Next generation triathletes chance to shine in Hyde Park
6th September 2013
British Triathlon has confirmed the junior and U23 selections for next week’s free-to-view PruHealth World Triathlon Grand Final London. Britain’s crop of talented young triathletes have the opportunity to compete for world titles in front of a home crowd in Hyde Park and demonstrate that the sport has a healthy future.
London 2012 Olympian, Lucy Hall is one of three British athletes competing for U23 success next Thursday, 12 September. She and ETU U23 European Champion, Lois Rosindale, have the opportunity to succeed Non Stanford as the U23 world champion if they can overcome the strong international field.
Tom Bishop has won medals at the last three ITU world championships and competes again at U23 level having won bronze in Auckland, New Zealand last year.
The junior team is made up of seven under 20-year-old athletes who are all genuine prospects for long term success in the sport. Georgia Taylor-Brown is already a double ETU European junior champion and a world cross country medal winner.
The 19-year-old Leeds Metropolitan University student now has her final shot at a junior world championship medal. She’s joined by 18-year-old Sophie Coldwell from Nottingham, who gained her selection by winning bronze at last weekend’s 2013 Eton Dorney ETU Triathlon Junior European Cup.
Sian Rainsley continues her impressive development as one of Britain's top juniors. Still only 16, the Coventry athlete has another three years left as a junior and will relish the experience of competing at a home world championships. Kate Curran, a junior duathlon world medallist gets her shot at triathlon glory following her top ten performance at the selection race at Eton Dorney.
The junior men’s team features Marc Austin, Gordon Benson and Grant Sheldon. All three have demonstrated excellent form and results this season. Austin, 19, won medals at both the Australian Youth Olympics in January and the ETU European junior championships in June and was pre selected for the world championships.
Benson proved his form with a win ahead of Sheldon at Eton Dorney. The 19-year-old Leeds based university student also won his last race, the ETU European junior cup in Hungary. Sheldon was just four seconds behind Benson at Eton Dorney and the Scot will be a very strong contender in Hyde Park.
Loughborough based Welshman, Morgan Davies, may have the opportunity to join them. He is currently on the ITU waiting list.
British Triathlon Performance Director, Brendan Purcell said: “Great Britain has junior and U23 athletes who are in a strong position on paper and have the experience behind them to use the home crowd to help lift their performances.
“We have prepared well and will pay attention to every detail so the focus in the lead up to next Thursday is about delivering their race processes and letting the outcome take care of itself.”
The junior and U23 athletes all compete on Thursday 12 September in Hyde Park.. The events are free-to-view. The ITU Paratriathlon World Championships takes place on Friday 13 September and the senior elite events are on Saturday (women) and Sunday (men). Over 1200 amateur British athletes will also compete for world titles in their age categories
The PruHealth World Triathlon Grand Final London takes place 11-15 September and is free to view for spectators.