Record Number Of Triathletes For Gold Coast Race Weekend

Posted in Other News

Triathlon Australia, December 12, 2013: A record number of Australia’s finest young triathletes will roll up to the Gold Coast tomorrow for Triathlon Australia’s three-day Super Sprint Race Weekend at Runaway Bay.

Organisers – Triathlon Australia in conjunction with Triathlon Queensland - have been buoyed with the record 200 entries, covering every State in Australia for the 2013 Super Sprint Race Weekend at the Sports Super Centre.

The event is open to athletes between the age of 13 and 19 – 13-15 (ITU Youth) and 16-19 (ITU Junior) some who have already represented Australia at the ITU World Championships and have their sights set on next year’s World’s in Edmonton.

The annual Super Sprint Race Weekend will incorporate the first round of the 2014 Scody Australian Junior Triathlon Series which will also take in rounds in Penrith (NSW), Brighton (VIC) and Devonport (TAS).

The unique three-day event will start to unfold tomorrow from 10am with a swim meet over 50, 100 and 200m and will continue through Saturday and Sunday with a six and four km bike criterium, athletic track events over 1000 and 800m, a Super Sprint Triathlon, an Ultra Sprint Triathlon and the Super Sprint Triathlon Grand Final.

Since its inception in 2006 the likes of 2012 Olympian Emma Jackson (2008) and former ITU World Junior Champion Ashleigh Gentle (2006, 2007 and 2009), and Jake Birtwhistle (2012) have graduated through the Super Sprint weekend.

The total number of 200 athletes made up of 125 ITU Juniors (87 males & 38 females) and 75 ITU Youth (34 Males & 41 Females) have entered.

Triathlon Australia’s National Manager for Athlete Development Craig Redman admitted the record entries was a good problem to have.

“We are over the moon with the response – it’s an event that continues to grow and grow across our Junior and Youth age groups but with such a popular weekend we have been forced to drop one of our events – The Aquathlon – to fit everything in,” said Redman.

“The length of competition days for officials, volunteers, athletes and coaches is significant with 12-14 hours each day for the event organisers alone.

“In the end the decision was taken to allow for an additional race wave for the ITU Junior Men & ITU Youth Women category to allow for their increase in field size and to remove the Aquathlon event completely from the schedule.

“We will re-visit this format and program for next year’s event and look at all options to ensure we can cater for the growth and excitement the Super Sprint Race Weekend generates.”

Redman, who is a driving force behind Australia’s triathlon’s future, knows just how important the Scody Race Weekend is and the ensuing National Development Camp the following week.

“It’s all about learning how to execute the processes under pressure, skill development and skill acquisition,” said Redman.

“It’s how the young athletes go about the business of constructing their weekend’s activities and their ability to warm up, cool down and prepare for their races; how they look after themselves when it comes to things like nutrition and hydration.”

One athlete who will be keen to add the Super Sprint Trophy to her cabinet will be Western Australia’s two-time Australian Junior Champion and 2013 Youth Olympic Champion, Jaz Hedgeland who was fourth in this year’s ITU World Juniors in London.

Hedgeland is in her final year as an ITU Junior and since returning from London has graduated from her successful previous coach Stuart Durham into full time training under the direction of former Queensland coach, now Triathlon Australia’s National Talent Academy coach Dan Atkins.

“I can’t thank Dan enough,” said Hedgeland.

Jaz-Hedgeland-12-2013

“All the training sessions, the motivating messages, the countless meetings and putting together a team of people to help me get to where I want to go.

“I competed in a 5 km track run last month, to get a gage and a starting point forwhere I am at for the start of the domestic season.

“I was happy with my time, and am ahead of where I was this time last year, so it just increased my excitement for the upcoming season.

“I know it’s just the start! I’ve never gone into a season feeling so confident that I’mgoing to get exactly where I want to go, and that’s because of Dan.”

Hedgeland, 19, will be joined by her little sister Kira, 16, who will step up to the Junior Races this season after winning last year’s inaugural Youth division.

Among the other stand-outs in the Junior Division will be Queenslanders Brittany Dutton, Sophie Malowiecki and Laura Dennis.

The ITU Junior Boys will be headed by ITU World Championship representative Luke Willian who will be joined by NTA representatives, Queenslanders Calvin Quirk, Matt Hauser and Daniel Coleman.

Meanwhile last year’s Junior boys winner, Jake Birtwhistle, who has just completed his Year 12 Exams, will miss this year’s Race Weekend and will run in the Under 20 3000m at tonight’s Zatopek Classic at Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium.

Birtwhistle will then join Jamie Turner’s “Wollongong Wizard’s” group at their pre-Christmas Training Camp in falls Creek tomorrow with an eye to making a decision on his training re-location plans before the end of the year.

Issued on behalf of Triathlon Australia

Ian Hanson
Hanson Media Group

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