10^th position. No doubt Roberson will feel very proud of his achievements in his first ever international event and will be hoping that Great Britain will select him for future events.

Keep an eye on the news feed for all the latest news and goings on in the world of triathlon.

It was a very hot afternoon in Mexico which made race conditions even harder than the usual for the athletes which resulted in a lot of casualties with athletes feeling the force of the conditions. With the water and air temperatures reaching high amounts, it was extremely gruelling circumstances for the athletes. Five women did not finish the event whilst as many as 11 male competitors dropped out. The women athletes had it slightly easier as they started in the morning with a narrowly cooler temperature whereas the men kicked off closer to noon with the temperature at its highest for the day.

Women’s Results

Despite the rising temperatures, Bermuda’s Flora Duffy managed to win her first-ever World Cup event at the Huatulco ITU Triathlon event in Mexico. Flora Duffy managed to complete the course in 2:13:17 which was a very good time considering the race conditions she and the other Triathletes were dealing with. Duffy’s excellent transition time in the first lap gave her the chance to sprint off ahead of the chasing pack which essentially put her in good stead to win the event.

In the end, the Bermuda athlete who participated at the Beijing Olympics only to be disqualified for being lapped managed to finish 30 seconds ahead of her next rival in 2^nd place. Brazil’s Pamela Oliveira in similar fashion to Flora Duffy secured her first-ever World Cup medal which enabled her to get vital Olympic Qualification points with her efforts in Huatulco, Mexico. Oliveria’s 2^nd place position climbed her up the current Women’s Olympic Rankings for London 2012, raising her 12 places from 68^th to 56^th, overtaking fellow Brazilian Triathlete Carla Morena in the process.

Completing the final 3 podium positions was original home favourite Claudia Rivas. Despite being the favourite to take the gold medal in her home country, Claudia Rivas was a little off the pace in the run which saw her drop vital seconds behind the 2 front runners. Claudia Rivas was the fastest in the water for the opening part of the race but a slow transition time in T1 meant she was playing catch up in the bike ride which lead to fatigue in the latter parts of the race for Rivas.

The ITU development team also managed to maintain 2 Triathletes in the top 10 in Mexico. Ukraines Yuliya Yelistratova finished in 7^th with fellow Team ITU competitors Mateja Simic of Slovenia 30 seconds behind her in 8^th.

The Huatulco ITU Triathlon World Cup 2012 Event was overshadowed with slight concerns when Czech Republic Triathlete, Vendula Frintova collapsed with just less than 50 metres to the finish line and was carried off by medics for treatment. Due to the extremely hot conditions which proved to be too much for Frintova, her collapse dropped her unfortunately out of the top 10 position where she was running.

Men’s Results

With the women’s event taking place first in the morning, the men had to endure even tougher and hotter conditions for the Huatulco ITU Triathlon World Cup event as the men’s event started closer to noon. The temperature of the water got to its highest at 28.6 degree Celsius and the Triathletes also had to complete the event with the run just as the sun reached its peak temperature.

However, in contrast to the women’s race that was completed earlier in the day, there were a number of athletes who enjoyed a spell in first position and wasn’t a 1 person contender for the gold medal position. Belgium’s Simon de Cuyper however was in 1^st position when it most mattered as he crossed the finishing line in a leading time of 02:02:34, 16 seconds ahead of 2^nd placed Ryan Sissons of New Zealand.

Simon de Cuyper evidently proved the term, ‘it is a marathon not a sprint’, as he was trailing around 2 minutes behind the leaders at some stages of the race. But the Belgian Triathlete stormed past 13 men in the third lap to take the gold medal. The 500 qualifications points that came with the gold medal position were extremely helpful towards de Cuyper’s chances of competing at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Ranked just inside the top 100 before the men’s event in Mexico, the 500 points took him up 26 positions into 68^th in the men’s rankings.

France’s Aurelien Raphael was the first man to lead the event when he exited the water ahead of his trailing competitors to storm into the lead and his first lap of the bike was equally as impressive as he gained a 31 second lead. The intensity he set at the start of the event clearly took its toll as his pace began to deteriorate for the following two laps of the bike as his rivals began to catch up to the Frenchman.

Whilst eventual gold and silver medals winners De Cuyper and Sissons were in the distance, their patience was eventually rewarded. Bermuda nearly managed to achieve a podium position in both the women’s and men’s events but unfortunately Tyler Butterfield fell 10 seconds short of Bronze placed Danylo Sapunov of Ukraine for the ITU development team.

Despite the hot and humid conditions that the athletes were dealt with, Simon De Cuyper managed to find the energy and determination and win his first ITU World Cup in Huatulco, Mexico on Sunday.

Events Left

With the Huatulco ITU Event now over, there are just 2 remaining events for athletes to battle it out for those remaining Qualification points to gain for London 2012. The San Diego event in USA and then the final event in Madrid, Spain are what Triathletes face before London 2012 Olympics.

Triathlon consists of 3 different parts, a swim, a bike ride followed by a gruelling run which tests athletes to their maximum throughout the course. The rise in popularity for triathlon was evident when it was introduced into the Olympics for the 2000 Sydney Games. Since the UK realised that the 2012 Olympic Games would be held in London, over the past few years the rise of triathlon clubs in UK has increased and below are the most recognized and established triathlon clubs.

Pencoed Tri Club

The Pencoed Tri Club is based in Pencoed, South Wales and offers athletes from all abilities to take part in their sessions that the Pencoed Tri Club has to offer. The club was formed in 2003 and was brought to the Bridgend area to promote the triathlon event to all ages that could take part in the sport.

For a small cost, you can take part in the different sessions the Pencoed Tri Club has to offer, from Swim sessions to Cycling, the Pencoed Tri Club welcomes all abilities to take part.

For more info please visit their website: http://www.pencoedtri.org/

Worcester Tri Club

It is based in the Worcester area but welcomes athletes from all over the country to come and take part. It is an extremely friendly local club that is open to all ages of the public. Not only does it provide a variety of training sessions, but they also provide individual support should you need it and also offer you excellent triathlon opportunities to get you started.

The club was formed in 1993 and has represented a lot of professional athletes at European and World Championship level. Ceris Gilfillan even competed at the Olympics in Sydney and Ceris was a member at the Worcester Triathlon Club from where she progressed onto the bigger stage.

If you are interested in joining this club head on over to their website: http://www.worcestertriclub.co.uk/

East London Triathletes

The East London Triathletes club is based in Woodford/Walthamstow of the East London area. The club is suited to athletes of all abilities from the very experienced to the beginners. The East London Triathletes club has different club coaches to suit all the levels and offer specific training sessions to different athletes to challenge them and fulfil their potential as a Triathlete.

The club was formed in 1985 and is still going strong today. East London Triathletes also offer regular competitive races which offer Triathletes the chance to experience competitive racing and offer the winner’s entry into more lucrative triathlon events.

To find out how to join this club visit their website: http://www.eastlondontriathletes.co.uk/

Windrush Triathlon Club

Windrush Tri is based in the South London region and specialises in not only triathlon events but Duathlon events as well. The Windrish Tri club offers regular sessions that test athlete’s individual abilities and prepare them physically and mentally for races ahead.

It is one of the most popular triathlon clubs in London and is very active with regular runs, swims and cycle events.

For more info on this popular South London club see their website: http://www.windrushtri.co.uk/

• If you would like your triathlon club featuered on this website please get in touch using the contact form on this page.
• To visit our triathlon club directory page click here.

Events

There are just 3 Triathlon qualifying events left before the end of qualifying for the athletes as they attempt to gain more points to boost them up the rankings and give themselves every chance of representing their National Olympic Federation at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The Wcup Huatulco 2012 in Mexico is to start on the 6^th May 2012, and give the ‘lesser’ nations the chance to gain qualification into the London 2012 Olympics. The San Diego 2012 event is also the national Triathlon event for the US to look at their individual Olympians and who should represent them at the 2012 Games. It’s also another chance for other competing nations to send their athletes to the San Diego event to gain more qualification points. Finally the Madrid event at the end of May is the final opportunity for athletes to gain final points.

Women’s Event

The women’s event takes place before the men’s event and is due to start on the 4^th August 2012. 55 female athletes will take part with the 8 top ranked nations gaining 3 entries into the Triathlon event with the other National Olympic Federations getting 2 places each. Since the Triathlon event made its debut at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, only 2 female athletes have appeared in all 3 Triathlon events in every Olympics.

The Perfect Four?

Kiyomi Niwata and Anja Dittmer are both vowing to make it a perfect 4 at this summer’s Olympics Games. Anja Dittmer is extremely likely to qualify for her National Olympic Federation of Germany as she is the top ranked Triathlete in Germany. Her most recent Triathlon event was in the 2012 Dextro Energy World Triathlon in Sydney and she managed to get to 20^th in a time of 02:03:16. Anja Dittmer is one of the strongest competitors on the bike for the middle part of the race as she notched up a time of 01:04:47 on the bike but Anja’s times for the swim and the run were less as impressive.

Anja’s best finish at the Olympics in her 3 attempts for Germany was at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games where she managed to finish in 11^th position. Japanese Triathlete Kiyomi Niwata is unlikely to have another shot at another Olympics after London 2012 giving that Niwata is 42 years of age. Japan however have nailed down a ranking spot at the London 2012 Olympics which means they can elect 3 athletes for the Triathlon event due to their qualification from the Asian Championships. Mariko Adachi dominated the 2012 Tateyama ASTC Triathlon Asian Championships which cemented her spot for Japan’s team at the 2012 London Olympics but Adachi will be joined by 2 other Japanese female Triathletes including Kiyomi Niwata, Ai Ueda or Tomoko Sakimoto.

Hot Favourites

Despite Japan dominating the Asian Championships earlier this year, they are just 1 of many National Olympic Federations who will be competing at the London 2012 Games for the Triathlon event. Switzerland dominated the Sydney 2000 Olympics women’s event where they took gold and bronze. Australian born Kate Allan then took gold in the 2004 Athens Games but was representing Austria due to gaining Austrian Citizenship in 2002. Australia repeated Switzerland’s performances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics by taking home gold and bronze in the women’s event and many believe that Australia will once again be the ones to watch in the Triathlon event at London 2012.

Australia are guaranteed 3 qualifying spots in the women’s event for London 2012 and all 3 potential qualifiers for Australia are in for a shot at winning gold. Australian’s dominance in Triathlon was for all to see in the 2012 Dextro Energy Event in Sydney earlier this year when 6 out of the top 16 were all Australian. That includes Erin Densham who is hot favourite for the gold medal this summer. Densham was 2006 U23 Triathlon World Champion and is currently ranked 4 in the WTS rankings. Heart problems in 2009 set her back for almost a year but she bounced back and against the odds made a return to the sport. Densham also competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and finished 22^nd.

Erin Densham has a lot of competition alongside her from the fellow countrywomen for the final 2 spots in Australia’s women team as Emma Moffatt has already gained her selection by the Australian Olympic Committee. Emma Moffatt is another favourite for the gold medal and hopes to improve on her Bronze medal she won at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Other Hopefuls

It isn’t going to be all plain sailing for the Australian women’s team in the Triathlon event for the London 2012 Games as Team Great Britain will be more than determined to make their first podium in the event with the Games being held in England. Britain’s Helen Jenkins has already secured her spot at the London Olympics 2012 with her sensational performance at the World Championship Series in London last year where she finished 1^st.

Jenkins is currently ranked 2^nd in the WTS rankings having gained 1282 points and is only behind New Zealand’s Andrea Hewitt. Helen Jenkins won gold medals in the 2008 Vancouver and 2011 Beijing World Championships and will be desperate to get gold on the Olympic stage to complete a fabulous career.

Andrea Hewitt, the world no.1, has had a sensational run in her previous 5 events, finishing 1^st on 3 occasions and 3^rd the other 2 events. Having used to be a swimmer in her early twenties before deciding to become a Triathlete, the advantages are there for show as Hewitt is extremely good in the swimming part of the race and is also a very strong runner. Hewitt has admitted in a recent interview that if she trained hard to improve making the transition from swim to bike, she could stand a real chance of achieving her first Olympic gold medal and it’s hard to disagree with her because of the quality Hewitt possesses.

The beautiful thing about the venue for the Triathlon event is that around 90% of the route for the course is in ticket zones which are completely free for the public to watch and wouldn’t need to buy a ticket for. So Hyde Park is a great opportunity for people to watch one of the most exciting Olympic events this summer for free!

Qualifying

The women’s event is up first and there will be 55 athletes from across the world competing to get on the final podium which will earn their countries medal positions. The 4^th August 2012 is a date very much sketched into many female Triathlete’s diaries and for some it is literally sketched in as some athletes are still trying in vain to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics.

Athletes have had from 1^st June 2010 all the way through to the 31^st May 2012 as the period to qualify for the Olympic Games in London this year. In that 2 year period, it is up to the athletes to qualify for their nations Olympic team according to the criteria demanded by their National Federations.

ITU Olympic Qualification Events

From 1^st May 2011 up until the 30^th April 2012, Triathletes had the chance to compete in different Continental Olympic Qualification Events to gain qualification points which would boost their chances of gaining a place on their respective Olympic team for the London 2012 Games. The top 8 ranked National Olympic Committee’s at the end of qualification will gain 3 qualification spots for the London 2012 Games whilst the other Olympic nations will gain 2 places.

Qualification Events Left

With the qualification period running out at the end of this month, time is running out for athletes to get vital qualification points on the board in a bid to make their respective Olympic teams. Wcup Huatulco 2012 is one of the three events left for athletes to claim more points for London 2012. The Huatulco events primary objective is more to give the emerging and developing Olympic National Federations a chance to get their athletes to London 2012. Countries such as Ecuador, Serbia, Cuba and Costa Rica are expected to represent athletes at the Huatulco event on the 6^th May 2012 and set out to qualify for the Triathlon event for the first time in their nation’s Olympic history.

The US National Federation still have their national Triathlon event still to run later this month in the WTS San Diego 2012 event. The event will also play an integral role for a number of other Olympic teams who choose to compete at the San Diego event to determine their Olympic squads. The final qualifying event is the WTS Madrid 2012.

Location for the Olympic Triathlons

Hyde Park is a very open area in London and will be sure to bring enthusiastic spectators to watch as the Triathlon events take centre stage on the 4^th and 7^th of August. It is the perfect venue for the Triathlon races that combine swimming, cycling and running in the 3 course race that can be gruelling for the athletes.  With the sport gaining more and more recognition amongst athletes, Hyde Park will be sure to anticipate an exciting event to take place.

The London 2012 Olympics Triathlon event will consist of a 1500m swim, followed by a 43km bike ride and finished off with a 10km run. The 3 individual events will need to be swiftly dealt with by the athletes and not only for the swim, bike ride and running, but also for the transitions in between which could cost athletes vital seconds.

Women’s Triathlon at London 2012

The women’s race kicks off first on the Saturday 4^th August 2012 and will be contested between 55 women athletes who will be confirmed on the sports entry deadline on 9^th July 2012. As qualifying still takes place around the world to qualify for one of those 55 prestigious spots available, 2008 Beijing gold medallist Emma Snowsill could miss out. The Australian triathlete missed the race in Queensland in March this year through illness and could face a battle to be selected by the Australia board for the Triathlon event. Fellow Australian Erin Densham took full advantage of Emma Snowsill’s absence as she capped off a remarkable recovery from her heart problems to win the Queensland race.

Emma Moffatt is already named as 1 of the 3 places in the Australian’s Triathlete women’s team but with newly-crowned Oceania champion, Emma Jackson set to take another 1 of them spots, a battle between Erin Densham and Emma Snowsill for the final spot looks increasingly likely.

For Team Great Britain, their most likely athlete to unsettle the Australian’s dominance at the London 2012 games is likely to be Helen Jenkins. The 28 year old is currently ranked number 2 in the WTS rankings and won gold in the London World Championship Series last August which secured her spot in the Triathlon events at the London Olympics 2012.

Despite finishing 21^st for Great Britain in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Helen Jenkins is much more optimistic this time around as she looks to improve on her 21^st position this year in her home country. Helen Jenkins is coached by her husband, Marc Jenkins who is also a Triathlete and the pair will be hoping that the summer games can provide Helen with an Olympic medal.

Men’s Triathlon at London 2012

The men’s race is set to start after the women’s race on the Tuesday 7^th August 2012. There will also be 55 competitors competing in the men’s race in which is sure to be one of the most in demand for tickets as the men’s competition is set to be an exciting encounter. Since its establishment in 2000, the Triathlon men’s event has seen the same 2 athletes finish in medal positions in 2 out of the 3 Triathlon events in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games.

Canada’s Simon Whitfield achieved gold medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the Triathlon’s Olympic Games debut before achieving silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. New Zealand’s Bevan Docherty also aims to go one better as he achieved Bronze in 2008 and Silver in 2004. Bevan Docherty’s spot in the New Zealand team has already been confirmed for the London 2012 Games and he is set to be partnered by 2 other hopefuls for the London Games if New Zealand can maintain their current status in the world top eight before the start of June.

Team Great Britain has failed to finish anywhere higher than 9^th in the 3 Olympic Games that the Triathlon has been running. Their last attempt in the 2008 Beijing Olympics was Alistair Brownlee who only managed 12th position in Beijing. However, since his 2008 disappointment, he has turned it into triumph as he went on to become back-to-back winner at the World Championships.

In his home country Alistair Brownlee will be desperate to show he has the winning capabilities at the Olympic Games in front of his country and he will be joined in his attempt to finish on the podium along with his brother. Jonathan Brownlee is also a favourite for gold at London 2012 and with both of them having secured their place for the 3 man Triathlete team; it only leaves 1 more space open.

Olympic Triathlon Favourite

The strong favourite for the final position in the men’s Triathlon team is Will Clarke, who was also a competitor for Team Great Britain alongside Alistair Brownlee in the 2008 Beijing Games. Clarke did his hopes justice when he ended last season ranked ninth in the world and was his biggest career highlight since he came onto the scene as World and European under-23 champion. The final Triathlon event before the London 2012 Games is in Madrid and Will Clarke knows a strong performance at Madrid will give his chances of completing the 3 man team a world of good.

Tim Don is a former world champion but the 34 year old may have to surrender to missing out on the 2012 Triathlon team for Great Britain as his rank has deterred in the latter stages of his career as an athlete. His performance at the 2008 Beijing games will not be one he will want to persuade the Team GB board with either as he failed to finish the event after falling too far behind on the bike leg.

• To find out more about the Team GB triathlon team click here now.

The club is open to members of all abilities which is nice as those looking to enter their first event will be made welcome and able to get some solid advice from the seasoned members of the club.  While more experienced triatheletes will be able to fit right in.

Daily Training Sessions

The Exeter Tri Club has a busy training schedule with something on every night of the week whether it be swimming, running or cycling. They even hold open water swimming sessions during the summer which are replaced by pool swimming during the colder months to help you get ready for the swim stages of your next triathlon. As the outdoor swimming ceases in the winter you probably won’t need to bring your triathlon wetsuit! Other nights include city running and evening bike rides around a two mile long circuit with various obstacles. Weekend endurance sessions are often held and there is a once a year training camp to Lanzarote’s Club La Santa for those looking to train in warmer climes. Even kids are catered for with a junior section for 8-16 year olds.

Membership

You do have to pay to join but get a number of benefits for singing up besides access to the training sessions and advice from the team. These benefits include discounts at local sports shops which should save you money on your triathlon equipment.

This seems like a great club with loads going on. Their website even has an active forum for members to keep in touch and network when not training. So if you are based in Exeter or the surrounding areas get intouch with the team and the Exeter triathlon club.

• For the full details visit their site here: http://www.exetertri.co.uk/

To view our list of clubs visit the triathlon club directory page.