Great Britain’s Age-Group and Elite athletes will be seeking success this weekend as Challenge Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl in the Austrian Tyrol hosts the European Middle Distance Championships
A large GB Age-Group squad has been attracted to Austria and they will be seeking to match the returns achieved at last years European Championship event held in Rimini, where the team returned with eight Gold, four Silver and eight Bronze medals.
Of those who reached the top step of the podium last year, four athletes; Jamie Davies (M20-24), Elizabeth Richardson (F40-44), Peter Eggleston (M45-49) and Melissa Dowell (F50-54), all return to try and defend their titles.
Other notable athletes to look out for who will be hoping to join them in that objective, include Simone Dailey (F25-29) and Gill Fullen (F50-54).
Twice a podium finisher at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii, Simone Dailey is now getting back to full fitness and form after an extended period of injury. Second overall at the British Middle Distance Championships earlier this season, a fully fit Dailey has bike speed that few can match. Despite her Ironman success, this will be Simone’s first representation in the GB Age-Group team.
Unlike Simone, Gill Fullen is no stranger to success in GB colours. Having already taken Gold this season at the ITU Duathlon World Championships in Aviles and the ETU Long Distance Duathlon European Championships in Copenhagen, Fullen has gained eight Gold and two Silver medals in her ten international appearances to date. That success at European and World Championship level has been achieved at everything from Sprint Distance Duathlon to Long Distance Triathlon. An ETU Middle Distance Triathlon Championship title is one of the few she hasn’t yet collected.
The Great Britain Elite team will have strong hopes of success too. The Men’s team consists of the talented duo of David McNamee and Joe Skipper, who finished 11th and 13th respectively at the 2015 Ironman World Championships. McNamee has earned wins this year over the distance at Challenge Galway and Challenge Poznan, while Skipper made headlines with his performance at Challenge Roth as the first British athlete to break the eight hour mark for an iron-distance triathlon. This race will form a key stepping-stone for both athletes, as they will be returning to Hawaii once again next month.
Italy’s Giulio Molinari has taken Gold and Silver at this championship over the past two seasons, while home athlete Thomas Steger (fifth in Rimini last year), will want to impress the home supporters.
The Great Britain women’s Elite entrant is Kim Morrison. With three podium finishes on the Ironman 70.3 circuit already in 2016, Morrison has made a great transition from top Age-Group athlete to established Elite. Particularly strong on the bike, Morrison will have her eyes focussed on the front end of the race in her first Elite Great Britain representation.
Walchsee ETU Challenge Middle Distance Triathlon European Championships
Sunday 4 September 2016
Race website: View here
Full start lists: View here
Great Britain Elite athletes racing:
#7 – Joe Skipper (M-Pro)
#22 – David McNamee (M-Pro)
#64 – Kim Morrison (F-Pro)
#81 – Iain Dawson (M- PT5)
Schedule (local time):
09:00 – Elite Men start
09:05 – Elite Women start
09:15 – Age-Group start
09:35 – Paratriathlon start
