A look at the A to Z of Triathlon in 2009

A is for Age Groupers, the heart and soul of the sport. 488 athletes of all backgrounds and ages represented New Zealand at World Championship events in 2009. Collectively we won an incredible 33 medals and an amazing 10 World Champions. Many tens of thousands more participated at events throughout New Zealand, all for their own reasons and to reach their own goals.

is for Bevan Docherty who endured a season of some great highs but too many lows. A first up sprint finish win in the WCS in Tongyeong was followed by illness and accidents and a final world ranking of 17.

C is for coaching and great strides made in the Tri NZ Coaching space. Director of Coaching Brett Reid has led a programme that accredited well over 100 coaches and importantly identified a clear pathway for coaches to aspire to, from entry level to elite.

D is for Dillon, Maddie Dillon. This Kristen School student won the 16 to19 age group at the World Champs on the Gold Coast – and she is just 16 years old! Dillon is in the High Performance 2016 Development Squad.
 

E  is for the Ewart Family (left). At the Whangamata round of the Contact Tri Series, incredibly one family was represented across the day by no less than 11 of its members. Led by ‘Pop’ Peter (77), various members of the Ewart clan raced in the Contact Trophy race, teams race, Contact 3:9:3 and Contact 1:2:1 for children.
F is for Fitzsimmons, Peter. Peter was honoured in early 2009 with life membership. An influential and generous man with huge expertise and knowledge to offer, Tri NZ is proud to have Fitzy as our Patron.

G is for Gemmell, Kris. The likeable Palmerston North athlete was our best male in 2009, finishing 7th in the World Rankings after an illness affected final race on the Gold Coast.
 

H is for Hewitt, Andrea, our best performed triathlete in 2009. Hewitt raced consistently well in 2009, winning the World Championship Series in Madrid and standing proudly on the podium as the third best triathlete in the world at season’s end.

I is for Ironman and New Zealand’s continued ability to churn out elite athletes. Cameron Brown was pushed to a new race record in Taupo by rookie Terenzo Bozzone while Gina Ferguson dethroned Jo Lawn and then overcame heart problems to win in Western Australia. Numbers of age groupers are up and events are healthy, Ironman triathlon is in great heart.
 

J is for the Joy of finishing an event. Tri NZ is proud to focus on participation and encouraging all New Zealanders to take part in the sport. From Contact 1:2:1 for children to Contact 3:9:3 for beginners to the inspiration provided by our world class athletes, Triathlon is the sport for everyone.

K is for Kinloch, home of the Triathlon New Zealand sprint nationals and a round of the Contact Tri Series each year. A stunning location on the edge of Lake Taupo with world class racing to match.

L is for Lund, Tiare – one of the legends of our sport. Just hours after being named NZ Team Captain at the World Champs, this amazing lady was in intensive care in a Gold Coast Hospital, fighting for her life after a sudden illness. With typical determination Lund came through and has made a full and inspirational recovery.

M is for Media with Tri NZ continuing to reach the masses through great pick up of domestic and international events, results and athletes in mainstream media. Tri NZ also enjoys dedicated TV and radio shows showcasing the sport.
 

N is for North Harbour, the club that incredibly provided all three athletes on the podium at the World Champs with Walter Thorburn, Stephen Farrell and Greg Ball basking in the glow of a Kiwi haka (right) as the three cleaned up the men’s 45 to 49 category.

O is for One, as in the number one ranked sport in the country. Nielsen’s independent research again ranked Triathlon number one in terms of fastest growing sports in New Zealand. Tri NZ will also allow this to be ‘O for Awesome’ given it is such great news!
 

P is for Paralympics, introduced to triathlon for the first time in 2009 with Miriam Jenkins and Rob Matthews (left) picking up gold and silver respectively at the Gold Coast World Champs.

Q is for quality in everything Tri NZ does but in particular in its relationships with stakeholders. From private promoters to councils to clubs to sponsors to individual members and to the International Triathlon Union, Tri NZ is about building quality, long term relationships.

R is for Reed, Shane Reed. The quietly spoken Reed retired in early 2009 as he raced throughout his 15 year career at the top - without fuss. No one should forget Reed’s role at the Beijing Olympics and the part he played in Docherty’s bronze medal. Enjoy retirement Snuffie!

S is for SPARC, a key partner in Tri NZ’s success. Whatever the influence, whatever the area - be it coaching, youth, technical, participation or elite, SPARC plays a huge role in the growth and development of the sport.

T is for Technical. The Tri NZ Technical programme is the envy of many and a template for other nations and sports to follow. Tri NZ has trained 150 officials in 2009 and has 85 events endorsed and sanctioned with many more to come on both fronts.

U is for unlimited potential. The potential of the sport in New Zealand is only just starting to be realized. The next five years will be challenging and yet hugely rewarding if managed right!

V is for van Barneveld, Martin. The ‘Flying Dutchman’ took out the Contact Tri Series with a series of consistent finishes last summer.

W is for Warriner, Sam. One of the great ambassadors of the sport, Sam endured a tough year wrecked largely by injury but still found time to set a new race record at the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman, win a World Aquathlon Championship and encourage all participants home at Novembers opening round of the Contact Tri Series in Rotorua.

X is for Xterra, the ‘off road’ version of Triathlon. At the World Champs in Maui, New Zealand sent a strong team, one that returned home with 6 medals, 4 of them gold.

Y is for Youth, the future of the sport. Under the guidance of Youth Development Officer Mel Warmerdam structures are in place to encourage and foster our up and comers. From Academies to the Contact Schools Nationals to Regional Youth Development Officers, the future of the sport is in good hands.

Z is for Zooming up the World Rankings Kate McIlroy! The former track athlete and mountain running world champion ended her first year in the sport ranked 20 after winning an ITU World Cup event and earning two top 15 finishes in World Championship Series races.