Triathlon Australia Launches Inaugural Australian Youth Championships

By

February 22, 2012

Australia has a second to none history in producing world class triathletes – many who have progressed through the junior ranks and on to the Olympic and World Championship stages.
 
There have been a host of ITU World Junior Championship medallists who have gone on to bigger and better things such as Courtney Atkinson, Craig Walton, Chris Hill, Joanne King, Nicole Hackett, Ashleigh Gentle, Emma Jackson and Felicity Abram to name a few.
 
Triathlon Australia (TA) is determined to continue this successful pathway with its announcement today that the country's best young triathletes will contest the inaugural 2012 Australian Youth Triathlon Championships (AYTC) at Novotel Twin Waters Resort next month.
 
The exciting addition to Australia’s National Triathlon calendar will see TA host an exciting two-day event on the Sunshine Coast on Thursday and Friday, March 22 & 23 in the lead up to the ITU Mooloolaba World Cup (March 24,25)
 
The AYTC is open to triathletes aged 13 to 18 and will be divided into three age categories for girls and boys.
 
The three individual age groups to be contested for the first ever AYTC on race day, March 22 will be:

• 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.

The event will also feature a Mixed Teams Triathlon Relay on 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 is excited about this new addition to the sport’s annual calendar giving Australia’s potential stars an opportunity to race in a dynamic and exciting Olympic style racing.
 
“The Triathlon Australia High Performance program aspires to be at the cutting edge and the trend setter and our vision of sustained international success requires us to ensure our development programs are giving young athletes every opportunity to enhance their skills,” said Redman.
 
“Motor skill development and acquisition of our junior athletes is an area that we can reap long term rewards for if we embrace it now.
 
“With the inclusion of Teams Triathlon Relay into the Commonwealth Games and the possibility of Teams Triathlon being included in the Olympic Games it is vital that we commence our athletes skill development from an earlier age.”
 
Triathlon Australia’s CEO Anne Gripper said Triathlon Australia was pleased to add the National Youth Championships to the sport’s National Calendar of events. 
 
“This event will provide excellent opportunities for our development coaches to identify young athletes with the talent to succeed as our future elite Australian triathletes,” said Ms Gripper.
 
Click here for further information and online entries for the Australian Youth Triathlon Championships