Slowtwitch interview with Rob Barel

Conducted 4.10.01,
by Slowtwitch editor Amy White


INTRO: The great Dutch triathlete Rob Barel retired from competition after the Olympics, at age 42. He qualified at the close of a career that spanned 18 years and covered the arc of triathlon’s developing story. And they were successful years—years that included a world championship, earned at Nice (one of three wins there), two fourth-place finishes at the Hawaii Ironman, national championships and European championships.

Born in Amsterdam, he first came to triathlon through swimming—a sport he began at age 9. "I started swimming because my parents had a boat and I had problems learning to swim," he said. "In the year before I was dragged from one class to the other with no sign of improvement at all. It nevertheless brings back good memories because I was in a position to blackmail my folks for sweets and little gifts. I only started to look at other sports when my teammates started calling me grandpa 15 years later."

He first considered triathlon when he met a group preparing for the Hawaii Ironman in 1982. "I thought it was ridiculous," he said, "until I found out Dave Scott and the Puntous twins were winning this gruesome event year after year without any sign of ruining their health."

He attended the Free University of Amsterdam, earning a master’s degree in biology and specializing in vegetation ecology and plant physiology.

"When I graduated in 1984 I was already hooked on triathlon but had no idea it could be a professional sport," he said. "After working for two years, Cora [Mulder, Barel’s wife] and I thought it would be fun to travel the world a little and do some international races. We added one year, two years, and now it’s 16 years later. I thoroughly enjoyed it."

Barel’s now working as a marketing consultant, coaching in various capacities and—surprise—still racing and training, albeit in a more low-key fashion.

Slowtwitch asked him to kick back in his chair and reminisce with us about his years in the sport, the things he’s seen and done, and what his future holds. His has been a fascinating journey that began in the early days of our sport and continued through its Olympic debut. We hope you enjoy learning more about his remarkable story.

SLOWTWITCH: You retired after the Olympics, closing out an amazing career in a sport that was very young when you began competing. I'm sure there were many high points—can you tell us about a few of them? Please tell us about your favorite races, training memories, anything you like.

ROB BAREL: First of all I wasn’t that young—24—when I did my first triathlon. But the fact we had to wait five minutes between each leg shows the lack of experience and the health concern in this new sport. My favorite races are first of all Nice, where I started 13 times and finished mostly second behind Mark Allen. Then there is this beautiful race in Schliersee in German Bavaria. And thirdly the Island Hopping Triathlon of Vinkeveen in Holland, where you swim from one island to the other, run the length of each island until you have completed the full circle of seven islands to finish off with a bike ride.

Other memories are my first training camp where I bonked halfway through a bike ride and took a nap by the side of the road until my worried teammates came back to find me there, thinking something tragic happened to me. Or my first trip to San Diego in 1985 where every training turned out to be a competition, and I discovered that I could compete with the Big Four [Scott Tinley, Dave Scott, Scott Molina, Mark Allen]. My first swim in Hawaii: After I just managed to find the balloons marking the turnaround, I discovered a couple of fins moving through the ocean between me and the shore. After skipping about ten heartbeats I realized the fins belonged to dolphins. And later, during the race, the thrill of first seeing a giant ray swimming slowly underneath us and shortly after that realizing I was swimming next to swim cap number one, the legendary Dave Scott. From that moment I knew was going to stay in this sport as long as I possibly could.

SLOWTWITCH: You were the only member of the powerful group of elite triathletes of the 1980s and '90s—Tinley, Molina, Scott, and Allen—to extend your career to include the Olympics. That's a remarkable achievement in itself. Please tell us a little bit about your experiences in Sydney.

ROB BAREL: Qualifying for the Olympics at age 42 was the hardest thing in my career. I was kicked out of the national team in 1997. Fought my way back in in 1998 and could only start gathering points in 1999. By January 2000 I had only barely made it to the top 100. Then came Chile, Rio and Hawaii, which gave me enough points to qualify. But even if I hadn’t made it, the road toward it was already a great experience. Traveling the world for training camps and qualifying races with a team and meeting the same crowd of athletes all the time was very rewarding.

Then, Sydney was by far the most impressive race I’ve ever been in. Of course I was equally impressed when racing for the first time in Hawaii and Nice, but my standards have changed considerably since then. The result was a bit of a disappointment, but the whole atmosphere of the Best Games Ever offered more than enough compensation for that. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything in the world.

SLOWTWITCH: What were your proudest moments in the sport?

ROB BAREL: Hard question. Winning the World Championships in Nice in 1994 would be the most likely choice, also because I realized that a whole new generation was about to take over the sport and I wasn’t going to get much better at age 36. Before that year, I was always looking ahead after each race. Never took time to enjoy or celebrate a victory. There I learned to look back on my career and enjoy what I had achieved more than continuing to fight for improvement and recognition.

SLOWTWITCH: What is it about triathlon that kept you interested over the years? Is there a Rob Barel philosophy about multisport, and would you share it with us?

ROB BAREL: Getting recognition, traveling and making a decent living all helped to continue, but what got me started and what keeps me going even now is the love for working out, being close to nature and staying fit and healthy.

SLOWTWITCH: You competed as a professional in a sport that was in a nearly constant state of evolution: Everything from the competitive rules to the equipment was revolutionized during that time. Which changes would you say have been most positive, and where do you think the sport may have taken a wrong turn? Where do you see the sport headed in the next 20 years?

ROB BAREL: I don’t believe that the term "wrong turn" is in place. Obviously you’re implying that allowing drafting could be a wrong turn, but I think it was a necessary step in the evolution of our sport. If there is a "wrong turn" at all, it would be the assumption [about] traditions in this sport or that this is our final format. Triathlon should keep evolving: Grand Prix formats, indoor triathlons, XTerra, team time trials, etc. are options to keep this sport alive in the future. My favorite is the XTerra format.

SLOWTWITCH: You enjoyed remarkable consistency over your career, competing in the Olympics at 42 and winning Nice at 40. What do you think enabled you to have such a consistent career? What kind of advice would you give someone just turning pro this year?

ROB BAREL: Always believe in long-term goals and allow yourself a second chance. Try and feel the difference between fatigue and being lazy. Usually it is fatigue and you have earned a day off.

SLOWTWITCH: While you may be retired from triathlon, I understand that you are not retired from sport altogether. In fact, I hear you are now racing your mountain bike. Can you tell us a little bit about that? What attracts you to mountain biking? Is there any chance that we will see you at some XTerra races this year?

ROB BAREL: It’s impossible to retire from sport. I’m just trying to protect my health and sanity. Stop competing with younger and stronger athletes and pushing my body to the limit because I’m so used to being in contention for victory. Racing mountain bikes is another passion of mine, and this way it’s easier to accept racing in the middle of the pack. Also, I will do some sailing competitions with a friend. And finally, I will compete in the Terri Holland Triathlon on August 18.

SLOWTWITCH: Are you doing anything else related to sport? Are you coaching anyone?

ROB BAREL: I'm coaching one other triathlete, Huib Rost, a member of our national team. I'm also coaching the swim sessions of our local triathlon club and I’m a member of our national Athletes Commission, advising our Olympic Committee about athletes’ affairs.

SLOWTWITCH: Finally, please tell us a little bit about what you're doing for fun these days with your family.

ROB BAREL: In general I'm just spending a lot more time with family and friends, but also I've come to realize that life has become a lot more chaotic. I've no fixed goals and single priorities, but instead a lot more things to do. Between the fixed activities I try to keep my agenda as open as possible and let things happen as they come. And enjoying every minute of it.