GB age-groupers ready for New Zealand
Over 450 athletes heading to Auckland for ITU World Champs
A GE Great Britain Age-Group Team of over 450 athletes will race in New Zealand from 17 to 22 October 2012 as they look to continue triathlon’s memorable season at the Barfoot & Thompson World Triathlon Grand Final in Auckland.
The standard distance race will feature 239 British athletes who will embark on a one-lap 1,500m swim in Queens Wharf before completing a 40km bike course and final 10km run comprising of two 5km laps. The GE Great Britain Age-Group Team has three returning medallists from Beijing including Kim Shaw (55-59) and Michael Skivington (55-59) who both won bronze, and Kate Robson as the sole defending champion in the 30-34 category.
In the sprint distance races, 216 athletes will be racing through a one-lap 750m sea swim, 20km bike and 5km run. As with the standard distance race, there are a small number of returning medallists from the 2011 ITU Age-Group Triathlon World Championships: Keith Mahon (50-54) and Joanna Lewis (55-59) who both won bronze.
There is also a large GE Great Britain Age-Group Team comprising 216 athletes competing in the ITU Aquathlon World Championships on 17 October. Athletes will complete a 1km swim followed by a 5km run.
The elite senior events at the Barfoot & Thompson World Triathlon Grand Final Auckland will be televised live on the BBC Red Button overnight and a packaged highlights programme will be shown on BBC2 on Sunday afternoon, 21 October.
Matt Baird
Editor of Cycling Plus magazine 
