Triathlon Australia is pleased to announce the Triathlon Australia Elite Selection Committee (TAESC) following the release of the revised Elite Selection Committee Terms of Reference and expressions of interest for members of the Committee.
Triathlon Australia thanks the outgoing members of the TAESC and welcomes new members of the Committee. The TAESC was selected through a rigorous expression of interest and shortlisting process, with many high-quality applications and will be in place until post the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Committee Members:
Annabel Luxford (Chair)
Michellie Jones AM
Dr Darren Smith
Justin Drew (Triathlon Australia National Performance Director)
Annabel Luxford
Annabel Luxford brings a first-hand, elite athlete insight to the committee, having represented Australia in triathlon from 1999.She was crowned the 2005 ITU Triathlon World Cup series champion and the silver medallist at the 2005 ITU Triathlon World Championships In 2004, she was the ITU under-23 World Champion and finished second in the ITU Triathlon World Cup standings.
As a scholarship holder at the AIS triathlon program, Luxford was involved in selection processes for three Olympic Games, a Commonwealth Games, and multiple World Championships Events. Annabel also holds a Bachelors of Communication from Bond University and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Law from the University of Queensland.
Michellie Jones AM
Michellie is a two-time ITU World Champion and is Australia’s first Olympic medallist as a Silver medallist in Sydney 2000. Jones has had a career of sustained success including as the first Australian woman to win the Ironman World Championships. She was also the guide for the incredible Kaity Kelly OAM, winning Gold in Rio 2016.
Jones is a member of the Triathlon Australia Hall of Fame, Sports Australia Hall of Fame, and ITU Hall of Fame. She has over 40 years of experience as a triathlon coach in the United States.
Dr Darren Smith
Holding a Ph.D. in sports physiology, Darren Smith joins the committee with a proven triathlon background, and as one of the leading developmental coaches in the world from 2000 until 2016, Smith’s coaching career included coaching at multiple Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games.
Since retiring from full-time coaching following the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Smith has held consultancy and advisory roles national triathlon federations and has been involved with the Triathlon Australia High Performance program as coach educator and coach accreditation to High Performance level.
As part of the renewed TAESC Terms of Reference, Triathlon Australia’s National Performance Director, Justin Drew will join the committee as a crucial link between the High Performance business unit and the rest of the selectors.
Triathlon Australia is grateful to have an extremely experienced committee in place , with one independent member to be appointed by the Chair at a later date.
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