Latest Triathlon Industry News

Registration For European Age Group Events Now Open
British Triathlon is pleased to announce that registration for the 2011 ETU Triathlon European Championships and 2010 Myjava ETU Cross Triathlon European Championships in Slovakia is now open.  Once again, the 2011 ETU Triathlon European Championships will feature both Standard and Sprint distance racing with athletes having three chances to qualify for each discipline. Currently there has been no date or venue set for the event. For athletes aiming to qualify there will be 20 places available per Age Group with 12 places coming from the qualifying races below. All qualification races will take place in the 2010 so please remember to factor this into your race plans!British Triathlon qualifying races for the 2011 ETU Triathlon European Championships:Four places from The Little Beaver Triathlon – 29 May 2010 Four places from Blithfield Standard Triathlon – 1 August 2010 Four places from Bala Standard Distance – 12 September 2010 British Triathlon qualifying races for the 2011 ETU Sprint Triathlon European ChampionshipsFour places from Grendon Sprint Triathlon– 9 May 2010 Four places from Big Cow Sprint – 6 June 2010 Four places from Rother Valley Triathlon Festival – 13 June 2010 2010 Myjava ETU Cross Triathlon European ChampionshipsIf you are looking for a slightly different challenge this year then cross triathlon may be the event for you. Registration for the 2010 Myjava ETU Cross Triathlon European Championships is also now open. This exciting event features the challenge of a 1.2km swim, 30km mountain biking, and a 10km cross-country run. To enter you will need to be a member of your Home Nation and register with British Triathlon your intent to compete through the Age Group pages on the British Triathlon website. There are no set qualification races for this event. 

HSE Triathlon Specific First Aid Course - Sat 3rd April
HSE Triathlon Specific First Aid Course British Triathlon are pleased to announce the delivery of a one day first aid course, held at Loughborough University on Saturday 3rd April. The structure of the course is based around the Emergency First Aid At Work (EFAW) course but is Tailored towards triathlon related injuries. Reaction Medical Services first aid course is designed for those people who are involved in Triathlon as either a competitor, coach or volunteer. The course will cover sporting injuries and the problems that may occur when dealing with these incidents. The course will be run at a cost of £66 for each individual. The spaces for this course will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. For an application form or any further information please contact: Gavin PassmoreRegional Programme ManagerTriathlon England 07739 526561gavinpassmore@britishtriathlon.org

West Midlands Children's And Youth's Race Series 2010
Welcome to the 2010 racing season.  We have a variety of Children's and Youth's races spread throughout the year across the full range of Counties in the West Midlands.  We hope you will enjoy taking part in our events and we wish you every success.  If you would like to discuss any issues regarding the Children's and Youth's Series, please contact the Regional Young Person's Coordinator, Andy Teagle. In the event of a race being cancelled or postponed a decision on scoring will be made by the West Midlands Region. Please note that dates and events given below may be subject to change/cancellation due to circumstances outside our control. For the latest updates, please check the West Midlands Series page For those wishing to enter the Series, please ensure that you adhere to the following: Anyone wishing to enter a West Midlands Children's or Youth's Regional Series must reside in the West Midlands Region or be a member of a West Midlands Club affiliated to Triathlon England (TE). For each athlete wishing to enter the Series, a West Midlands Regional Series 2010 Registration Form must be completed. One form covers both the Aquathlon and the Duathlon/Triathlon Series. The Regional Young Person's Coordinator must receive the form by 03/04/10. You do not need to be a member of Triathlon England to enter the Series.  If you enter the series after 03/04/10 points will not be awarded for races prior to registration. Athletes may only represent one Region in any one year and must represent the same region in Aquathlon and Triathlon. Regional Tristar and Youth Aquathlon Series The Regional Aquathlon Series will be based on the total of your 4 highest scores from the 6 Aquathlon races in the table below. Final rankings will be based on a minimum of 4 events being completed. There is a Series for Tristar 1, Tristar 2, Tristar 3 and Youth. There is no Tristart Series. All entrants must be registered for the Series by 03/04/10. After this date points will not be awarded for races prior to registration. The events below have been organised in the West Midlands by local triathlon clubs and organisers. Please use the contacts provided to enter an event. DateEventContact 27/03/2010 BCT Children's Aquathlon Black Country Triathletes 03/04/2010 Warwick Aquathlon Coventry Triathletes 02/05/2010 Warwickshire Children's Aquathlon Stratford Sharks 16/05/2010 Oswestry Aquathlon Oswestry Olympians 04/07/2010 West Midlands Region OPEN WATER Aquathlon ** (IRC Qualifier) West Midlands Region 11/07/2010 BRAT Junior Aquathlon BRAT **TS2/TS3 IRC Quaifier:  For details about representing the West Midlands Region at the National Inter-Regional Championships, please check the West Midlands pages of the Triathlon England website, or contact West Midlands Region. Details will be added as soon as known. Regional Tristar Duathlon/Triathlon Series The Regional Tristar Duathlon/Triathlon Series will be based on the total of your 4 highest scores from the 6 Duathlon/Triathlon races in the table below. Final rankings will be based on a minimum of 4 events being completed. This Series is for Tristars only. There is a Series for Tristar 1, Tristar 2, and Tristar 3. There is no Tristart Series. All entrants must be registered for the Series by 03/04/10. After this date points will not be awarded for races prior to registration. The events below have been organised in the West Midlands by local triathlon clubs and organisers. Please use the contacts provided to enter an event. DateEventContact 30/05/2010 Worcester Junior Duathlon Worcester Tri Club 06/06/2010 Barton Marina OPEN WATER Triathlon Maynall Valley Hunters Tri Club 19/06/2010 BCT Children's 'Tri a Tri' Black Country Triathletes 27/06/2010 Stafford Junior Triathlon Stafford Triathlon Club 25/07/2010 Paul Weston Memorial Triathlon Birmingham University Tri Team 30/08/2010 Friary Grange Triathlon Lichfield DC Regional Youth Triathlon Series The Regional Youth Triathlon Series will be based on the total of your 3 highest scores from the 5 Triathlon races in the table below. Final rankings will be based on a minimum of 3 events being completed. This Series is for Youths only. All entrants must be registered for the Series by 03/04/10. After this date points will not be awarded for races prior to registration. The events below have been organised in the West Midlands by local triathlon clubs and organisers. Please use the contacts provided to enter an event. DateEventContact 25/04/2010 BCT Sprint Triathlon Black Country Triathletes 06/06/2010 Barton Marina OPEN WATER Triathlon **  (IRC Qualifier) Chase Race 25/07/2010 Paul Weston Memorial Triathlon Birmingham University Tri Team 01/08/2010 Droitwich Sprint Triathlon Worcester Tri Club 05/09/2010 BCT Sprint Triathlon Black Country Triathletes **Youth IRC Quaifier:  For details about representing the West Midlands Region at the National Inter-Regional Championships, please check the West Midlands pages of the Triathlon England website, or contact West Midlands Region. Details will be added as soon as known. FORMS: West Midlands Regional Series 2010 Registration Form West Midlands Regional Series 2010 Race Schedule West Midlands Regional Series 2010 Scoring Information 2009 RESULTS: Aquathlon Series Points Tables Triathlon Series Points Tables

Regional Representatives Triathlon England Membership Committee
Voluntary positions Expenses covered Do you have something to say about the services provided by your membership of Triathlon England? If so, would you consider volunteering to represent the voice of the grass roots membership on a newly established Membership Committee?  Triathlon England (TE) is the membership organisation for triathlon in England. The objective of the Membership Committee is to contribute to ensuring that responsive, consistent and secure membership services are delivered in England, in harmony with the Home Nations. The aims of this Membership Committee are: -    To assist in the development by the Triathlon England Management Board of strategy and policies in respect of the membership services provided in England; -    To support adoption of common approaches to membership services across the three Home Nations. The scope of the Membership Committee will therefore encompass, but not necessarily exclusively includes, the following areas of activity: -    Membership Services-    Membership Communication and Promotion-    Membership Development Members with a background in one or more of these areas are encouraged to apply; particularly with respect to communications and promotions. This newly established committee will be chaired by the Triathlon England Management Board Director with Membership Portfolio. It is envisaged that the committee will meet quarterly and in Loughborough. The first meeting of the new Membership Committee is provisionally planned for Saturday 27 March 2010. The closing date for applications is noon on 3 March 2010, and interviews will be held in Loughborough on Saturday 13 March in the afternoon. A letter of application together with a CV outlining your interest in the position and any relevant experience should be emailed to: Sue Roberts, HR Manager Email: sueroberts@britishtriathlon.org Post: British Triathlon Federation, PO Box 25, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3WX For informal queries you may contact:Monday to Friday 09.00 to 17.00Leonie Sijtsma, Membership CoordinatorTel: 01509 226153Email: leoniesijtsma@britishtriathlon.org  Evenings and weekendsJane Wild, TE Management Board Director with Membership PortfolioTel: 079 6871 9673Email: wildhuson@gmail.com Job description – person specification Job Description and Person Specification 

2009 North West Senior Championship Winners Announced
The NW region are pleased to announce the winners of the 2009 NW Championship races. The following will be presented with prizes at the NW Region Presentation Night and Disco on Sat 27th March at Grappenhall Village Sports Club near Warrington.Parbold DuathlonMen1st    Ryan Hanlon (Mersey Tri Club)2nd     Gary Gerrard (Royal Navy Tri Club)3rd    Chris Standidge (Tri Central)Women1st    Kelly Crickmore (Chester Tri)2nd    Louise Hogg (Ashurst Bike Club)3rd    Margaret McLelland (Swinton Running Club)Boundary Breeze Sprint Distance TriathlonMen1st    Martin Cain (Surosa/Greater Manchester Police) 2nd    Paul Hawkins (Man Tri Club)3rd    Marc Laithwaite (Ashurst Bike Club)Women1st    Nicola King (Preston Tri Club)2nd    Julie Harrison (Ashurst Bike Club)3rd    Gill Crennel (Man Tri Club)Chester Deva Standard Distance TriathlonMen1st    Martin Cain (Surosa/Greater Manchester Police)2nd    Rodger Wilkins (Tri Clan/Sweatshop)3rd    Marc Laithwaite (Ashurst Bike Club)Women1st    Nicola King (Preston Tri Club)2nd    Sophie Rees (Chester Tri)3rd    Julie Webb (Chester Tri)    For any queries or info on the 2010 NW Senior Series which will include a club league please contact northwestseries@googlemail.com   

British Triathlon Nominated For Governing Body Of The Year
British Triathlon has been shortlisted for National Governing Body of the Year, by an industry-leading panel at the prestigious annual Sport Industry Awards. This nomination follows the celebration of an outstanding year of achievement for the sport in 2009 with continued growth, a World Class event staged in the London 2012 Olympic venue and performances that led the world in Ironman, and triathlon.Supported by the Events for London team at Visit London, who were a key partner in delivering the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championships Series in Hyde Park, the application was based on how British Triathlon set out its strategic objective to raise the profile of the sport.  Then through clear sponsorship strategy, good performance management, partnerships with commercial event organisers and effective and innovative leveraging of resources managed to make a significant profile uplift. The Sports Industry Awards shortlisting process involved 50 key industry figures and an intensive judging process before the shortlist was announced. British Triathlon now goes forward into the main award’s judging panel headed by Chairman and BBC broadcaster John Inverdale, who will decide the winners in each of the 14 award categories. The winners will be unveiled at a star-studded Sport Industry Awards ceremony on 13 May 2010.For more information on the shortlist:http://www.sportindustry.biz/awards/category/shortlist/?Id=36Zara Hyde Peters, Chief Executive of British Triathlon was pleased to see the organisation nominated, commenting: “It is a tribute to the entire team at British Triathlon who have worked tirelessly in 2009 to achieve ambitious strategic goals of raising the sport profile and delivering world leading performance.  In this unique time for British sport we are aiming to create financial sustainability through increased profile.  To be recognised for what we have achieved with this shortlisting alongside prestigious and high achieving sports bodies is a real bonus.�British Triathlon President, Dr Sarah Springman OBE added: “British Triathlon Federation is just three years old. Building on the foundations from the British Triathlon Association, we have engaged fully with the modernisation process supported by UK Sport, adopted competence based selection of Board members, employed outstanding members of staff and signed up with valuable corporate sponsors. All of this has allowed triathletes in Great Britain, and especially our elite triathletes, to perform, and win, at world class level in high profile events on home ground. We are thrilled to have been shortlisted.�Iain Edmondson, Head of Events for London, added “It has been refreshing to see British Triathlon grasp the opportunity to make a sustainable step change for the sport at its 2012 Olympic venue in the lead up to the Games.  The British Triathlon team embraced the commercial challenges of bringing the new World Championship Series event to London in a dynamic and open-minded way.  As a result they successfully secured significant private sector investment to enable the event to be delivered in a low-risk and sustainable way.� 

The Role Of The Regional Programme Manager
Triathlon England deploys Regional Programme Managers to implement the strategic development plan for the sport in England. This plan was created by comparing the aims of Sport England and Triathlon England, resulting in the creation of ten Regional Programme Managers. Their central responsibilities are to work on creating opportunities to participate in triathlon and are solely funded by Sport England. Responsibilities of the Regional Programme Managers Quality ClubsDevelop a geographical coverage of triathlon clubs offering a quality package to all triathletes ensuring that their experience at club level will help retain them in the sport.Quality EventsWork with new and existing race organisers to ensure that events meet the needs of the competitors. By delivering a high quality experience, there will be a higher retention of triathletes in the sport.Access to Triathlon CoachingProvide access to high quality coaching at club and school level to create a long-term legacy for the programme. Triathlon in Schools - Higher Education and Further EducationPromotion of the Corus Kids of Steel Series and the design and implementation of a new competitive programme for triathlon in schools, colleges and universities.Volunteer Workforce DevelopmentCreate a workforce that delivers the sport of triathlon across England. This will be achieved by increasing the number and quality of coaches and referees; and ensuring club, regional and national positions are filled by people with the right skills and support to take the sport forward.The role of Regional Programme Managers also involves working with County Sports Partnerships, Local Authorities and single discipline clubs. The Team  Morgan Williams  07739 526560 morganwilliams@britishtriathlon.org Counties covered within northern RPM's.  Rob Bishop  07739 526562 robbishop@britishtriathlon.org Lancashire, Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire & Shropshire. Stefan Pearce  07841 500514 stefanpearce@britishtriathlon.org Birmingham, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire & Berkshire. Gavin Passmore  07739 526561    gavinpassmore@britishtriathlon.org Leicestershire, Rutland, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Norfolk. Rebecca Rowley  07860 695235 rebeccarowley@britishtriathlon.org West Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Georgie Rutherford  07834 542086 goergierutherford@britishtriathlon.org Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham, North Yorkshire & Cumbria Gareth Hall  007834 542083 garethhall@britishtriathlon.org Counties covered within southern RPM's. Dave Hooper 07739 526554 davehooper@britishtriathlon.org Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire & Bristol. Jon Train 07739 526559 jontrain@britishtriathlon.org London Kat Valk 07834 542085 katvalk@britishtriathlon.org Hampshire, Surrey & Sussex. Steward Ward 07860 695 247 stewardward@britishtriathlon.org London Ceri Winter 07834 542087 ceriwinter@britishtriathlon.org Kent, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, Buckingahmshire & Essex. Click here for a detailed map of where the above RPM's are based. If you would like more information on  the activites of the development team then please contact markbarfield@britishtriathlon.org

2010 Adidas Age Group Teams Trisuit
The 2010 season will see the introduction of an updated design of the adidas Age Group Team trisuit. After reviewing the wealth of feedback from Age Groupers throughout 2009, British Triathlon and adidas took the move to act upon this and has made improvements to the 2009 suit.There are three main alternations that have been made: The suit will feature red stitching down the edges of the side panelling The neckline has been lowered to provide a more comfortable fit Improved sizing communication The new 2010 suit will be available from April, and as last year can be purchased through out retail partner Wiggle, a link to the site can be found through the British Triathlon website here.Only athletes who have qualified for Great Britain Age Group competition will be able to purchase the trisuit.Due to the introduction of the 2010 suit, the 2009 suits are being offered at a discounted price and can be purchased here2010 ITU Age Group uniform rules which can be found here, state that all Age Group suits must have a back zip. Please ensure that when planning for your 2010 races that you ensure you have a suit which conforms to these rules.

West Midlands Region Open Water Aquathlon
West Midlands Region Open Water Aquathlon Sunday 4th July 2010  Top Barn Activity CentreTop Barn FarmHolt Heath, Worcester, WR6 6NH First Wave:  12pm (noon) Course:  SWIM= Open Water Lake      WETSUITS COMPULSORYRUN = Grass course This event is sanctioned and run under Triathlon England rules.  GROUP AGE SWIM RUN Tristar Start 8 50m 600m / 1 lap Tristar 1 9/10 150m 1200m / 2 laps Tristar 2 11/12 200m 1800m / 3 laps Tristar 3 13/14 300m 2400m / 4 laps Youth 15/16 400m 3000m / 5 laps Entry Fee:    £8 (BTF Licence)   £10 (non BTF Licence) Enter online at  www.entrycentral.com Closing date for all entries is 30th June 2010 or when the race is full. No entries on the day.  No transfers or refunds. Please ensure you supply your email address when you apply as race details will be e-mailed out approximately 1 week before the event.   CONTACTSWest Midlands Region:   westmidstri@britishtriathlon.org

Athletes Race For GB Slots At Clumber Park
British athletes have their first opportunity to secure Age Group slots for the GB Age Group Team this weekend, 6th March 2010. Athletes at the Clumber Classic Duathlon in North Nottinghamshire will have the opportunity to win places for the team at the 2010 Edinburgh ITU Duathlon World Championships in September.The Clumber Park event, which takes place in a beautiful National Trust park, sold out well in advance of the closing date, and will feature 700 athletes in the standard distance event. They’ll cover a 10km run, 40km cycle and 5km run, exactly the same distances that will feature in Edinburgh. The top four finishers in each Age Group will be considered for selection as long as they have finished within a certain percentage of the winners time in their Age Group.The run sections take place within Clumber Park on a private tree lined road, which is fully closed for the race. The bike course takes place on long rolling roads around the Sherwood Forest area of north Nottinghamshire, with a few short challenging sections to test early season fitness.Competitors wishing to be considered for the GB Age Group Team for the World Championships should join their home nation and register their interest on the British Triathlon website before taking part. The deadline for registration is 5pm on Friday 5 March 2010. For more information on the 2010 Edinburgh ITU Duathlon World Championships and Age Group selection see http://www.edinburghduathlon2010.com. Further opportunities for British athletes to qualify are available at the Stirling Duathlon, Big Cow Duathlon, and the Cambridge Duathlon.

Renew Your Home Nation Membership By Direct Debit
British Triathlon is pleased to announce the update to the Home Nation Membership area of our websites which enables membership payments to be made by annual Direct Debit.Almost 70% of Members choose to auto-renew their membership each year. The previous system featured an auto-renewal and was only effective when the Credit or Debit card details supplied were regularly updated, if credit and debit cards expire this could delay a renewal of your membership. Direct Debit is the only payment method with a money back guarantee giving complete reassurance of your Home Nation membership.To ensure your Membership is renewed for the forthcoming year please follow the links from our website which securely ensures your payment either by Direct Debit or alternatively allows you to update Credit or Debit card details.The deadline for the direct debit renewal of your membership is Sunday 14th March, payments will be processed on Friday 19th March.We look forward to providing you with your combined Membership card and race licence valid until 31st March 2011 and hope you have a safe and successful season. Click here to sign up today 

Official BTF Travel Package - World Triathlon Long Course, Immenstadt, Germany
Official BTF Travel PackageWorld Triathlon Long Course, Immenstadt, Germany As ever, Nirvana Europe will be delighted to provide you with a tailor made package that suits your needs as a competitor or spectator. In order to receive a tailor made package itinerary and cost for this event to suit your requirements which can include return flights, bike carriage reservation, return transfers, accommodation, breakfast and ground support; please contact the Nirvana Europe office on 0191 2936592 or alternatively send an email to mail@nirvanaeurope.com providing the following information: - Number of passengers travelling to the event- Number of nights you would like to stay for in resort- Preferred departure airport- How many passengers will require bike carriage- Preferred room type

Next Welsh Academy Day Announced
The next Welsh Academy Day will be held on Sunday 21st March.  Swimming will be at Atlantic College, Llanwit Major, followed by cycling and running on the Llandow Race Circuit.  Exact times to be confirmed shortly.

Welsh Triathlon Annual General Meeting 2010
The Annual General Meeting of Welsh Triathlon was held at 10am on Saturday 20th February 2010 at the Welsh Institute of Sport in Cardiff Attached are the following items a)     Minutes from the AGM   b)     The Chairmans report c)     The Development report d)     The Performance report If any Welsh Triathlon member would like a copy of the Treasures report please email your request to  terryjones@welshtriathlon.org Minutes of WT AGM 20th Feb 2010.doc Chairmans Report WT AGM 2010.doc JT Development Report AGM 20th Feb 2010.doc RB Performance Report AGM 20th Feb 2010.doc

British Team Deliver More Medals
British triathletes travelled to Norway this weekend to compete in the 2010 Eidsvoll ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships, unofficially winning gold and silver medals in the Age Group event.The highlights for the GB Age Group team were the gold medal won by Sarah Thomas in the 35-39 Age Group, and Tom Phillips adding another silver to his European medal won in Lygna. There were three British competing in the men’s 45-49 category with Matthew Spillman finishing fifth, Mile Peacock in eighth and Stephen Gray finished seventh.Age Group athlete Katie Williams’ result is still to be confirmed. Elite athlete Rhodri Buffett sadly DNF, however he was proud to be part of the team in Norway commenting: "The Age Group athletes all raced really well and were all positive about their respective races; I certainly enjoyed watching and cheering them on. Team moral was great, and it was nice to be in a friendly and supportive team, especially with the help and support they gave with drinks bottles and gels during my race!" 

North West Region Presentation Night & Disco
The NW Region are holding  a presentation night, buffet and disco on Saturday 27th March from 7.30 pm to midnight at Grappenhall Village Sports Club WA4 3HQ which is south of Warrington and 5 minutes drive from junction 20 of the M6 and close to intersections with M62 and M56. Please come and join the fun!Tickets are £7 adults, £4 for children 16 and under, £20 for a family of 2 adults + 2 children and another £2 for each additional child in the family. Clubs can order 10 adult tickets for £60 in advance. We will present trophies to the top three male and female athletes in T1, T2, T3 and Youth categories in the 2009 NW Junior Winter and Summer Series. We will present trophies to the top three men and women in each of the 2009 NW Championship races which were Parbold Duathlon, Boundary Breeze Sprint Triathlon and Chester Deva Standard Distance Triathlon as well as the 2009 NW coach, referee and volunteer of the year. For tickets please contact your nearest NW committee member or write or e-mail Stuart Carter, NW Chair, 482 Bolton Road, Bury, BL8 2DU  stuartcarter052@btinternet.com tel 0161 762 9182. Please make cheques to ‘BTA North West Region’. If you supply an e-mail address we will send directions. 

Agenda For 2010 Welsh Triathlon AGM Is Announced
   Welsh Triathlon Annual General Meeting Saturday 20th February 2010 10am at the Welsh Institute of Sport Cardiff  Agenda 1.     Apologies for absence 2.    Matters arising 3.    Presentation of Reports a)    Chairman b)   Performance c)    Development d)   Treasurer 4.    Resolution  - Incorporation of Welsh Triathlon 5.    Election of Officers 6.    Date and venue of next meeting   There is one resolution on the agenda, with the following statement:-   WT resolves that WT shall cease to be an association and shall become incorporated as a limited liability company known as Welsh Triathlon Limited. Attached below are the Articles of the Association Welsh Triathlon Articles of Association.doc 

British Triathlon Goes High-Tech For Success
Physfarm Training Systems, a market leader in performance analysis software for endurance athletes and coaches, has been selected as the training software provider for the British Triathlon Federation.In a 3-year agreement leading up to London 2012 Physfarm Training Systems will provide all British Triathlon World Class Performance Programme coaches, support staff and athletes with the ability to schedule workouts, analyse training, plan objectives and predict performance utilising their latest software, Raceday Apollo; a proprietary version of which has been developed working alongside British Triathlon.Physfarm Training Systems LLP senior partner David Tilbury-Davis commented: “British Triathlon commissioned us to deliver a system that allowed them to work with athletes seamlessly and utilise planning tools towards their London 2012 goals, and we happily obliged.� David added: “Raceday Apollo provides a simple, clear interface for both the coach and the athlete. Synchronisation allows both to work online and offline and data is retained both locally and centrally, which allows sharing with support staff around the world just a mouse click away.�British Triathlon World Class Performance Programme athletes will be able to log and share their training data with their coaching staff, review their long-term plans and see advice from support staff such as their nutritionist. In addition, the software contains all the tools the coaching and sports science staff need to analyse and predict performance.“RaceDay Apollo is the only training analysis and management system on the market that customises itself to the individual athlete,� said Dr. Philip Skiba of Physfarm Training Systems LLC. "Our patent-pending system actually calculates how the individual athlete responds to their training, which leads to unique advantages. For example, it indicates exactly how to plan the best build-up and taper of training stress before a race. With this feature, RaceDay is able to answer difficult coaching question in mere seconds."British Triathlon’s Olympic Performance Manager, Mark Pearce explains, “British Triathlon World Class Performance Programme coaching and support teams are very excited about working with Physfarm and using RaceDay Apollo to further improve the already high level of performance within the World Class Programme. The tight integration of information between all our athletes, coaches and support staff combined with the world leading performance prediction tools already in use from Physfarm make this a formidable tool.�

Major Paratriathlon Rule Changes
The ITU has adopted a number of Paratriathlon rule changes. The rules changes are required in preparation for submission of ITU documents to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in the months ahead. Highlights of the rule changes include: All TRI1 Paratriathletes required to handcycle in the recumbent position All TRI6 visually impaired Paratriathletes shall wear blackout glasses for the run All TRI1 Paratriathletes shall have their legs bound together for the swim portion Tricycle specification are defined for TRI3 athletes who require tricycles Compulsory Paratriathlete briefing meeting Grant Darby, ITU Paratriathlon chairman commented “These rule changes will strengthen our application to the IPC for inclusion for the 2016 Paralympics� There are a number of additional Paratriathon rule changes. The updated Paratriathlon rules can be found within the ITU Competition Rules at triathlon.org under INSIDE ITU and DOCUMENTS. Section 16 of the Rules is specific to Paratriathlon. “While some of the rule changes were adopted to update the rules to current practices, other rule changes were required to ensure a level playing field for all Paratriathletes within a category� commented ITU Paratriathlon chair, Grant Darby.  National Federations are urged to share this information with their Paratriathletes as soon as possible.

Strong Scottish Contingent Likely To Compete At Strathclyde Country Park
Scottish triathlon trio Kerry Lang, Kirsty McWilliam and David McNamee have signalled their intent to race in the British Triathlon Super Series event at Strathclyde Park, North Lanarkshire. The 2014 Commonwealth Games venue will also be hosting a leg of the 2010 ITU Triathlon European Cup.  The event will be held on the Sunday 23 May 2010 and signifies the first ever ITU Triathlon European Cup event to be held in Scotland.  Scottish triathlete, Kerry Lang is looking forward to the opportunity of competing:“After finishing second in Strathclyde Country Park last year, I am definitely aiming for top spot in 2010. Being able to compete again in Strathclyde Country Park is only going to be beneficial for 2014, when the Commonwealth Games come to Scotland.�The 2008 Junior Triathlon World Champion Kirsty McWilliam is also looking forward to the race:“Having spent 2009 on the sidelines due to injury, I cannot wait to get back in the action and compete at Strathclyde Country Park. The course looks fantastic and making my come back on home soil makes it even more special. Roll on 2010!�Although the event is still a few months off, a number of other notable names have indicated they are likely to compete on 23 May.  The list includes Sophie Coleman, World Junior Duathlon Champion and last year’s Super Series runner-up, Aaron Harris. Zara Hyde Peters, Chief Executive Officer of British Triathlon said: “We are very heartened that many of our rising talent have this far expressed their intention of competing at the Strathclyde Country Park race. The decision to host the ITU Triathlon European Cup at this year’s event was specifically to serve as an opportunity for our rising stars to step onto the international stage.  With Strathclyde County Park being the Commonwealth Games venue it offers all the competitors a fantastic opportunity to experience one of the best courses the UK has to offer.�British Triathlon has also opened the event up to the public to test themselves on the same course as the elite athletes, and at a Commonwealth games venue. The sprint distance race will involve a 750m swim, 20k cycle and 5k run. For beginners there will also be a novice race with a 300m swim, 10k cycle and 2.5k run.  Further information and entry details are available on www.strathclydeparktriathlon.com.