Canadian Olympic Team Coach Joel Filliol has posted some thoughts on his blog on the Canadian team selection and the recent controversy within the triathlon community…

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I posted this on Slowtwitch just now, and I imagine there are some people out there wondering if I was going to weigh in on the Canadian team selection, so here you go:

Joel Filliol here, Canadian Olympic Team Coach, I also sit on the olympic selection committee (High performance committee), and I am also personal coach to Simon, Colin, Kyle and Paul, as well as running Brent’s swim program.

I want to make this clear: this is my team, my decisions and I am accountable for every step of the process, including the results we have in Beijing. Its my ass on the line if things don’t go well. If the athletes don’t perform in Beijing, they move on to the next race, I on the other hand may be looking for a new job.
You and others may disagree with my decisions, but don’t make it personal with the athletes. Simon doesn’t run trican (although his results alone have made it possible for us to support a whole national team program). I stand by the team selections and make no apologies that we are going for gold and we are behind Simon 100%. Colin and Paul were selected to give us the strongest team possible, and I am very confident that Paul will also have an excellent overall individual result while contributing to the team effort for a medal.

Continue reading on Joel’s blog …

The following is an update from the ITU on the men and women’s Olympic field or Beijing. 37 countries in total will be represented in the triathlon at this summer’s games.

Vancouver, Canada (June 10, 2008) - The International Triathlon Union has issued the preliminary number of Olympic triathlon spots each country has earned with the conclusion of the Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships this past weekend, the final event in ITU’s 2-year Olympic qualifying period. Only eight countries may send the maximum three men and three women to the Beijing Olympic Games.

The Olympic fields are capped at 55 men and 55 women. In all, 37 different countries will be represented at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games triathlon. An increase on the 32 countries represented in Athens in 2004.

The top countries in the women’s Olympic rankings that will send the maximum of three women to Beijing are:
1 - United States
2 - New Zealand
3 - Germany
4 - Australia
5 - Japan
6 - Switzerland
7 - Canada
8 - Austria

With Sarah Haskins’ silver medal at world championships, the United States leapt to the top of the standings. Kate Allen’s eighth place finish at the world championships, coupled with a poor performance by France’s Marion Lorblanchet and the absence of Britain’s Michelle Dillon, pulled Austria ahead of France and Great Britain for the final place.

The top countries in the men’s Olympic rankings that will send the maximum of three men to Beijing are:
1 - New Zealand
2 - Germany
3 - Great Britain
4 - France
5 - United States
6 - Switzerland
7 - Russia
8 - Canada

Going into the men’s world championship race on Sunday, four countries were in a fierce battle for the final three spots. However, Australia struggled in Vancouver and for the first time will not send a full men’s team to the Olympics. In contrast, for the first time Canada and Russia will be able to send three men to Beijing.

Click here for a full list of countries who have qualified to compete in the triathlon competition of the Beijing Olympic Games.

National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have until July 6 to inform ITU of use of qualification places. Many National Federations have already nominated athletes however, all Olympic teams will be official on July 6. A continually updated list of nominated athletes is available at ITU’s Olympic site.

Click here for ITU’s official Olympic site

The following is a request from a person looking for information on triathlon camps in the lower mainland this summer. If anybody out there has any information please comment on this post.

"Hi, I am an entry level triathlete and am looking for a triathlon camp(s) to do this summer. I’d like to go anywhere in length from 2 to several days. I have completed a half ironman in 2002 in 7 hours."

"Do you know of any upcoming camps in your area/abroad, and what would an appropriate camp level be for me?"

From CBC Sports - Spain’s Javier Gomez used a strong performance in the men’s elite event to earn the gold medal at the triathlon world championship Sunday in Vancouver. Victoria’s Simon Whitfield, the defending Olympic gold medallist, crossed the finish line in sixth place.

Whitfield started out strong but admitted to fading somewhat as the race progressed. He was the first man out of the water and stayed within a pack of about 15 men as he made the transition from biking to running. Running is usually Whitfield’s strength, but on Sunday he dropped back in the pack.

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"Some of the world’s top athletes had to seek medical attention after competing in what may have been the coldest swim in World Championship Triathlon history in downtown Vancouver." - CBC Sports.

This week sees the BG Triathlon World Championships in Vancouver with elites racing this Sunday. For those living in and around Vancouver, its no secret that the weather has some people feeling its January, not June. Nevertheless this weekend’s events are scheduled to go ahead as planned, with the exception of the opening ceremonies and parade of nations, which have been postponed until further notice (news as of Friday evening).

A number of Canadian athletes will be fighting for a spot on this summer’s Beijing Olympic team, including Kirsten Sweetland , Paul Tichelaar and Colin Jenkins . Only two spots each remain for male and female athletes on the team. Victoria’s Simon Whitfield and Vancouver’s Lauren Groves have already qualified for the team.

Over 2700 athletes are racing in the event between Thursday and Sunday.

If you interested in checking out the event, one of the better places to be is near 2nd beach where you can watch the swim exit and transitions between the swim and the bike and the bike and the run. The finish line is also nearby at Denman and Beach Ave. Try not to drive as parking will be a nightmare.

Links of interest:

• Live online coverage
• Event Schedule
• TV coverage

This information is courtesy of Joel Filliol’s Blog …

This Saturday beginning at 11:30am CBC is airing 2 hours of triathlon coverage, including Simon Whitfield’s gold medal performance at the Ishigaki BG Triathlon World Cup last month and Carolyn Murray’s first-ever World Cup gold medal win at the Richards Bay BG Triathlon World Cup in South Africa a few weeks ago. On June 14th CBC will also air the June 5-8 Vancouver World Championships.

Globeandmail.com introduces Olympic triathlon champion Simon Whitfield as a regular Right to Play blogger leading up to the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer. In addition to being one of the top triathletes in the world, the Victoria native is also an Athlete Ambassador for the international humanitarian organization Right To Play. Headquartered in Toronto, Right To Play uses sport and play programs to improve health, build life skills and foster peace for children and communities in the most disadvantaged areas of the world. In their roles as Right To Play Athlete Ambassadors, Simon and dozens of other top Canadian athletes inspire children, are role models for healthy lifestyle choices and help raise awareness and funding for Right To Play projects

Here’s his first entry:

A blog for globeandmail.com by a guy who runs around in his swimsuit for a living . . .

Colin Jenkins, a Canadian ITU athlete training for the Beijing Olympics, has just written his third installment of his popular Road to Beijing Series:

Last week the weather here in Victoria, BC was all over the place. We had some sun, some cloud, some wind, some rain, some hail, and an unusual amount of snow. OK, it was only like half a foot and it only lasted for half the day but snow in Victoria is rare, snow in Victoria at the end of April is ridiculous! This is the time of the year that the rest of Canada is supposed to be jealous of us because of all the sun and warmth we get … well not this year. The rest of the country is laughing at us, we are the ones waiting for the weather to warm up and get more Victoria-like. In the past there have been times when we have gone open water swimming in April, but unfortunately not this year. It just means more meters spent swimming at the "House of BAMF" (Crystal Pool) as coach Joel likes to refer to our local watering pit.

Read the rest at Slowtwitch.com . Part 1 and Part 2 are also available.

North Shore Athletics (located in North Vancouver) will be hosting a summer triathlon clinic this year designed to get you ready for the Vancouver Triathlon which is on September 1st. Swim workouts will be held once a week on Sunday evenings, run workouts will be held twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and bike workouts will be Saturday mornings.  If you are interested or require more information please send an email to Keith: keith@northshoreathletics.com.

The following message is from Jordan Back, the North Shore Spring Triathlon Volunteer Coordinator:

The 19th Annual North Shore Spring Triathlon is happening at Ron Andrews Rec Centre on Victoria Day, Monday May 19th, 2008 and we are in need of volunteers in several areas of the event, including: swim course, bike course, and the run course.

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The Slowtwitch website recently published an interview with Victoria Triathlete Kirsten Sweetland, who is currently in Tongyeong, Korea getting ready to complete in the 4th World Cup of the season. Below is a brief excerpt from the interview, to read all of it please visit the Slowtwitch website.

“ST: What is your favorite and least favorite food?

Kirsten: Favorite would have to be Licorice Allsorts and Espresso Chocolate chip muffins from a local coffee shop… I am a chocoholic! Least favorite would have to be anything spicy… I am a wimp that way!”

The latest interview by Chris Kelsall, this time with tri-phenom Kirsten Sweetland, a Triathlon Canada team member and medal hopeful for this summer’s Olympic games.

— Kirsten Sweetland, aka ‘Sweets’, who was raised on Vancouver Island, primarily in Nanaimo and Victoria, is about to take on the world. Well, she has already taken on the world and has come out on top, with some bumps and scrapes along the way. Now however, she is about to embark on her 2008 triathlon season with an eye on the big prize of Beijing.

Kirsten is of the generation of triathletes mentored through the Kids of Steel (KOS) program. Rather than being a swimmer or cyclist or runner who turned to triathlon, she is a triathlon purist. She started with KOS at the age of 6; however, she enjoyed playing many sports as well as dance and spent plenty of time on the beaches of Parksville, BC therefore she had an active upbringing.

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NOTE: Simon Whitfield has just posted a recap of the race on his blog

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From triathlon.org - Sydney Olympic Champion Simon Whitfield of Canada continues his quest for another Olympic title with a win at the Ishigaki BG Triathlon World Cup today. Whitfield showed a field of top Olympians that he still has kick in his legs to claim his 11th world cup title, in a time of 1 hour 51 minutes and 12 seconds. Close behind in second was 2007 big prize money winner Rasmus Henning of Denmark, 10 seconds back. Rounding out the podium was Russia’s Ivan Vasiliev another 11 seconds back, who just managed to outlast a charging Peter Robertson of Australia. In fifth was Britain’s Tim Don, who also ran back from over a minute deficit after the bike to finish in the top-5.

“That was good, a great way to start the year. I’ve been coming here for 12 years and never been close to the podium, “said Whitfield after his win, which ties him for second all-time world cup wins with Kiwi and fellow Olympic gold medalist Hamish Carter. “When I was running along I was thinking ‘Come on, this might be my last time here so I have to win this thing’. It’s my first win in Japan so it’s a thrill, never done that. “

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At the end of this month TRI-VI will be hosting a triathlon training camp in Victoria that will feature Ironman Canada Champion Jasper Blake and an assortment of other well known Victoria-based athletes. Details below:

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Featuring Jasper Blake, Ironman Champion & special guests:

• Oliver Blake - 2:30 Marathoner and 16th at Ironman Canada in 2007
• Jim Finlayson – 2:18 Marathoner and World Record holder in the Beer Mile
• Neil Harvey – National Triathlon Swim Coach, Level 4 master swim coach
• Elizabeth Peckham - Yoga expert and instructor of 12 years, Elizabeth leads many of the national team athletes through regular classes
• Kim McQueen – Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine and former varsity athlete
• Trevor Millar – Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Strength coach for several national teams.

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An article written by Vancouver Sun’s Gary Kingston and published Saturday April 05, 2008

As a city often characterized as being populated more by doers than watchers, it’s highly unlikely Vancouver will this June match the 600,000 who watched the 2007 triathlon world championships in Hamburg, Germany. But organizers of the 2008 worlds, which will attract 3,000-plus athletes in elite, junior, age-group and athletes with disabilities categories June 5-8, think it’s not unreasonable to expect more than 100,000 to be in the West End on the Sunday for the men’s and women’s races in the swim-bike-run discipline.

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Written by Cleve Dheensaw and published in the the Times Colonist, Thursday, March 27, 2008.

If you want to attract a crowd around these parts, just host running or cycling events and put out the call. As annual events such as the TC 10K, Royal Victoria Marathon and Bastion Square Criterium amply attest, it’s guaranteed you won’t be lonely. Organizers announced yesterday a combined 2,500 participants, 500 volunteers and 20,000 spectators are expected to be part of the 2008 Subaru West Coast Triathlon Series — a four-race series featuring half-Ironman distances. The races include the Shawnigan Lake International Triathlon on May 25, New Balance Victoria International Half Iron on June 22 at Elk Lake, the Vancouver International Triathlon July 13 at Spanish Banks and the Sooke International Triathlon on Sept. 14.

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From Runnerweb.com - The Subaru West Coast Triathlon Series features four exciting events hosted in beautiful locations across Canada’s west coast. Athletes of all abilities, from first-timers to the top elite athletes, will participate in different distances including Half Iron, Sprint, and Relay. The events will have a festival feel and include an expo, kid’s fun run, entertainment, and clinics hosted by top international coaches and athletes. The Series is managed by LifeSport, a company founded by Olympic Gold Medal and Ironman Champion Coaches Lance Watson and Paul Regensburg. LifeSport is the “Official Coaches of Ironman Worldwide”.

The Subaru West Coast Triathlon Series will kick off with Canada’s only May long distance triathlon in picturesque Shawnigan Lake featuring the Trans Canada trails. Next up will be the perennial sell-out New Balance Half Iron held on the edge of beautiful Victoria at scenic Elk Lake. In July, Vancouver will play host the third stop on the Series in the magnificent setting of the Spanish Banks beaches framed by the backdrop of the city skyline and panoramic North Shore Mountains. The final race in the Series will be contested in the beautiful ocean side community of Sooke on the south western tip of Vancouver Island.

2008 Subaru West Coast Triathlon Series Dates:

Race #1 – May 25 - Subaru Shawnigan Lake International Half Iron
Race #2 – June 22 - New Balance Victoria Half Iron
Race #3 – July 13 - Subaru Vancouver International Half Iron
Race #4 – Sept.14 - Subaru Sooke International Half Iron

LifeSport Coaching announced today that 2006 Ironman Canada Champion and Victoria resident Jasper Blake has confirmed that he will defend his title at the 2nd annual Subaru Shawnigan Lake International Half & Sprint Triathlon on May 25th, 2008. The race will serve as the Men’s Championship for the Subaru West Coast Triathlon Series and is Canada’s first outdoor long distance triathlon of the year. The event provides a true “west coast experience” and is one of the most picturesque triathlons in the world.

Jasper Blake has also confirmed to be the spokesperson for the Subaru West Coast Triathlon Series. The Series in its 2nd year has grown to include the very popular and sold-out New Balance Victoria Half and a Series Seasons Pass that allows entry to all of the races. The early registration deadline for the Shawnigan Lake event & the Series Seasons Pass is this Friday, February 29. Additional information and registration is available at www.LifeSport.ca.