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Portugal's capital city of Lisbon will host the ETU European Triathlon Championships this coming weekend, and the Corus Great Britain team are flying out today in preparation for the weekend's competition.
Last year's World Championships fifth place finisher, Will Clarke, will head the Corus British Triathlon senior men's squad in Lisbon and will be joined by 2007 junior European Triathlon Champion, Alistair Brownlee, and 2006 World Aquathlon Champion, Richard Stannard.
Clarke said on his selection: "I'm really looking forward to racing in Lisbon. It's a nice city and the triathlon course is unique because the transition area is inside one of the major sports centres, so the atmosphere is electric. With home favourite and world champion, Vanessa Fernandes racing in the women's event the Portuguese are going to raise the roof."
The Corus British Triathlon women's team will consist of world cup regulars Jodie Swallow and Kerry Lang, as well as the top British finishers from the Pontevedra European Cup race in Spain, Abbie Thorrington and Vanessa Raw.
Last year's junior bronze medallist, Kirsty McWilliam, heads a strong girl's squad which includes 2007 World Championship performer Jodie Stimpson, as well as Vicky Graves and Rebecca Milne. Reigning European Champion, Hollie Avil, will not defend her title as she looks to the Olympic qualifying race in Madrid two weeks after the Championships.
Alistair Brownlee's younger brother, Jonathan will be hoping to maintain family success in the junior men's competition alongside the improving Matt Sharp and Jeremy Gilmour.
Although principle media focus will be on the elite competitors in Lisbon, Great Britain are also sending a team of 157 Age Group (amateur) triathletes to the Portuguese capital to race against their European counterparts.
The Age Group team includes Mark Hayman, a six time Yachting European Champion, who took up triathlon in 2006, and Katy Granville-Chapman who is a former Great Britain synchronised swimmer.
John Robinson will make his tenth Great Britain Age Group start having raced for his country across all duathlon and triathlon distances. He has been the Great Britain Shooting Team reserve for two Olympic Games and is also a Commonwealth Gold Medallist. He hopes to qualify for the Beijing Olympics at a World Cup event in the USA later this year.
About British Triathlon
British Triathlon is the National Governing Body for triathlon, the UK’s fastest growing sport. At international level Great Britain boasts a strong squad of world ranked elite triathletes who regularly achieve international success and has some outstanding young talent emerging from its development programmes. Since becoming an Olympic sport in 2000, British Triathlon has seen annual increases in membership numbers of 10%. There are over 650 triathlon events conducted in Great Britain each year, including the Corus Elite Series which attracts athletes from all over the world and the renowned Mazda London Triathlon and. For more information visit BritishTriathlon.org.
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