Posted: June 22, 2007

Triathlon: Tim Don looks to Copenhagen for European Triathlon Championship success

World Champion Tim Don will head the Corus British Triathlon team at next Saturday’s ITU European Triathlon Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. The 16 athlete strong British squad includes three reigning World Champions: Don (senior), Will Clarke (under 23) and Alistair Brownlee (junior) as well as Andrew Johns, who took a bronze medal at last year’s European Championships in Autun, France. The women’s team features World Duathlon silver medallist Michelle Dillon, and National Triathlon Champion, Julie Dibens. Andrea Whitcombe, who was the top European at the BG Triathlon World Cup in Des Moines, USA last weekend, will also be looking to step onto the podium. Rosie Clarke and Abbie Thorrington will make their senior team debuts having impressed as under 23 athletes. Emerging young talent, Hollie Avil, who impressively won the Corus Elite race at Strathclyde Park, Scotland, ahead of Dillon and Andrea Whitcombe, fronts the junior squad along with Alistair Brownlee who will be hoping to improve on his European bronze medal from 2006. Strong competition will come from the Germans, Spanish, French and Portuguese, who will be represented by strong favourite Vanessa Fernandes in the women’s race. Main contenders in the men’s race include Javier Gomez from Spain, and reigning European Champion, France’s Frederic Belaubre. The fight for medals will be tough, but as British Triathlon Programme Performance Director, Heather Williams, commented: “We have selected a team with proven championship ability and outstanding potential. It will be tough to match our haul of three gold medals from last year’s World Championships, but I am optimistic that we won’t come away empty handed” The Corus British Triathlon Team: Senior Men Age From Coach Will Clarke 22 Cambridge Dan Salcedo Tim Don 29 London   Olly Freeman 21 Eastbourne   Stuart Hayes 28 London   Andrew Johns 33 Peterborough   Senior Women       Rosie Clarke 20 Cambridge Chris Jones Julie Dibens 32 Bath   Michelle Dillon 34 Bath   Abbie Thorrington 20 Ipswich   Andrea Whitcombe 36 Harrow   Junior Boys       Alistair Brownlee 19 Leeds Ben Bright Jonathan Brownlee 17 Leeds   Aaron Harris 19 Basingstoke   Mark Threlfall 19 Melksham   Junior Girls       Hollie Avil 17 Northampton Ben Bright Kirsty McWilliam 19 Glasgow   Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest