Teenage Tri Talent Line Up for Inaugural Youth Championships

By

March 19, 2012

The future champions of Australian triathlon will converge onto the Sunshine Coast this week for the inaugural Australian Youth Triathlon Championships (AYTC) in and around the Novotel Resort Twins Waters, starting on Thursday, March 22 in what will be another massive week of multi-sport action in one of the real hubs of the sport.

Over 100 individual entries and sixteen teams will take part in the first ever AYTC with 45 females and 59 males, some who will be among the contenders for this year’s ITU World Championships in Auckland in October.

The AYTC is open to triathletes aged 13 to 18 and will be divided into three age categories for girls and boys and the three individual age groups, with the individual racing set down for Thursday and the teams event scheduled for Friday – both days starting at 9am.

Go to the Australian Youth Triathlon Championships Website

The three age group categories and distances are:

• 13 and 14 years - 400m swim, 12km bike and 3km run
• 15 and 16 years - 600m swim, 16km bike and 4km run
• 17 and 18 years - 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run.

There are entries from every state in Australia for what will be a perfect prelude to this weekend’s ITU World Cup Triathlon in Mooloolaba which will see some of the sport’s biggest names – Emma Moffatt, Emma Snowsill, Erin Densham, Felicity Abram, Ashleigh Gentle, Brad Kahlefeldt, Brendan Sexton and Chris McCormack step up their racing in the countdown to the London Olympics.

But it will be the future Olympians who will get the chance to show their wares first up, some who have been in action during this year’s Australian Junior Series, names like Australian Junior Series Champion Jaz Hedgeland from WA; Queensland pair, swim-biker Brittany Forster and Holly Grice in the (17/18 years); Laura Cook from NSW (15/16years); Victoria’s Anna Coldham (17/18 years)  and Tasmania’s talented athletics/triathlon star Natalea Smith (17/18 years) in the girls and Queensland pair Christian Wilson and Luke Willian (15/16years); and NSW duo Matt Baker (17/18 years) and Shane Ilgen (17/18years) in the boys.

Hedgeland was impressive in winning the Australian Junior Championship in Devonport recently to wrap up the Series and she was closing on New Zealand’s reigning ITU World Junior Champion Mikayla Nielsen in the final one kilometre run of the Oceania category at the end of the 750m swim, 20km bike, five km run course.

While in the boys NSW’s Matt Baker’s sixth placing in the red-hot Junior field in Devonport confirmed his talent and with young Queensland’s Wilson and Willian joined by Matt Roberts in the (15/16years), which will be one of the closest races of the day.

The AYTC will also feature a Mixed Teams Triathlon Relay on Friday March 23 for two males and two females in each team with each athlete completing an ultra triathlon super sprint of 200m swim, 4km bike and 1.2km run before tagging their teammates.
 
All events in the AYTC include a draft legal cycling leg allowing junior athletes to compete under the same cycling rules as the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and ITU Triathlon World Championships.
 
The AYTC is part of a major push by Triathlon Australia to develop the sport at a junior level and follows the introduction of the National Talent Academy, established in conjunction with the Australian Sports Commission to set up the best possible pathway to the Olympics and Commonwealth Games for the best available athletes.

Triathlon Australia’s National Manager Athlete Development Craig Redman says the racing is certain to bring out the best in Australia’s next crop of talented triathletes.

“It has already been an exciting season for some of these guys who have raced in the Australian Junior Series but to add a host of other kids from around the country will give them some ideal draft legal experience and that is the key to moving forward in their careers,” said Redman.

“We are delighted to have the kind of response we’ve had from the athletes, the coaches and the Triathlon Clubs and to also put on a whole range of events, including the Teams event will be very exciting indeed.”

There will also be a who’s who of triathlon at an education afternoon following Thursday’s racing including leading coaches and former and current champions.

Leading the list will be:

• Three-time World Champion and duel Olympian Peter Robertson
• World Champion bronze medallist and Olympian and Olympic gold medal coach Craig Walton
• Olympic bronze medallist Jan Rehula and
• Under 23 ITU World Champion Emma Jackson