Race Day approaching in Mooloolaba, Australia

Team BG athletes get advice from the experts

Leo Chacon (CRC) and Javier Cuevas (DOM) testing waters on day before World Cup

The first BG World Cup event of the 2008 season gets underway on Sunday March 3oth in Mooloolaba, Australia. This is also the first Team BG event of the season. The conditions are slightly cooler than for the 2007 event but the waves of the Mooloolaba coast still offer their usual challenge.

Team BG lines up for first World Cup Events of 2008

Leonardo Chacon (Costa Rica) and Libby at final party of the 2007 Beijing BG Triathlon World Cup

Team BG will line up in Mooloolaba, Australia for the first World Cup of the 2008 season. Lisa Norden (SWE); Svetlana Blazevic (SERBIA); Loenardo Chacon (CRC); Chris Felgate (ZIM); Dan Alterman (ISR and Javier Cuevas (DOM) make up the group for the first Team BG event of the year. They will be supported by Diana Palmer (Physio); Jeff Donaldson (Bike Mechanic); Jamie Turner (Coach); Craig Redman (Coach); Roberto Solano (mentor coach);Morgan Inglis (ITU Media) and Libby Burrell (Team Manager). The team will be in Australia for a week and then fly on to New Plymouth, New Zealand for the second World Cup event of the season. They will be joined in New Plymouth by Omara Tayara (SYRIA) who flies into New Zealand directly from an Asian Cup Event.

Nigeria Represented at 2008 African Triathlon Championships

Nigeria (Victor Aladdin) represented for the first time at the African Triathlon Championships

A Nigerian delegation of administrators, coaches and athletes attended the African Triathlon Championships for the first time in the history of the sport. Under careful leadership of their president, Dr. Lanre Glover, a well known sports administrator and member of the international sports medicine commission, the group travelled to Yasmine -Hammamet, Tunisia. Nigeria also recently entered their first ever team to participate in the ITU World Championships in Vancouver, Canada in june of this year.

Nigeria is one of the BG Asset Area projects and they have used the support of BG Group and ITU Sport Development to develop the sport in Nigeria. ITU Sport Development staff will travel to Lagos,Nigeria inDecember 2008 to work with the federation on coaching, technical and event management projects.

Namibia's Rising Star - Abrahm Louw

Abrahm Louw at the finish line of the 2008 African Championships in Tunisia

Abrahm Louw raced his way to the start line of the World Championships in Vancouver in June 2008 with an incredible performance at the recent African Championshships in Hammamet, Tunisia winning the U17 category and placing 4th overall Junior in the U19 category. This young 15 year old is pure class and Namibia can be rightfully excited about his future. It is exciting to see another African Nation making inroads into elite level racing!

Great day of racing in Tunisia - 2008 African Championships

Host hotel in Yasmine -Hammamet, Tunisia

Mari Rabie in full flight heading out on the run.

Libby Burrell and Gergely Markus at race hotel in Tunisia

Tunisia Triathlon Federation played host to the 2008 African Triathlon Championships and while the weather was uncharacteristically cold the racing was exciting and the race course itself proved itself to be a prospective World Cup venue for sure. Hendrik De Villiers and Mari Rabie ran out worthy winners with Mari winning the title by over 3 minutes from Kate Roberts but Hendrik had to fight hard for his victory after being chased down by Erhard Worlfaardt who made his intentions known coming within 10 seconds of a victory. Ashley Finaughty (Zimbabwe) had a great race winning the junior girl's category and Wikus Weber (RSA) lead from the gun to the finish winning his first ever African Championship title. Abrahm Louw (Namibia) walked away with the boy's under 17 title and earned himself a start at the World Championships in Vancouver in June.

Stellenbosch - A Training Destination of choice

Stellenbosch, South Africa has been a hive of triathlon activity for several national and international triathletes this summer. This beautiful town in the winelands of the Western Cape has become a training destination of choice for triathetes from all over the world.

This week Javier Gomez (ESP), Tim Don (GB), Rici Lisk (GER), Richy Nicholls (GB), Erhard Wolfaardt (RSA) and Vicky Van Der Merwe (RSA) all lined up for a popular 10km night race in Stellenbosch, South Africa and did the triathletes proud. Javier recorded an excellent sub 30 minute performance to take overall third place with Tim Don not too far behind. Erhard was on a mission to record a good 5km time for the first half of the run and did just that with a sub 15 minute run showing the form he needs going into African Champs next week. Rici Lisk of Germany won the women's race in a fine 35 minute run and young Vicky Van der Merwe (still a junior) took overall 4th place in her first ever 10km run in a time of just over 37 minutes.

Photo: Erhard Wolfaardt and Mari Rabie after a swim session on Thursday in Stellenbosch

Kleinmond - Running Paradise

Photos: View from running trails on Heuningklip Protea Farm in Kleinmond, RSA.

After another fabulous run today, I thought it was time for me to share some images from my running paradise - Kleinmond, South Africa. How many people get the chance to hop onto trails just 100m from their front door and run for miles and miles with only the trails, the wild flowers, bird life and small buck in sight. Kleinmond has become my little running paradise and a wonderful working retreat when I am not jetting to any one or other ITU- BG Sport Development activity.