'Simon was crestfallen over his ninth-place finish'

September 23, Sydney, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

While Simon Lessing has been speaking to the British reporters who asked about his ninth-place finish in the Olympic triathlon, after he and everyone else expected a gold medal from him, his wife, Lisa Lessing, is now speaking to the triathlon community.

She wrote this on Friday for publication on triathonlive.com:

"Triathlon's Olympic debut was even more beautiful and exciting than predicted by the media. The event produced surprising results. My special congratulations to each of the medal winners. My congratulations also to all of the participants, each of which trained long and hard for this very special athletic event. There was disappointment, and some came home to us.

"Simon (Lessing) was crestfallen over his ninth-place finish. It was his worst finish in his career. He is especially saddened that he gave disappointment to many of his supporters who fully expected to see him on the medal podium. We are thankful for all the support and kind words that Simon has received over the past months.

"Now, it is time to move on. There will be many other important races in the years to come. Simon will be there, performing like a champion that he is. He is dedicated to the sport of triathlon, and he will continue to do what he can to benefit the sport."

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Flu flattens medal-favorite Andrew Johns

September 12, Sydney, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Britain's Andrew Johns, a darkhorse to win one of the medals in Saturday's Olympic triathlon, has been flattened by the flu.

British officials, according to Johns' coach, were considering having him stay back at Gold Coast, Queensland, while the rest of the team moved down to Sydney's Olympic Village on Wednesday.

Johns' coach is Brett Sutton, who has stayed behind at his training base in Leysin, Switzerland. He has kept in constant phone contact with Johns and the other athletes he coaches in the Olympic field, including Czech Republic's Jan Rehula, Switzerland's Markus Keller, Australia's Loretta Harrop and Luxembourg's Nancy Kemp-Arendt.

"Andrew's not well," Sutton told triathlonlive.com on Tuesday. "I'd like to think that he will be part of the first pack out of the swim on Saturday. His swimming has improved dramatically this season. But right now he's laid up with the flu, and they're making up their minds whether to take him down with the team."

Johns, the ITU's No. 3-ranked triathlete, won the ITU World Cup at Lausanne on August 12.

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Britain's Julie Dibens won't start Olympic triathlon

September 5, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Julie Dibens, the "third woman" on the British Olympic team for triathlon, will now be watching the September 16 race from the sidelines. The Great Britain squad announced on Monday that Dibens will not start because of a recurring injury.

Greg Millet, the British Triathlon Association's performance director, told David Powell of the London Times, that Dibens had been unable to run for 10 days because of calf trouble.

Millet told Powell: "The last few days of not knowing (if she could compete) have been a nightmare for Julie and, now the decision has been taken, she is relieved."

This is the second time Dibens' dream has been shattered: Formerly a swimmer, she competed in Britain's Olympic trials as a 100-meter backstroker -- only to finish a non-qualifying fifth.

Dibens had landed her place on the GBR team by finishing third in the European Championships on July 8. It was the highlight of a season otherwise blighted by injury-hampered races. Most recently, on August 12, she had dropped out of the ITU World Cup at Lausanne.

Dibens, 25, lives in Houston, Texas, with her new American husband. She had taken a swimming scholarship to Louisiana State University out of the sports-strong Milford Academy. She stayed on in Baton Rouge, through May, 1999, while getting a masters degree.

Her LSU teammate, Becky Gibbs, encouraged her to try triathlons in the summer of 1997. One year later, she was the ITU world age-group champion as a virtual unknown to her Team GBR teammates: They little of this tall woman who lived in Louisiana and showed up to join them in Lausanne for Worlds. Two years later, she achieved Olympic selection -- only to see it give way to injury again.

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Jodie Swallow is headliner for British Champs

September 2, Brighton, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

Loughborough University student Jodie Swallow highlights the field for the British Triathlon Championships Sunday at Brighton.

The first-year triathlete from Brentwood, Essex, has been the sensation of the British season. A former national standout in both swimming and running, she did her first triathlon, a sprint, in Windsor in June. That qualified her for the European Championships, also sprint-distance, which she won with ease on July 7.

Her third race -- and her first over the Olympic-distance was the World University Triathlon Championships on July 30 in Tiszaujvaros, Hungary. There, she shocked every non-believer by winning with a 90-second margin over a field of seasoned internationals. Her fourth race, another win, was the British Junior Championships on August 20 over the Commonwealth Games course.

Swallow's competition will be Heather Williams, last year's champion, and Leanda Cave, who is actually not eligible for the title. Although Cave won last year's event after her entry was contested by another competitor, she had not yet gained her British passport. That happened in February, and Cave still has a few months to go before her one-year wait, per British Triathlon Association rules, allows her eligibility for British teams and titles.

The men's race should be a three-way matchup between Richard Allen, Richard Stannard and Marc Jenkins -- the three who were next-in-the-running for the third Olympic slot that eventually went to Tim Don.

Here's the full elite field:

- Men from England: Richard Allen (Ilkley), Rich Brady (Chippenham), Chris Chamberlin (Salisbury), Stuart Curtis (Avon), Mark Dainty (Bath), Miljan Dojin (Potters Bar), Martyn Edwards (Maindenhead), Daniel Hayes (Twickenham), Stuart Hayes (Twickenham), Rob Joy (Norwich), Mark Laidlow (Cockermouth), Paul Newsome (Bath), Daniel Plews (Halifax), Richard Stannard (Cobham), Craig Twigg (Leicester), Chris Volley (East Cowes), Mark White (Leicester), Kristian Whitmarsh (Benfleet), Steve Yates (Camberley).

- Men from Wales: Stuart Dinwoody (Chippenham), Marc Jenkins (Bridgend), David Haines (Cardiff), Richard Haines (Cardiff), Oliver Simon (Tenby).

- Men from Scotland: Steven Clark (Fife), Kevin Clark (Glasgow), Paul Gallacher (Fife), Jack Maitland (Leeds), Stephen Smith (Inverurie).

- Men from Jersey: James Amy (Jersey), Paul Clements (Jersey).

- Women from England: Karen Andrews (Teddington), Leanda Cave (Gloucester), Jess Harrison (Faringdon), Jodie Swallow (Loughborough), Heather Williams (Cambridge).

- Women from Scotland: Bella Comerford (Tarland), Fiona Lothian (Fife).

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Lessing, London Triathlon strike a $100,000, five-year deal

September 2, London, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

Simon Lessing, the three-time winner of the London Triathlon, is now the race's five-year spokesman.

The celebrated British triathlete -- and favorite for the Olympic gold medal -- has signed a five-year arrangement, worth $100,000, that "ties him to the event."

That means, in the race organization's eyes, that he will be racing for each of those five years. But such contract terminology would presumably allow him the option any of those years to not race -- if he is otherwise around to shake hands or present trophies on the day.

The deal was disclosed in the Times of London by reporter David Powell on Friday. He quotes Michael Smithwick, the race promoter: "We are thrilled that Simon has agreed to come back to the London Triathlon and are excited at the prospect of him lining up as the Olympic champion. I have done a deal with Simon which will probably net him $100,000 over the next five years."

The London Triathlon, in its fourth year at a Docklands site, is scheduled for October 1. Smithwick launched the race with grandiose projections, intending to make it akin to the charity-minded London Marathon.

It has attracted close to 3,000 triathletes, between relays, sprint and Olympic-distance competitors, but has always seemed to have trouble on the day in its execution. Last year's run course, for example, measured about 1500m short of its announced 10k distance.

In the interest of refreshing the event, Smithwick has also brought in a Dutch duathlon specialist, John Raadschelders, as a consultant. Raadschelders' first job is to return from the Sydney Olympics with as much medal-winning triathlon talent he can secure for the race, now just one month away.

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Englishman dies after August 13 race accident

August 22, Cambridge, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

Rob McLean, an experienced Ironman and committee member of the Cambridge Triathlon Club, has died from his injuries after colliding with a parked vehicle during his club's own race on August 13, the Olympic-distance Cambridge Triathlon.

The tragic news was announced Tuesday by the British Triathlon Association, which said: "It is with a sense of deep sadness that the British Triathlon Association received word that one of its members, Robert McLean (48), died on Saturday night as a result of injuries sustained in an accident which occurred during the Cambridge Triathlon on 13 August.

"A member of the Cambridge Triathlon Club, Robert was involved in a collision with a parked vehicle. As a result of the collision he was taken to Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge ,where he was cared for in the intensive care unit. No other person was involved in the accident.

"Robert was an active and valued member of the Cambridge Triathlon Club. He was involved in the organisation of events as well as being a competitor.

"The officers, staff and members of the British Triathlon Association offer their heartfelt condolences to his wife, Lia; his sons, David (17) and Mark (14); and his friends and colleagues from the Cambridge Triathlon Club."

The death is the second since last September within British triathlon racing. A man died of an apparent heart attack during the swim portion of the London Triathlon last year.

McLean, who had represented Great Britain in long-distance age-group racing, hit the stationary car around 9:30 a.m. on the cycle route. The race was called off when news of the accident reached organizers. Once at the hospital, he was unconscious and breathing through a ventilator, with damage to his face, ribs and lungs.

Norman Brook, Chief Executive of the BTA, confirmed that the association would review the circumstances surrounding the accident with the organisers.

"Thankfully the number of serious accidents that have taken place during triathlon competitions in Great Britain is very small," he said. "A tragedy such as this naturally forces us to consider what steps can be taken to provide higher levels of safety at sanctioned events.

"If there are any lessons to be learned from this tragic accident, the association will want to take these on board and to ensure that event organisers do the same. This would be the least we could do for Robert's family and friends."

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Filling Greg Millet's shoes: BTA intends to do it

August 15, Bath, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

Now that Greg Millet, the British Triathlon Association's Performance Director since December 1998, has given notice, the BTA is anxious to fill his position with someone who can take the program even further.

Expecting significant international interest in the position, the BTA has announced the vacancy in time to be having conversations, however casual, with interested individuals in Sydney in the lead-up to the Olympic triathlon, now just one month out.

Millet is leaving his post in favor of his family, which never moved to Bath, back in Montpellier, France. He and his wife are expecting their second child the week of the Olympic triathlon.

The BTA writes in its vacancy notice:

"The British Triathlon Association is seeking to appoint a Performance Director responsible for delivery of the World Class Performance, Potential and Start programmes for the next four years. Reporting to the Chief Executive, the successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring a steady and measurable increase in international success for Great Britain's triathletes.

"Candidates will be expected to show an in-depth understanding of the performance process, as it relates to triathlon, from initial talent identification through to competition at the highest level.

"Applicants should be educated to degree level or equivalent, with excellent communication, strategic and management skills.

"An attractive package is offered for this lottery funded post including salary up to £42,000 depending on qualifications and experience, a company car, pension scheme and medical insurance.

"The post is based in Bath and assistance with relocation expenses will be given if necessary."

"If you wish to be considered for this position, please send your curriculum vitae and a cover letter outlining your suitability to:"

Norman Brook
Chief Executive
British Triathlon Association
PO Box 26
Ashby De La Zouch
Leicestershire
LE65 2ZR

E-mail: information@britishtriathlon.co.uk

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BTA hiring a "Potential Manager", too

August 15, Loughborough, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

In addition to hiring a Performance Director to replace Greg Millet, the British Triathlon Association is also advertising a new position, called "Potential Manager." The notice follows:

"Following the successful submission of a World Class Potential and Start Plan to be funded by Sport England, the British Triathlon Association wishes to appoint a Potential Manager. The successful candidate will report to the Performance Director and will be responsible for delivery of the World Class Potential/Start Plan.

"Candidates will be expected to show an in-depth understanding of the performance process, as it relates to triathlon, from initial talent identification through to junior competition at World and European level.

"Applicants should be educated to degree level or equivalent, with excellent communication, strategic and management skills.

"An attractive package is offered for this lottery funded post including salary up to £25,000 depending on qualifications and experience, a company car, pension scheme and medical insurance.

"The post is based in Loughborough and assistance with relocation expenses will be given if necessary.

"If you wish to be considered for this position, please send your curriculum vitae and a cover letter outlining your suitability to:"

Norman Brook
Chief Executive
British Triathlon Association
PO Box 26
Ashby De La Zouch
Leicestershire
LE65 2ZR

E-mail: information@britishtriathlon.co.uk

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Scotland's Clark takes third national title

August 13, Gullane, Scotland (www.slowtwitch.com):

Scotland's Kevin Clark knew he had more than the usual Scots in the race on Saturday at the Gullane beach, east of Edinburgh. "I wanted to win the title," he said. "But I didn't want to win it by being, say, third overall but the first Scot across the line. I wanted to be first."

The race ended up as the largest Scottish race in years, with half the field of 280 travelling up from England because of the event's British Triathlon Association status as both Grand Prix and a Worlds 2001 qualifier. Not only did Clark beat back the rest of the Scots, but the best of the English, as well as New Zealand's Stephen Sheldrake.

Clark won on the difficult course in 2:04:17, three seconds clear of Clark. Sheldrake, who has joined the Edinburgh Triathletes as he travels through Scotland on his way from Europe across to Ironman Canada, finished third.

Steph Forrester won the women's title in her last big race before the Olympics. Her time, 2:08:40, placed her eighth overall.

Sheldrake built a tremendous lead out of the ocean swim and off the bike, but Clark caught him on the second lap of the run. In winning, he pushed seven-time Scottish champ Jack Maitland back to the bronze-medal position.

"I've lost my title before, but I'll get it back again," said the good-natured, 38-year-old Maitland.

This has been a breakthrough season for Clark, who also won the Scottish duathlon and sprint titles. He and Forrester and several others had just returned from three weeks of intensive altitude training in the French Pyranees under the guidance of new Scottish coach Darren Smith.

(RESULTS)

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British youths get a boost from Sport England

August 11, Bath, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

Young English triathletes will now get more funding and attention than ever before in an unprecedented combination of programs, called World Class Start and Potential.

They will identify and support England's most talented youth and junior triathletes ages 14 to 18 years old. The programs are being financed to the amount of =A3454,120, for the period from this October through March 2002. The award comes via the Lottery Sports Fund.

The news was announced last week by Greg Millet, the British Triathlon Association's Performance Director. It is believed to be the most extensive support for young triathletes anywhere, worldwide.

According to the press release, the aims of the programs are:
-- To increase every year the numbers of juniors reaching a standard of
excellence both in swimming and running;
-- To change the competition structure offered to the triathletes between
14 and 18 years olds, proposing aquathlon and triple super sprints;
-- To establish and maintain an efficient and centralised database, which
will record the data of all multi-sports young athletes;
-- To select and provide support services for a Development Squad;
-- To develop a regional network of training support and competitions.

The funding will allow for -
-- The employment of a Potential Manager and the strengthening of the
current coaching support;
-- Officially launching the Junior High Performance Centre at Loughborough
University in September; .
-- Further recruitment and appointment of a National Junior coach and a
part-time Sports Scientist.
-- Extend the medical screening and coverage for the youths and juniors.

Noted Millet: "In addition to the current World Class Performance Programme funded by UK Sport, this award from Sport England will help secure a brilliant future for the English triathletes. It will take their successes through the Commonwealth Games in Manchester 2002, the Olympic Games in Athens 2004 and beyond."

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BTA's Millet to return to France and family

July 7, Bath, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

Gregoire Millet, the popular Frenchman who is the Performance Director for the British Triathlon Association, has told British athletes and the federation that he will be leaving his position in December.

He will return to Montpellier, France, where his family has remained since he took up his position in December, 1998. He had plans to move his family to Bath, where he has an office at Bath University, but his wife would rather stay in France.

Millet is credited with implementing plans under UK Sports' World Class Performance Plan that resulted in Britain gaining the maximum places, three men and three women, in the Olympics.

Barely one year ago, British women were placed in the mid-pack of countries, with rankings allowing them only two spots in Sydney. It wasn't until mid-September that British women achieved the full allotment. Since, they have maintained the three places with stellar, consistent performances from Steph Forrester, Sian Brice and Michelle Dillon, the last actually winning the ITU World Cup at Noosa last November.

While Forrester and Brice are confirmed for Sydney (along with Andrew Johns and Simon Lessing), Dillon and several other athletes are racing on Saturday - at the Essent European Championships - for the third Olympic slot.

Millet will return to Montpellier University, where he will finish his thesis toward a doctorate in sports science and exercise physiology.

The BTA will formally announce a search to replace Millet in September. "We hope to be talking with potential candidates by the time of Sydney," said BTA chair Mick English. "We also know there are some interested people from our recent search for CEO, ones who would be more suited to be in charge of teams and development."

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Stein to decide third British Olympians

July 5, Stein, Netherlands (www.slowtwitch.com):

If a Brit manages to finish fifth or better in Saturday's European Triathlon Championships, he and/or she wins automatic selection for the third British spot after Andrew Johns and Simon Lessing, and Steph Forrester and Sian Brice.

That puts the pressure particularly on Tim Don and Heather Williams, who had the best races out of the contenders at Windsor on June 18, the first of the Olympic-selection races. The results here at Stein -- where Michelle Dillon has joined the list of contenders -- will count more heavily in the ultimate Olympic selection by Greg Millet, the British Triathlon Association's Performance Director.

Dillon, who won the last World Cup of 1999 in Noosa, has sat out much of the spring season with a foot injury. But she raced well in her first race back on June 18 - just not at Windsor, where meeting the other Olympic contenders, amid all the publicity and pressure, might not have been a positive experience.

Instead, Dillon raced the Swiss Triathlon Championships. She had intended only to swim and bike, then drop out before the run. But she felt strong enough to finish, and took sixth. Two of the Swiss women ahead of her, Magali Messmer and Brigitte McMahon, are Olympians, and a third, Sibylle Matter, is hoping for a top-12 finish at Stein that confirms her Olympic status. The other two, Nicola Spirig and Simone Aschwanden, are juniors.

Back in Windsor, Williams was the top Olympic contender, ahead of Anneliese Heard and Julie Dibens. Twice the ITU world junior champion, the 18-year-old Heard was a latecomer to the BTA's Olympic-selection process. She joined the group under consideration after a successful appeal.

Heard made her first big international impact at this race, the European Championships a year ago in Madeira, Portugal, where she managed an extended breakaway on the bike in the juniors race. She was passed on the run and finished 10th, but her effort was noted by all.

This time, she is bypassing the juniors' sprint-distance race to line up with the elites as she chases her Olympic chances. Heard, Dibens and Sian Brice (who won Windsor) had just returned 36 hours earlier from a BTA-organized altitude-training camp in France.

Dibins was also racing for the first time after an extended injury, and hopes the additional three weeks since Windsor allows her to be 100 percent for Stein. Annie Emmerson, also in the running for the third spot, missed Windsor after twisting an ankle the morning of the race, but will suit up in Stein.

Tim Don won the Windsor race after he got assists from Johns and some others on his Sigma-sponsored team, Stuart Hayes and Anthony Shippard. The group guided Don to the win, while the others hoping to show their Olympic-quality form, particularly Richard Allen and Marc Jenkins, got left behind.

The first step for the men here comes on Thursday, when they race in two sprint-distance qualifying heats. Only the top 25 in each heat move through to Saturday's Olympic-distance finale.

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Bob Welch to do duathlon-directing in New Zealand

June 25, Guernsey, Channel Islands, U.K. (www.slowtwitch.com):

Bob Welsh, who built up the popular Powerman Guernsey duathlon and then gave it over to neighboring Jersey, is leaving the island where he has lived his whole life, for the slightly larger South Island of New Zealand.

The British triathlon community will lose a respected race director in Welsh, 44. After 12 years of directing races on Guernsey, he and his family are moving to Christchurch next week.

"If you're going to leave home, you might as well go the full distance," Welsh told triathlonlive.com. "After living in Guernsey for 44 years, it is time for me to make a change. So New Zealand, here we come.

"I am reliably informed that New Zealand is more than 24 miles all the way around, does not have a problem with too many cars and, as a bonus, has one or two wide open spaces."

Welsh put Guernsey on the multisport map in spite of the island's road restrictions and single-track traffic. The cycle course for the Powerman Guernsey nearly looped around all the island, it is that small.

But Guernsey is also known for its monied residents and corporate citizens, so Powerman Guernsey never lacked for decent sponsorship and prize money. For three years, Credit Suisse provided the £18,000 prize purse (about US$30,000) -- which is far and beyond that of any other British triathlon or duathlon.

"The available sponsorship in Guernsey has meant that we have been able to have good guaranteed prize money for our events -- equal, incidentally, for men and women," Welsh said. "This in turn has attracted top-class athletes in otherwise relatively small fields."

Because of Welsh's imminent move, Powerman Guernsey was abandoned in April in favor of the first-time Powerman Jersey on the neighboring island. Credit Suisse moved its sponsorship over to the new race.

Two more triathlons that Welsh directed, the Olympic-distance Police Triathlon (130 officers from nine countries raced last September), and the Opta Middle-Distance Triathlon, will continue on Guernsey in his absence. Welsh himself has recently retired after 20 years as a Guernsey police officer.

Once in Christchurch, Welsh will immerse himself in race-directing immediately. "Once settled in the Christchurch area, I am back to the endless search for sponsors. We have $10,000 (NZ) lined up for a duathlon (not a Powerman), but another two or three sponsors will be needed to make it an international event."

He leaves with a final word for his Northern Hemispher tri-friends: "To all of you Brits and Europeans that I have met in the past, whether you are an athlete, supporter or sponsor -- good luck for the future. I suppose that life goes on, and only the scenery changes."

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British federation taps Brook from athletics

June 22, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England (www.slowtwitch.com)

The British Triathlon Association made a decision with its general membership in mind when it tapped Norman Brook as its new chief executive on Thursday.

The £45,000 appointment pulls Brook, 45, away from UK Athletics, for which he has been technical director for endurance events since 1997.

Brook was selected above two others for his background in sports management and development. The BTA has been criticized by its own membership in recent years for paying considerable attention to the elite, Olympic-oriented end of the sport at the expense of the needs of its 4,000-strong membership.

Brook was selected from an international applicant pool that exceeded 50.

Brook said: "I am pleased to accept the role of Chief Executive at such an important time in the development of triathlon within Great Britain. Triathlon is now a well-established sport with a broad base of participation and a pool of outstanding talent poised for major games success. The challenges over the next few years will include attracting more young people to triathlon, developing services for our members and ensuring that we remain a world class sport."

Brooks' background involves joining, in 1982, the British Athletics Federation, as its national coach with responsibility for athletics development in Northern Ireland. He moved to work for the Sports Council for Northern Ireland in 1992, and in 1993 established his own consultancy. With that, he worked on sports development and management projects both in the UK and overseas. In 1997, he joined rejoined UK Athletics (UKA), the successor to the BAF.

Brooks will formally join the BTA from July 1. He will be part-time through the Olympics, at which time he will give up all his UK Athletics involvement and move full-time into the BTA role.

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Tim Don stakes his Olympic claim at Windsor

June 19, Windsor, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

Tim Don, the 1998 world junior champion who once thought the 2000 Olympics was beyond his grasp, took a step closer toward gaining the third Olympic spot for the British team by winning the Pepsi Max Royal Windsor Triathlon on Sunday.

Don was in a race-off with the two other contenders for the third spot, Richard Allen and Marc Jenkins. Andrew Johns, who was second to Don on Sunday, and Simon Lessing, who didn't race, have already sescured the British Olympic Association's blessings for Sydney.

In the women's race-off, third-placing Heather Williams surprised the other contenders when she finished behind Sian Brice, already an Olympian, and Leanda Cave, who is not eligible for Sydney.

The Brits in contention have one more chance to prove themselves before Greg Millet, the British Triathlon Association's performance director, makes a final selection. Another with Olympic dreams, Michelle Dillon, didn't even start in Windsor, preferring to race without pressure on the same-day ETU Triathlon Cup in Belgium.

Dillon has been injured recently, and went into the Belgian race actually planning to drop out before the run. With three weeks remaining before the ultimate Olympic selection event, the European Championships at Stein, Netherlands, she still has a shot at a top-5 finish there -- which would mean automatic selection for Sydney for her or anyone else.

Don, second in this race last year, was elated by winning the race that Spencer Smith has won six times. He finished in 1:50:46 to training partner Johns' 1:51:14. Allen (1:52:01) ran into third after coming off the bike well behind them in the second pack.

Williams (2:07:03) was a surprise leader among the contenders, ahead of the more favored Anneliese Heard (2:07:36) and Julie Dibens (2:08:45). "Heather had a good swim, and hit the run hard," said BTA national coach Chris Jones. "She stayed right with Leanda Cave, til Leanda sprinted at the end."

Brice, winning for the second straight year, won in 2:05:38. Cave folowed in 2:06:54, nine seconds clear of Williams.

(RESULTS)

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Windsor Tri means Olympic countdown for Brits

June 14, Windsor, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

Sunday's Pepsi Max Royal Windsor Triathlon is not only Britain's biggest triathlon, with a record 1,600 competitors. It's also the biggest British date on the calendar for a handful of Olympic-hopefuls.

That's because the June 18 event, with a transition area just a few hundred yards from Windsor Castle, is also the first of the Olympic-qualifying races to determine Britain's third male and third female Olympians.

BTA Performance Director Greg Millet's plans for a three-race run-off hit a snag last week, when the second race for the Olympic contenders, the ITU World Cup at Monte Carlo on July 2, was cancelled. He is said to be still looking for a replacement race on that weekend which has the same qualities -- namely, a competitive, international field and drafting.

Four of Britain's six Olympians have already secured their starts in Sydney via their top-25 world rankings: Andrew Johns, Simon Lessing, Steph Forrester and Sian Brice.

The men's race for the third spot is among Richard Allen (No. 79), Craig Ball (No. 90), Tim Don (No. 74) and Marc Jenkins (No. 67), all of whom have top-100 status.

The women's race is down to Julie Dibens (formerly Ricketts, No. 75), Michelle Dillon (No. 47), Annie Emmerson (No. 89), Beth Thomson (No. 91) and Heather Williams (No. 74). However, two of them -- Dillon and Thomson -- have been injured and are not indicated as starters for Sunday. Missing Windsor would put an end to their Olympic hopes.

Here are the elite starters for Windsor, which is also an ITU Points Race:

- Men from Australia: Jan Muhlenberg, Chippy Slater - Men from England: Richard Allen, Craig Ball, Chris Chamberlin, Dan Corner, Tim Don, Stuart Hayes, Andrew Johns, Rob Joy, Mark Laidlow, Paul Newsome, Anthony Shippard, Richard Stannard, Andy Tarry, Craig Twigg, Alun Woodward, Peter Younghusband - Men from France: Cedric Dearet - Men from Ireland: James Amy - Men from Scotland: Kevin Clark, Paul Gallacher, Nigel Leighton - Men from Wales: Marc Jenkins, Oliver Simon - Men from Yugoslavia: Miljan Dojin

- Women from England: Leanda Cave, Julie Dibens, Annie Emmerson, Sara Graham, Jessica Harrison, Joanna Hinde, Stephanie Morris, Vicki Norton, Heather Williams - Women from France: Nathalie Daumas - Women from Scotland: Lesley Paterson - Women from Wales: Sian Brice, Anneliese Heard

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Lessing returns with another win in Marseille

June 5, Marseille, France (www.slowtwitch.com):

Britain's Simon Lessing -- quiet to the world since last September -- showed on Saturday that his eight months' absence from racing hasn't dulled his edge any.

He was a winner by nine seconds over France's Olivier Marceau in the Triathlon International de Marseille. It was the eight time -- starting in 1990 -- that Lessing has won that race.

Four times the world triathlon champion, Lessing hadn't done a thing, triathlon-wise, since last September. He was last seen getting second in the ITU World Triathlon Championships in Montreal, when Dimitry Gaag surprised him at the line and took away his title. While everyone else around the world was chasing Olympic-qualifying points from January onward, and entering the two headliner events of April, the ITU World Cup in Sydney and Worlds in Perth, Lessing was having no part of the ITU circuit.

Instead, he was focusing on his training, as well as on a major change of locales, from France to Britain.

After Lessing and his American wife, Lisa, returned from warm-weather training in South Africa, they moved to a small village outside of Bath, England. One might think that moving away from Salon de Provence, the French coastal town that has been his home and training venue for the last 10 years, might be a drastic move -- changing everything so familiar to him, so close to the Olympics. He is, after all, the favorite to win the gold medal.

But, he says, it's all for the better -- except for the rainy, often-miserable weather.

He explains the changes this way: "In the past few years I have found myself more and more isolated in Salon. Although the summer weather was great, I really have not had any athletes to train with. The structure and facilities were not good, as the local council do not have a great interest in sport.

"I was faced with a decision of, do I stay in Salon just because I was used to being there, or do I try and find a better environment to train?"

Lessing chose Bath because the British Triathlon Association has developed a national performance center at Bath University. In addition to working with structured coaches and programs, Lessing can find additional workouts with a running group that goes along the Bath Avon Canal. The cycling in the area is hilly, but there is also a group that has welcomed him and meets weekly for criterium-style sessions.

On a personal level, he says, both he and Lisa have some good friends in the Bath area. "Bath was the natural selection for us," he said. "Lisa is hoping to do some work here (massage), something she could not do in France. We are now also appreciating the fact that we can go to the movies, theater, etc., and understand what is going on!"

The only downside to his Olympic preparation, he says, is the weather: He says he has never lived in a place where it rains so much. On the brighter side, he adds: "A good way to look at it is that it could be cold and wet in Sydney."

(RESULTS)

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Nice to be van der Marel's farewell

June 2, Nieuwkoop, Netherlands (www.slowtwitch.com):

Jan van der Marel, one of the Netherlands' best Ironman racers, is retiring -- and the Nice Triathlon on June 18 will be his final race.

He had intended to race the Dutch Middle-Distance Championships in Nieuwkoop, his hometown, last Sunday, but that event was cancelled by stormy weather. The Dutch Triathlon Federation asked him to consider racing once more in Dutch colors, at the ITU World Long-Distance Triathlon Championships at Nice. He accepted.

In spite of the bad weather last weekend, van der Marel was decorated with honors by the mayor of Nieuwkoop on behalf of Queen Beatrix.

He leaves the sport after 12 years with numerous victories: European Long-Distance Championships, World Games, European University Championships, Powerman Holland, variuos national titles for duathlon and wintertriathlon). He was twice the winner of the Ironman-distance Almere Triathlon (1999, 1998), and was its runner-up in 1997.

Van der Marel's retirement will allow him more time with his wife, Brigitte, and their two-months-old son, Bram.

Noted Wim van den Broeck, a Dutch announcer: "Thank you, Jan, for the beautiful years you gave to your sport!".

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Clydesdales make for a big gathering in Windsor

May 26, Windsor, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

The Pepsi Max Royal Windsor Triathlon has traditionally drawn some of the biggest names in triathlon, such as six-time winner Spencer Smith. But this edition of the race, on June 18, promises to be filled with some of the biggest -- and most untraditional -- triathletes.

That's because it's the venue for the 2000 Clydesdale Triathlon World Championships, the first-ever official world championships -- approved by the ITU -- for the growing movement in the sport to include divisions based on triathletes' weights.

That is, if you're heavier than the usual, willow-bodied triathlete, you'll more enjoy competing against others your own size. As a result of the movement that started in America and has now spread into Europe, about 100 larger triathletes will race in their own wave among the Windsor regulars (who number about 1,300 themselves).

Guy East, the Indiana-based founder of the Clydesdale association, raced in Windsor last year with the idea of bringing the Clydesdale concept to Britain, as well as, for 2000, the first Clydesdale World Championships. When the local media learned East was racing, the local London media loved the idea of heavier-than-usual triathletes going the Olympic distance. Now that the first World Champs have settled in Windsor, some names even bigger than East's in the world of Clydesdale-racing are heading there, too:

- Daryl Haley, "the largest triathlete in the world," will be competing in the 300 pound class. - Judy Molnar, Rosie O'Donnell's Chub Club coach mentor and a 1999 Hawaii Ironman finisher, will be there both competing and signing copies of her new book. - John Cannon, "the fastest largest man alive" (at a slim 6'5" 235lbs), will be aiming for a sub-2 hour, 10 minutes performance. - Kevin Kelley, at 6-4 and 207 pounds, hopes to break 2 hours. - Jill Riblett, the fastest American Lady Clydesdale, recently qualified for the Worlds at St.Anthony's Triathlon in Florida with a 2hr13min time, to claim the title.

Within the Windsor Triathlon, the Clydesdale division will run independently from the age-group race. They'll have their own $5000 prize list, as well as $10,000 worth of titanium bicycles.

The triathlon race is one of several sports within the Clydesdale World Games, which even includes golf in Scotland.

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British Triathlon narrows CEO field

May 19, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

Seven candidates for the Chief Executive Officer's position with the British Triathlon Association -- which pays £45,000, or about US$75,000 -- are being notified today of their short-listed status.

The lucky seven survived an initial applicant pool of 51. The cut-off date to apply was April 30. BTA is replacing Graham Schuil-Brewer, the former acting CEO who terminated his contract early and has now relocated to France.

The job announcement drew candidates from Britain and as far as New Zealand (2), Australia (1), Canada (1) and Saudi Arabia (1). There were no applicants from the United States or from the rest of Europe.

"We certainly drew a lot more applicants than we expected," said Mick English, the BTA chairman. "We had some very good people apply, and it was hard work to whittle it down to the seven."

The seven will be interviewed on June 3 at the BTA headquarters. From there, four of them will be interviewed in the final round on June 12.

A committee of four will conduct the interviews: English; Sarah Springman of UK Sport (and a BTA honorary president); Joe Patton, also of UK Sport; and either Graeme Kempson or Adem Mehmet, both of whom sit as BTA directors.

A selection by mid-June would mean the new CEO is likely to be in place in time for the Sydney Olympics. "Most of the seven have indicated they would need about three months before joining us, and a few have said they wouldn't need as long," English. "We would certainly like to have someone on board before Sydney."

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Lothian leads Scotland to another Home Nations win

May 14, Dublin, Ireland (www.slowtwitch.com):

Fiona Lothian, Scotland's world-class duathlete, was the first woman in Sunday's Home Nations Duathlon, helping Scotland win a close championship from England in the four-country team event.

Duathletes covered 7k run, 30k bike, 3.5k run in teams of eight (two senior men, two senior women, one junior man, one junior woman, one vet man, one vet woman). Scotland and England had tied with 16 points (lowest score wins, cross country-style), but Scotland took the trophy after the tie-breaking calculation of adding up times. Scotland's duathletes covered the course 4:58 faster than England's.

Wales, 31 points, and Ireland, 29 points, filled out the team scoring.

Wales' Richard Jones was the individual winner, topping Irish newcomer Mark McDowell. Winning Scotland then got a 3-4 boost in Kevin Clarke and Jack Maitland. Jones had also won the 1999 Home Nations Triathlon race at the Isle of Man last August.

The Home Nations teams race each other twice a season at venues that rotate among the countries. On July 22 at Dundee, Scotland hosts the next Home Nations Triathlon.

(RESULTS)

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Simon Lessing skipping the Worlds

April 20, Bath, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

Simon Lessing, four times the world champion and the runner-up in 1999, will miss the ITU World Triathlon Championships entirely as he sticks to his long-established racing plan for 2000.

The British Triathlon Association announced its squad for Perth today, and Lessing wasn’t on it. But that’s little surprise to anyone in Britain, many well aware that Lessing is bypassing Worlds in order to focus entirely on doing well at the Sydney Olympics in September.

Even without Lessing, the Brits are sending a scaled-back squad to Perth for the April 30 race. Andrew Johns, the world No. 3, and Richard Allen are the only British men in the elite race. Just four senior women -- Sian Brice, Steph Forrester, Michelle Dillon and Heather Williams -- will line up as well.

Two more women who might have started in Perth, Beth Thomson and Julie Dibens (formerly Julie Ricketts), are currently injured.

Greg Millet, the BTA’s Performance Director, explains the British team make-up this way: “For Great Britain, Worlds is not such an important target as in previous years. This is due to a couple of factors.

“First is the change of date in the calendar year due to the Olympics in September. Obviously such an early date for the competition, is not so convenient for all the European athletes.

“And secondly, the 2000 season is an "everything for Sydney” season. That means that having the athletes peak so early could be detrimental to their Olympic preparation.”

If the current world rankings are not too upset by the results of the last four points events, including Worlds, before the ITU’s May 1 cutoffs, the BTA expects to have four of its six Olympians determined automatically. Any Brit with a top-25 ranking is an automatic selection - and that would likely include Johns, Lessing (currently No. 6), Forrester (No. 11) and Brice (No. 16).

The remaining male and female Olympian would be determined after three specific races -- the Windsor Triathlon (June 18), the ITU World Cup at Monte Carlo (July 2) and the European Championships (July 8). Brits with rankings in the top-100 are invited to race in those.

Eligible athletes for the Olympic race-off are likely to be - for women - Dillon (No. 45), Dibens (No. 70), Williams (No. 80), Annie Emmerson (No. 86) and Thomson (No. 88). For men, those vying for the one remaining place include Tim Don (No. 70), Allen (No. 76), Marc Jenkins (No. 81) and Craig Ball (No. 98). Richard Stannard (No. 120) is racing in two ITU Points Races -- in Portugal on April 24, and in St. Petersburg, Florida on April 29 -- in an effort to gain points and become eligible.

Back in Perth, the BTA will have one man (Eliot Challifour) and four women (Kerrie Cloke, Catherine Hare, Lesley Paterson and Anneliese Heard) in the juniors races. Heard, of Wales, is the defending champion.

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British, Kiwi feds both without their competent PR workers

April 18, Perth, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

As the Olympic angle sharpens in the 150 days remaining to the Olympic Games, the triathlon federations in both Great Britain and New Zealand are both minus the public relations officers who helped gain them visibility thus far.

In Britain, the British Triathlon Association lost Hannah Skinner, who had worked as paid staff in the federation’s office since last August. In New Zealand, Triathlon New Zealand is now forging forward without the services of Ian Hepenstall, who resigned recently from his longtime volunteer role.

Both countries are likely to end up with the full complement of three men, three women, when the ITU announces Olympic slot allotments on May 1. (The New Zealand women are currently credited with two, but once the ITU’s computer recognizes Rina Hill as racing for New Zealand rather than Australia, the New Zealand women should end up with three places).

Hepenstall stepped down from his position when it became clear that Tri New Zealand would not be sending him to either the Sydney World Cup or the Perth World Championships. “We even had the offer of live radio coverage,” Hepenstall. “I was also criticized for the work I was doing voluntarily -- and I didn’t need that. We’ve parted ways -- although I am disappointed that the PR profile has stopped for the athletes.”

Not that getting sent to the pair of races pivotal for determining a country’s Olympic team is an outrageous request: The Swiss federation has paid for Reinhard Standke, its longtime -- and volunteer -- public relations officer -- to accompany its team in its pre-Olympic trip to Australia.

The loss of Skinner for the BTA is more of a mystery. She, too, had been criticized recently for not keeping up with pace of press releases, just when the British and World Cup seasons were starting. But no one expected her to suddenly quit, which is what happened a week ago Monday.

In her eight months with the BTA, Skinner had positioned triathlon extremely well within London’s mainstream media. She was the BTA’s first full-time public relations officer. From the outside, she was a tremendous asset to the federation. It is already operating short-handed these days, given the recent (and also unexpected) resignation of its active executive, Graham Schuil-Brewer.

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Scottish Triathlon taps Australia’s Smith

March 10, Stirling, Scotland (www.slowtwitch.com):

Australian coach Darren Smith -- advisor to Olympic-hopeful Jackie Gallagher for the last year -- is changing continents: the Scottish Triathlon Association has given him a four-year appointment as its national coach.

The news was announced on Thursday by STA president Alistair Paterson. "Darren Smith is our man," Paterson said. "This is an extremely exciting time for triathlon, and for Scottish triathlon in particular.

"With tremendous support from SportScotland, we were able to advertise this post on a world-wide basis. This culminated
last weekend (March 4-5) with interviews, and also hands-on coaching sessions with our national squads. The four candidates were of true world-class standard. We are delighted to announce the appointment of Darren Smith as our new National High Performance Coach."

There were 19 applicants for the £30,000-a-year position, which is likely to be based at the Scottish Institute for Sport at Stirling University. Applications came from Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, England, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Scotland, Ukraine and the USA. The three other finalists were Canada’s Lance Watson, England’s Julian Goater and Scotland’s Fiona Lothian.

Smith, a former physiologist at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, has been manager of the triathlon program at the Queensland Academy of Sport since 1998.

"Although I have a great job in Australia as the program manger for the QAS triathlon squad, and work with great athletes and super coaches here, I feel that it is time for a new challenge," Smith said. "I have set up the QAS program over the past two years and so far it has been extremely successful"

Some of the athletes working within the Queensland program are Marc Lees, world junior champion Courtney Atkinson, Luke Harrop, Ryan Carter, Levi Maxwell, Josie Loane and Annabel Luxford. Both Leanda Cave and Jane Kargotich were previously associated with the academy, and Jackie Gallagher, the 1999 Worlds silver medalist, has been working with him for the past year.

In Stirling, Smith will work to develop a "triathlon center of excellence." Already there is a sports science lab, indoor pool, gym, running machines, cinder running track, cross country trails and cycling routes through the Scottish countryside.

Some of the Scottish talent he will be working with -- with the Commonwealth Games in mind -- includes Steph Forrester, already an established Olympic hopeful, and Scottish sprint champion Karen Gordon, plus some younger, rising triathletes such as Nigel Leighton and Lesley Paterson. Additionally, Beth Thomson - the former Australian-turned-Brit - has Scottish roots, but she hasn't yet made any declarations for Scotland yet.

Smith, 33, intends to return to Scotland for two months or so in May, after the April 29-30 World Championships in Perth. The official appointment won’t start until September, after the Olympics. He will also spend several weeks this summer fine-tuning the Olympic preparation of Jackie Gallagher.

Smith’s term will include triathlon's debut as a full
Commonwealth Games event at Manchester in 2002.

"We already have some world-class Scottish athletes," Paterson said. "This should leave the rest of the world in no doubt that Scotland will be a major force in triathlon in the years ahead."

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British Triathlon website now online

February 8, Ashby-de-la-Zouche, Leicester, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

The British Triathlon Association's long-awaited website has now gone live.

Triathletes can find everything BTA-related there, including the dates for the Grand Prix Series. Both elites and age-groupers use the races to determine end-of-season rankings. The 2000 Grand Prix dates, now finalized:

June 4: Terrapin Sprint Triathlon, Market Bosworth

June 18: PepsiMax Royal Windsor Triathlon
(The race is also a qualifier for the 2001 World Age Group Triathlon
Championships, the World Clydesdale Championships, an elite qualifier
for the 2000 Olympics and an ITU Points Race).

July 8: Pembrokeshire Triathlon, Fishguard, Wales

August 12: Gullane Triathlon, East Lothian, Scotland
(The race is also the Scottish National Championships and a British
qualifier for the 2001 World Age Group Triathlon Championships).

August 20: Salford Triathlon, Salford Quays, Manchester
(This is a course-rester for the 2002 Commonwealth Games).

September 10: Cotswold Sprint Triathlon, Cotswold Water Park, Swindon.

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Windsor becomes ITU Points Race

February 4, Windsor, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

The Pepsi Max Royal Windsor Triathlon -- known locally as Spencer Smith’s favorite race -- will be an ITU Points Race for the second straight year. It’s June 18, but Smith, its six-time winner, won’t be there: He’s turned his back on triathlon for pro cycling.

But all the rest of the Brits well, as Windsor has also been designated as the only British race the British Triathlon Association is using an an Olympic-qualifier. Three men and three women will be named as Olympians after the races at Windsor, Monte Carlo on July 2 (an ITU World Cup) and Stein, Netherlands on July 8 (the European Championships).

Last year’s prize money was £5000, or about US$8,500. It is expected to be similar this year. Last year’s field was purely British for the top-10 men and women both, although race director John Lunt hopes this next race will draw some elites from beyond Britain.

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Another Aussie becomes a Brit

February 3, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicester, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

Queensland's Leanda Cave, the Australian who caused a stir by entering and winning the British Triathlon Championships at Brighton, England, last September, is now a true Brit.

The British Triathlon Association on Thursday announced that she was being welcomed to compete in British colors after her paperwork was finalized. But this "late transfer" -- two years after four other Aussies joined the GBR ranks -- is not because she is making a run at the 2000 Olympics.

"After stewing about joining GB for almost two years now, I have made the ultimate decision," Cave said earlier this week. "Perhaps if I joined when the thought first crossed my mind, I may have been in contention for the Olympics, but this is not the case.

"The reasons for such changes occur not for a start at the Olympics, but rather for securing a start at ITU events, and possibly World Championships in the years to come. I have experienced -- since reaching the professional ranks in Australia (after being one of Australia's top juniors for some years) -- a
dramatic downward spiral in support from my ex-association (Triathlon Australia).

"There, getting a start in important events became only for those who have a large sum of ITU points. If you are like me -- with the exception of Nici Hackett (who is doing exceptionally well) -- you are not assisted in any way, shape or form. It is very disheartening to find out that, after requesting a start in an ITU event, you are declined -- but those who have the points and are given a start, don't even turn up to the race."

Cave gained the respect of most of the British girls when she turned up to the British Championships last fall. She won the race, although she wasn't eligible for the title.

She won't be eligible for the 2000 title either, nor can she represent Britain in the European Championships at Stein, Netherlands, in July. But she will be able to race for GBR in ITU World Cup events in 2000 -- but not in the 2000 ITU World Championships. The exclusions -- including consideration for the 2000 Olympic team -- are the result of a new BTA policy.

That is, when another international athletes with the 2000 Olympics in mind inquired about joining the GBR group last winter, the BTA decided that any athlete must effectively wait out a year before becoming eligible for team perks. That includes gaining Lottery funding, should they be good enough for being considered for the World Class Performance Plan.

Continued Cave: "(The BTA) give the athletes a lot more support verbally and financially, with A and B class funding. They are also a great bunch of girls who I will be racing with."

Added Chris Jones, the BTA's national coach: "It's great to have Leanda on board. We will certainly watch with interest over the coming months how she performs alongside the rest of the women's squad. We wish her all the best for the forthcoming race season."

Cave, who raced last season for a German club, was born in Louth, England. She has a British passport, and she migrated with her family to Australia when she was four. Once settled in England, she plans on living in Nailswoth, Gloustester, with her uncle.

She is currently ranked No. 66 with the ITU, and had finished seventh in the ITU Junior World Triathlon Championships in 1998. She had three ITU World Cup starts for Australia in 1999, finishing 32nd in Tiszaujvaros, 28th in Lausanne and 12th in Noosa.

The four Aussies-turned-Brits who preceded Cave are Andrew Johns (now ranked No. 3); Chris Lee (now ranked No. 232); Michelle Dillon (now ranked No. 36); and Beth Thomson (now ranked No. 79).

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London World Cup for 2001, not 2000

January 26, London, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

How the London World Cup ever came to be announced by the ITU for the 2000 schedule is a closely-held secret: Not even the host British Triathlon Association is taking credit for that one.

But, for everyone who imagined that London would be hosting the first post-Olympics World Cup, and possibly showcasing a local medal winner or two out of Sydney, think again: That won't happen.

That's because the date -- oddly announced for October 16, 2000, a Monday! -- is really supposed to be for October 16, 2001 -- a Sunday. There are only about 12 months difference between the two dates. BTA insiders suggest it was more than just a typo that accounted for the misfire.

That makes more sense, but it is still unclear why the BTA never managed to put the date right for any misguided media since it was initially announced in December. Now, we know, thanks to an embarrassing clarification on the ITU website.

So put it on your calendars, triathletes: There will be a World Cup in
London's Hyde Park on October 16, 2001

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British eyes all on Windsor

January 19, Windsor, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

The Pepsi Max Royal Windsor Triathlon on June 18 has been selected as the only British race that will serve as a qualifier for British Olympians.

Gregoire Millet, the British Triathlon Association's Performance Director, specified that results based on Windsor on June 18; the ITU World Cup at Monte Carlo on July 2; and the European Triathlon Championships in Stein, Netherlands, on July 8, will determine the final members of the BTA's squad. It is expected that there will be three male and three female British qualifiers, per the ITU formula.

British triathletes are striving to rank among the ITU's top-25 as of May 1 in order to gain automatic selection. Those who fall outside of that, yet within the ITU's top-100, are expected to line up for the race-off -- with their best two of three performances to count.

The best triathlete in these three races will be selected for the third British place in the Olympics if he or she achieves at least one top-5 finish in one of the three races. The ITU points scheme will be used for calculation of points.

Currently, the top-ranking British athletes are Andrew Johns (No. 3), Simon Lessing (No. 6), Marc Jenkins (No. 62) and Tim Don (No. 64). Sian Brice (No. 16) leads the women, followed by Steph Forrester (No. 27), Michelle Dillon (No. 36), Julie Ricketts (No. 61), Annie Emmerson (No. 78) and Beth Thomson (No. 79).

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He's now Simon Lessing, MBE

December 31, London, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

Even before the Queen announced the 2000 British citizens included on her New Year's Honours List for 2000, the sport of triathlon knew it had something special in Simon Lessing. Not only is he a very gentlemanly representative of the sport that makes its Olympic debut in 2000; he is also a four-time world champion and, as such, a gold-medal favourite in Sydney in September.

Simon Lessing added one more credential to his name, an MBE distinction. He is now formally Simon Lessing, Member of the British Empire.

The annual list includes recipients from all segments of society, in particular "the great and the good, captains of industry, stars of entertainment and sport, and ordinary people rewarded for years of loyal public service."

Lessing's mention for MBE reads, under:

DIPLOMATIC SERVICE AND OVERSEAS LIST
Simon Lessing, For services to triathlon.

The full list may be found here

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Commonwealth Games triathlon in 2002 to John Lunt

December 30, Salford, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

John Lunt's company, Human Race Events, has been awarded the contract to produce the triathlon event for the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, the British Triathlon Association has announced.

Human Race has also secured the contract for two 'lead-up events,' in the summers of 2000 and 2001, as well.

"The BTA (as well as the ITU) has an involvement in the organisation of the event," said the BTA's Graeme Kempson. "The BTA would like the venue to continue hosting a major race for many years, as we have too few of them in the North of the Country. Such a high-profile race can only aid the development of our sport in this region.

The tender process has resulted in John Lunt's Human Race Events company being appointed as organisers. This will cover the initial period of three years, but will probably continue, given the support that Salford City brings to the sport.

Salford Quays is the venue for the Commonwealth Games triathlon ~ 1,500 open water swim, 40km bike and 10km run ~ scheduled to take place on 28 July 2002. John Lunt, Jasmine Flatters and the Human Race team bring their experienced race crew to the race

"We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to organise such a prestigious event as the Commonwealth Games Triathlon," said race director, Jasmine Flatters. "The whole Human Race crew is looking forward to the challenge ahead."

John Lunt, of Human Race, commented: "Our aim is to ensure that triathlon will take centre stage at the Commonwealth Games in 2002. In the meantime, for 2000 and 2001, the race will focus on both the British elite and the age-groupers."

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Scottish Triathlon Association seeks full-time, four-year coach

December 15, Stirling, Scotland (www.slowtwitch.com):

The Scottish Triathlon Association today announced that it will appoint a National High Performance Coach for a four-year contract. Advertisements have been placed in the triathlon press and on the Internet.

The position is funded by Sport Scotland and the contract will run for four years. It will be full-time, paying a salary of about £30,000 per annum and is likely to be based at the Scottish Institute for Sport at Stirling University.

The likely salary and contract term reflect the strong commitment that Sport Scotland has for Triathlon, how it is organised and governed in Scotland, and Scotland's strong position in Home International and Commonwealth terms. Sport Scotland has also supported Scottish Triathlon's
four-year development plan with this appointment.

The start of the contract term will coincide with triathlon's debut at the forthcoming Olympic Games. It will include triathlon's debut as a full Commonwealth Games event at Manchester in 2002. This term therefore falls during a crucial time in Scottish Triathlon development.

Scottish Triathlon Association president Alistair Paterson said today:

"This is a tremendously exciting time for Scottish Triathlon and we are delighted to receive this support from the Lottery Fund and SportScotland. We already have some world-class Scottish athletes. This should leave the rest of the world in no doubt that Scotland will be a major force in Triathlon in the years ahead."

For further details of the post, please contact:
Jacqueline Dunlop (mailto:jacqui.dunlop@btinternet.com)
Glenearn Secretarial
Glenearn Cottage
Edinburgh Road
Port Seton, EH32 0HQ
United Kingdom

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Sian Brice, Simon Lessing are Britain's "Triathletes of the Year"

November 6, Ashby-de-la-Zouche, England (www.slowtwitch.com):

Sian Brice and Simon Lessing were voted Triathletes of the Year" by the British Triathlon Association, which announced the honors at its Annual General Meeting.

In other meeting details, the new board of directors was announced: Dave Bellingham replaces Phil Templer as vice-chair. Ron Thorne, Adem Mehmet and Graeme Kempson join Steve Trew and Val Hill on the board of directors. Mick English remains as chair, and Graham Schuil-Brewer as acting chief executive until the formal appointment early in the new year.

The BTA also noted that the most significant improvement in '99 was the Performance Unit under Greg Millet at Bath University and now receiving Lottery funding, which has made such an impact for many of the British athletes.

Additionally, after reports on the sport's progress in '99 -- in all areas,including extra staff for the BTA -- the AGM approved a new business structure for 2000.

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Ron McKnight is the Irish Triathlon Association's new president

November 6, Dublin, Ireland (www.slowtwitch.com):

Ron McKnight was elected president of the Irish Triathlon Association, replacing Peter Jack who moves on to the task of organizing the Ironman-distance Ireman on July 29, 2000.

The rest of the ITA board's lineup is Aidan Lundy, treasurer; Susan Burns, secretary; Dave Madigan, membership secretary; and Eoin O'Connell, public relations office. Keith Burns is still in charge of coaching, Ann Cairns is still in charge of junior development and Eddy Lane is in charge of the ITA's Olympic Council representation.

In relation to the ITA's annual awards, Liz Hussey received Newcomer of the Year honors; Gary Scully got Best Junior of the Year; Trevor Woods was Best Male Athlete; and Ann Paul was Best Female Athlete. The Best Event of the Year went to the Dublin Triathlon in Phoenix Park, organised by the Bellpark Club.

The Home Nations Duathlon Championships for the year 2000 will be organised by the hard-working Bellpark Club on 14th May for Dublin.