Posted: July 28, 2004

Triathlon: 2004 Canadian Olympic Triathlon Team

Olympic Team (l-r) Brent McMahon, Jill Savege, Simon Whitfield, Carol Montgomery, Samantha McGlone - Photo courtesy: Wei Yew, Edmonton

Olympic Head Coach - Lance Watson

Lance Watson is currently Head Coach of the PacificSport National Triathlon Centre in Victoria. A Human Kinetics graduate he has had the opportunity to work with and be mentored by numerous world-class swim, bike, run and triathlon coaches and liaise with many of the top professionals in the sport.

Lance has coached at the 2000 Olympics, 2002 Commonwealth Games and 2003 Pan American Games. Lance has been awarded the "Triathlon Canada Elite Coach Of The Year" for four consecutive years from 2000-2003.

Olympic Team Leader - Paul Regensburg

Paul Regensburg is the Director and Coach of the National Triathlon Centre in Victoria at the PacificSport Canadian Sport Centre. He holds a BPHE degree from the University of Toronto and a National Coaching Institute diploma as a Master Triathlon Coach. Paul was instrumental in building of the National Triathlon Centre and the development of Triathlon Canada's high performance programs

Paul was a Team Coach for Canada's Gold Medal winning triathlon teams at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and 2003 Pan American Games. In 2000, he provided support in Australia for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Triathlon Team that brought home Canada's first ever Triathlon Gold Medal. Paul also provided the color commentary for CBC's Olympic Triathlon coverage of Simon Whitfield's historic sprint finish in front of the Sydney Opera House.

Olympic Team Member - Brent McMahon

Birth date: Sept 17, 1980
Residence: Victoria, BC
Current ITU Ranking: 37th

Following a successful junior career, Brent has established himself as an upcoming athlete at the elite level. He completed the third, and final, of his Canadian Olympic Committee standards in 2004 at the ITU Tongyeong World Cup. He also proved his fitness and demonstrated he was in good form to represent Canada at the Olympic Games with a win in the San Andreas International Triathlon. Following an injury plagued 2003 season, Brent has thus far remained healthy throughout the 2004 season.

Olympic Team Member - Carol Montgomery

Birth date: August 24, 1966
Residence: Vancouver, BC
Current ITU Ranking: 23rd

Carol Montgomery is still regarded as one of the fastest runners on the ITU circuit. She was also the only triathlete to qualify for the Sydney Olympic Games in two sports; triathlon and the 10,000 meter Athletic events - an accomplishment of which she is immensely proud.

One of the Olympic Games pre-race favourites in the Sydney Olympics, she suffered a bike crash where she broke her wrist and was unable to complete the course. The injury also prevented her from competing in the 10,000 metres track event. Just prior to the 2000 Olympic Games Carol was a fast-closing second in the shortened course at the 2000 Perth ITU World Championships. It is notable that she underwent major leg surgery late in 1999 – only a few months before that second-place finish in Perth.

In 2002 Carol joined teammate Simon Whitfield to make it a double gold medal triathlon victory for Canada at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

Top Results

Gold Medal – 2002 Commonwealth Games
1st – 2001 St. Anthony’s ITU World Cup
1st – 2001 Yamaguchi ITU World Cup
1st  - 2000 Toronto ITU World Cup
2nd - 2003 Salford ITU World Cup 
2nd – 2003 Rio ITU World Cup
2nd - 2000 Perth ITU World Championships 
3rd – 2003 Geelong ITU World Cup

Olympic Team Member - Jill Savege

Birth date: March 17, 1974
Residence: Penticton, BC
Current ITU Ranking: 9th

Jill Savege started her competitive triathlon career in long distance events but exploded onto the international triathlon scene in 2001 – when she placed a phenomenal 6th place in her first ever ITU Triathlon World Championships. She was the top Canadian finisher and a crowd favourite as the event was held in Edmonton, Canada. She went on to have a remarkable 2002 season, including four World Cup podium finishes – two of them wins. Jill’s success continued throughout the 2003 season and she found herself on top of the World Cup podium again in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and as the 2003 Pan American Games triathlon Champion.

Jill’s fourth place finish in the 2003 Athens ITU World Cup also demonstrated that she is well suited for the grueling hills of the Athens Olympic triathlon course. A strong swimmer and cyclist, Jill performs well on more difficult courses. Focusing on the Olympic competition, Jill has limited her racing this year. In her first race of the year, the Tongyeong ITU World Cup in Korea, she finished third.

Currently Jill is coached by Brendon Downey of New Zealand who has relocated to Jill’s hometown of Penticton to assist in her preparations for Athens. Her personal website is www.jillsavege.com

Top Results

Gold Medal – 2003 Pan American Games
1st – 2003 Corner Brook ITU World Cup
1st – 2002 Hamburg ITU World Cup
1st – 2002 Makuhari ITU World Cup
2nd – 2002 Cancun Aquathlon World Championships
3rd – 2004 Tongyeong ITU World Cup
6th – 2001 Edmonton ITU Triathlon World Championships

Olympic Team Member - Samantha McGlone

Birth date: July 19, 1979
Residence: Montreal, Quebec
Current ITU Ranking: 14th

Samantha McGlone achieved the final spot on the Canadian Olympic team traveling to Athens with a dramatic run in the 2004 Edmonton ITU World Cup – the final day of qualification!. Samantha impressed the fans in Edmonton by overcoming a near two minute deficit following the bike and putting in a phenomenal run performance, during a hail storm, to seize the third Canadian women’s Olympic spot. Samantha has demonstrated that she is a gutsy competitor and an upcoming athlete to watch.

Having recently completed her Bachelor of Education degree in Kinesiology at McGill University, she has started to make her mark on the World Cup circuit. Her 4th place finish in the 2004 Mazatlan ITU World Cup, against a strong field of athletes, clearly established her as a threat for the podium.

Top Results

2nd – 1999 Montreal Triathlon World Championships (16 – 19)
4th – 2004 Mazatlan ITU World Cup
5th – 2003 Cancun ITU World Cup
6th – 2003 Makuhari ITU World Cup
8th – 2003 Rio ITU World Cup
14th – 2002 Cancun ITU World Championships (U23)

Olympic Team Member - Simon Whitfield

Birth date: May 16, 1975
Residence: Victoria, BC
Current ITU Ranking: 3rd

Simon Whitfield made history in September, 2000 when he became the first man to win a Triathlon Olympic Gold Medal. In the Sydney Olympic Games Simon came from behind in the final stretch of the run with a phenomenal kick that captured Olympic Gold and the attention of the country. Prior to Sydney, Simon wasn’t a favourite for the win, but in the past four years he has proven himself one of the fastest runners on the ITU Triathlon circuit and a determined athlete always in contention for the podium.

Some of his many credits since the Olympic Games include a Commonwealth Games title, seven ITU World Cup wins, an induction into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame and runner up as Canadian Athlete of the Year (2000).

In 2004 he has proven his fitness with wins in the Mazatlan ITU World Cup and the Honolulu ITU International triathlon. He will take his position on the Athens Olympic start line as a favourite for Olympic Gold and with the full support of his country.

Simon trains out of the National Triathlon Training Centre in Victoria and is coached by Lance Watson. He is always quick to point out that he is a graduate of the Triathlon Canada Kids of Steel programme and is extremely supportive of youth involvement in triathlon. Another cause close to his heart is his involvement as a spokesperson for the MS Society of Canada.

Top Results

Gold Medal – 2000 Sydney Olympic Games
1st – 2004 Mazatlan ITU World Cup
1st – 2003 Edmonton ITU World cup
1st – 2003 New York ITU World cup
1st - 2002 Commonwealth Games
1st – 2002 Edmonton ITU World Cup
1st – 2002 Corner Brook ITU World Cup

From: TriathlonCanada.com.