American Meredith Kessler used her swim ability to take an early lead, one she would maintain until the finish despite the best efforts of Sam Warriner (NZL), in what is reported to be her final professional race. Warriner, two minutes back in the water closed around half of that on two wheels but would then pay for that on the run, fading to fourth. The fastest ride of the day belonged to Brit Laura Siddall, who finished in 4:19:32 just a minute behind second-placed Amelia Watkinson of New Zealand and a further minute behind Kessler. 

Kessler and Siddall were the only athletes to break up the predictable Kiwi dominance on the podium, with all three men’s top spots being taken by New Zealanders. Men’s winner Braden Currie is best known for winning the Coast-to-Coast race in New Zealand, and is often cited as ‘the fittest man in New Zealand’. As well as his adventure-racing prowess, Currie further proved his triathlon credentials with an impressive win against a quality field, finishing almost a minute clear of Callum Millward in 3:51:48.

Ballarat

Australia’s Annabel Luxford was the class of the field at Ironman 70.3 Ballarat. Like Kessler in Taupo she led from the start, and finished 5mins clear of Dutch athlete Yvonne Van Vlerken. 

Some pre-race favourites in the men’s race were notably missing from the podium, as Luke Bell suffered a mechanical mid-race and 2012 ironman World Champ Pete Jacobs was forced to withdraw due to illness. In the end it was Aussie Matthew Pellow who grabbed the opportunity for a breakthrough victory, holding off Germany’s Per Bittner and Nick Baldwin of the Seychelles to break the tape in 3:51:21. 

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What did you think of the results? Let us know in the comments! 

Luckily we’ve been shortlisted in the first round (hurray!) so all we need you generous folk to do is go online and vote to help us clinch the victory.

It’s free to vote and should only take a few seconds here. The winners are announced at Indigo at the 02 on 22nd April.

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Thanking you in advance!

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The Snowdonia Triathlon Festival, which will take place on the weekend of 30-31 July 2016, features four different distance triathlon races set in the awe-inspiring Snowdonia National Park.

The four races are: 

– Snowdonia Triathlon Full (1km swim/60km cycle/10km run)

– Snowdonia Triathlon Sprint (400m swim/31km cycle/5km run)

– Snowdonia Triathlon Mini-Sprint (200m swim / 10km cycle/ 2.5km run)

– Legend Half (1.9km swim /90km cycle/ 21.1km run)

Not only are all the routes incredibly beautiful, but also they have been carefully designed to make them achievable for triathletes of all abilities, say AAH. All route information can be found here.

With places limited to just 800 over the entire weekend the competition for places is set to be fierce.

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The Snowdonia Triathlon Festival (STF) replaces the former Snowman Triathlon – now making the Full, Sprint and Mini-Sprint races the second event in the Always Aim High Adventure Triathlon Series, along with the Slateman and Sandman Triathlon.

The STF also sees some changes to the format of the Legend Triathlon, which was announced earlier this summer. The Iron-distance Legend will be replaced with a middle-distance race called the Legend Half. The Legend Half will take place on Saturday 30 July at Plas y Brenin making it the opening event of the Snowdonia Triathlon Festival. You can see more information on the Legend Half HERE.

For more information about the Snowdonia Triathlon Festival visit: http://snowdoniatriathlonfestival.com/

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To secure your place on the start line you can register HERE.

Bailey, who has cerebral palsy, competed in his first-ever triathlon at July’s Castle Triathlon Series event, racing the 100m lake swim, 4km bike and 1.3km run ‘Garfield’ event in Yorkshire.

As Bailey approached the finish of the run, he dropped his walking support with 20m to go and completed the home straight unaided. Hundreds of spectators lined the chute – some roaring their support, others in tears – as the eight-year-old tumbled a couple of times before picking himself up to cross the line into arms of his proud parents, Jonathan and Julie.

The story became a social media sensation, gaining over 50,000 Facebook ‘Likes’ in two days on the Castle Tri Series page before being picked up by countless newspapers, including the Daily Mirror and Daily Mail, and major media outlets in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Scandinavia, Germany, America and more.

With Bailey transcending the sport of tri to become an international inspiration, we caught up with his dad Jono to talk SPOTY, Bailey’s future tri plans and, erm, the Foo Fighters…

220: What does it mean to you all to be recognised by such a prestigious award? What was your reaction when you were notified?

Jono: It’s absolutely amazing that Bailey has been recognised for all his awards, but the Sports Personality of the Year really is the cream on his cake. When the BBC rang me to tell me he’d been awarded it, I was speechless and, once I’d got my breath back, I could’ve fallen through the floor. We’re all so very proud of Bailey and his attitude to life and his non-defeatist approach to whatever task is put in front him. For the rest of the world to be feeling the same [as us] is outstanding.

How have things for Bailey changed since his feats at the Castle Howard tri made headlines around the world?

Things for Bailey personally haven’t really changed. We don’t think he quite understands the magnitude of his achievement and what all the publicity he’s had all means. Everytime he gets a new award he says the same thing, ‘What have I done so special to deserve this? I’ve only done a blooming triathlon!’

What’s next for Bailey in triathlon? Will he be racing more Castle Ti Series events?

Bailey is really looking forward to next season. We’re lining up to do the full Castle Tri Series next season, which should be a great adventure for us all. Bailey is particularly looking forward to his open-water swim training as this is his favourite discipline.

Who are Bailey’s own sporting heroes?

Bailey doesn’t have any sporting heroes. The only famous person he knows of and follows is Dave Grohl from the band The Foo Fighters as this is his favourite band. Bailey was truly heartbroken when Dave fell off stage and broke his leg. But he’s a good hero to have as he showed the same grit and determination and got back up and carried on playing!

And what are Bailey’s interests away from tri?

His interests away from sport are learning the guitar, piano and drums. He also writes his own short stories and has a keen interest in law as his uncle is a barrister, and they spend loads of time talking about law and the ins and outs of it.

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For more on the Castle Tri Series, head to http://www.castletriathlonseries.co.uk/

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“Let Lance Armstrong race Kona” says Ironman legend Dave Scott

Armstrong is making headlines once more, having recently revealed in a podcast with Movember Men’s Health that it was the way he “mistreated people” that he regrets the most from his time dominating (and cheating his way) to seven Tour de France victories.

Armstrong also polarised opinion at a 35km trail race he won at the weekend in California, with Joe Gray, a US national trail-running champion, taking to Facebook to air his distain:

“Race directors allowing him into racing need to understand that it’s not because of his doping alone that he is not welcome. It’s because of the things he did outside of doping and the fact that he could influence others to take the negative plunge he once took.”

On 220’s Facebook page, we posed the question of whether Armstrong should be allowed to compete when his ban is lifted in August 2016, and garnered some fascinating responses ranging from yes’s, to definitive no’s, to indifference and back again. Here’s our pick of the comments…

For

Despite many commenters supporting or wanting Armstrong’s return, many still had contempt for the man himself: 

Whilst others had respect for Armstrong’s ability regardless of his past, or claimed that his presence could actually strengthen testing procedures in tri:

Against

For others it was simply a straightforward ‘no’, with potential damage to triathlon’s image cited as one of the reasons:

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Indifference

Others believed the furore surrounding Armstrong has gone on too long, and regardless of what happens it’s time for sport, and the triathlon community, to move on: 

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Look out for more opinion and coverage of the Lance Armstrong debate on our website in the new year – for now, do you have anything more to add to the points made above?

Sport England’s Active People Survey measures the number of people taking part in sport across the nation. It reaches 165,000 adults (age 14 and over) and began in 2005/6. Findings are published every six months.

Participants report their individual activities, such as swimming, cycling and running, so measuring triathlon data accurately is problematic. The number of individuals participating in triathlon is recognised to be well in excess of 100,000 on an annual basis.

While this number isn’t picked up by the Active People Survey, there was a 38% rise since last year in the number reporting that they were taking part in triathlon on a monthly basis; an increase from 9,700 to 13,400.

OW SWIMMING GROWTH

Furthermore, there has been a 5% growth in participation in open-water swimming. Female participation levels in sport have risen, which is being attributed in part to the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign. There are now 148,700 more women playing sport and getting active once a week, every week, than there were a year ago.

British Triathlon Chief Executive Jack Buckner added: “These are encouraging figures from Sport England, and our internal indicators are all positive too. Home Nations membership has reached its highest ever level, with Triathlon England membership having risen 9.8% since this time last year.

“GO TRI has introduced a lot of new people to triathlon. There were 10,000 race starts in GO TRI events this year, and 47% of those registered on the GO TRI website are female. In fact, our highest participation growth area is women over 55, which is hugely encouraging and demonstrates the broad appeal of participating in triathlon.

“Increased participation in triathlon is one of the major strands of our recently launched vision for sport to 2024. So we’re pleased with the positive indicators that have been released by Sport England via the Active People Survey.”

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Image: Colin Baldwin/Castle Tri Series

With two million inhabitants, Manaus is one of the few cities in the world that can combine forest preservation and a high economic development with one of the largest industrial parks in the country, international hotel chains and shopping malls. The historic centre is marked by the beautiful buildings and sumptuous palaces. Among them, the Amazonas Theatre is the ultimate iconic symbol that gave Manaus its fame as the ‘Paris of the Tropics’.

The start of the event couldn’t be in a better place: the beach of Ponta Negra – the most famous postcards of the North part of Brazil. Bathed by the Black River, with calm and warm waters, the location is ideal for the first stage of the race: 1.9km of swimming.

Then athletes follow the two-lap 90km bike leg along the Ponta Negra waterfront. Another unique experience is the biking across the Rio Negro Bridge, the second largest river bridge in the world, at 3,595m long. From there, athletes can enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the river. Heading back to Ponta Negra, it’s time to face the 21km race on a flat course.

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The inaugural Challenge Amazonia will take place on 20 March 2016 with further information and entries available at www.challenge-amazonia.com

Challenge Vietnam will run alongside Nha Trang’s six kilometre stretch of coastline with its white sandy beaches, clear waters and an abundance of marine life, verdant mountain ranges at each end, as well as an archipelago of 19 untouched islands just a short boat ride away.

The region – situated on the country’s south-eastern coast and an hour flight from the major Ho Chi Minch City – also offers host of sightseeing and recreational activities with the town itself full of breath-taking architecture dating back to the ancient Champa Kingdom, Buddhist temples as well as natural hot springs, salt fields and majestic waterfalls.

The race will begin with a 1.9km swim in the tropical waters of the beautiful beaches of Nha Trang City, followed by a 90km bike ride, which takes athletes to see the sights and sounds of Nha Trang City. The race culminates with a 21km run along Nha Trang City’s coastline strip

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For further information, visit www.challengevietnam.com

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None of us could’ve expected that Bailey would make such an impact – but at the same time – what everybody saw on that Saturday in July at the Castle Howard tri was nothing that his family hadn’t seen before. I think it’s fair to say that we’ve all become desensitised to his indomitable spirit and ability to overcome.

It’s also fair to say that he hasn’t achieved any of this alone; there are many people who have played a huge part in creating the enigma that is Bailey Matthews!

Starting with his parents Jono and Julie; they never wrapped him in cotton wool and have always encouraged him to overcome his disability. There were times when he was very small, he had bruises on his face, lumps, cuts and bumps on his head because he was allowed to live a ‘normal life’. As a result, Julie would worry about what school and medical professionals who came into contact with him might think – but neither parent has sought to curtail his determination to have a go at anything and everything. They encouraged him to do whatever his older brother did; swimming, indoor climbing, gymnastics ­ you name it, he’s done it.

parkrun participation

Another group who played a big part in his development as an athlete have been the Clumber Park parkrun team. They embraced Bailey’s participation at the run and made him feel as though he was as good as any other participant – even before he started doing it ‘independently’.

When he first started doing the parkrun, Jono and I would take turns pushing him around in a mobility pushchair (a big baby jogger). It wasn’t long before he said that he wanted to ‘do it himself’ – and he did. The walker had tiny, three-inch diameter wheels for ordinary terrain; he walked a bit and did some in the pushchair on the tough parkrun mixed terrain.

 The very next week, Jono found an engineering company who modified the walker and fitted new chunky, all-terrain wheels. That week he did the run alone under his own steam. At the end of the lap – long after everybody else had finished – many people stayed behind and formed a tunnel, giving him the Mexican wave, a massive round of applause and the look on his face was priceless. Everybody present had a lump in their throat and a tear in their eye.

Whenever I walked around the course with him, you couldn’t help but be humbled. The fact that every runner that passed him shouted encouragement gave him a high-five or ruffled his hair – that sort of attention and camaraderie is something I wished every youngster could experience in sport.

No easy option

Bailey was in tears when Jono and I left for the 2014 London Triathlon. I recall Jono telling me on the journey that Bailey said he wanted to do a triathlon and that he had ordered him a wetsuit. Jono also that he would need to get in the water with Bailey and the Castle Howard team were very accommodating. I expected that when it came to it, they’d turn around and say ‘the rules won’t allow it’ or ‘our insurers won’t cover us for his participation’ or ‘health and safety’ – but, no, Jono entered Bailey for the Castle Howard event and Bailey started his training. It’d have been so easy for them to rely on one of the aforementioned excuses, to take the easy option. Far from it, they were not only amenable; they went out of their way to make it happen.

Bailey was excited and committed; he went open-water swimming, his dad got him a little indoor spin bike and he continued to do the parkrun. But I still expected that, when it came to it, someone would pull the plug and he wouldn’t be allowed to participate.

Bailey’s character and indomitable spirit means he knows he isn’t going to finish in first place and he’s likely to be last – but he enjoys it anyway. Something I wish I had – an ability to participate for the love of it! All too often we put barriers up because we’re scared of how we will perform; that we’ll not perform to standards that we are able to meet or exceed. But then you look at Bailey and realise that if he does it, why don’t we do it?

He’s an inspiration – and he doesn’t realise it. To him it’s just ‘a bit of fun’ – but he is still competitive!

Of course I’ve seen Bailey complain that he has a blister or a sore hand (from holding his walker) – but what I’ve never seen is him complain because he isn’t able-bodied. I don’t think Bailey sees himself as disabled or incapable (partly because his mum, dad and others – the parkrun crew or the Castle Howard team – have always made it possible for him to do whatever he wants).

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I think Bailey sees his disability the way that able-bodied people see their limitations; he may not be as quick as others – but it doesn’t mean he can’t do it, it just means he’s limited as to how good he can be. If nobody else, he can compete against himself and do that because he enjoys it. That’s how Bailey sees his Cerebral Palsy.

He’s an incredible little lad, as his dad has said, he’s an author, a singer/songwriter, computer expert, an entrepreneur and a quasi-lawyer. He’s easily inspired, incredibly enthusiastic about whatever he does, has incredible self-confidence and absolute determination.

Tri impact

The attention and the accolades that he’s received are unexpected but thoroughly deserved. I just hope he continues to make this impact on triathlon and the world of sport. I know that he is determined to do all of the Castle Triathlon series next year and the team have been absolutely fabulous with him.

One person who has perhaps been overlooked for their part on that day was the compere. If you watch the clip captured by his other uncle; those words really built-up that finish – and I always find myself coming back to them, ‘see what happens when we all come together’.

That really sums it up; it’s taken a lot of people to make that happen: his mum and dad, Redlands School in Worksop, the Movement Centre who have treated Bailey, the parkrun crew who gave him his first taste of organised sport and the Castle Triathlon team who made it possible for him to do a ‘real’ multi-sport event.

I’m convinced Bailey will continue to ‘push it’ each time he’s out there and that he will become increasingly independent – expect to see him abandoning the walker more often – or pushing away a helping hand from dad!

Despite all the attention, Bailey hasn’t changed at all. Im sure he will continue to be a cheerful, confident and cheeky little chap. Bailey doesn’t realise the attention he’s had and the magnitude of these awards and accolades. I remember after Pride of Britain – I spoke to him on the phone, all he wanted to do was talk about a new computer that one of his fellow Pride of Britain award winners had sent him. I suspect that one day, he will look back on it and find it difficult to believe just how big it all was – but for now, it’s just another day meeting new people.

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I feel privileged to be Bailey’s uncle – he’s an inspiration to me and I just hope that he continues to be as determined, as cheerful, as confident and as able as he is!