Posted: June 17, 2006

Triathlon: Whitfield Gunning for 6th Title at Brampton Nationals

Simon Whitfield at the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in early June – Simon finished third

The 2006 HSBC Brampton Nationals are a few weeks from lift-off and that means Simon Whitfield – a Canadian sporting legend – will be attempting to win his 6th Triathlon National Championship. Simon has won the Triathlon National Championships every year he has participated dating back to 1998. Six years ago, when Whitfield thrilled Canadians with a dramatic rally to win gold in the inaugural Olympic Triathlon in Sydney, who would have thought one person could be so inspirational and mean so much for a young generation of future triathletes.

Triathlon Canada’s Executive Director, Alan Trivett, says Whitfield has done more for Triathlon than any other athlete has done for his/her sport in the last 10 years. “Simon is the reason a lot of kids are participating in the sport. There are so many lasting images dating back to 2000 when Whitfield won his gold medal. One stride past the finish line, Simon had the Sydney 2000 finish-line banner – and the whole country – at his feet. Who can forget Simon breaking down on the podium while listening to the National Anthem. All of those memories are so powerful - children remember that stuff and it stays with them forever.”

Triathlon Canada’s in-coming High Performance Director, Tom Patrick, believes Whitfield’s win in Sydney instills a belief that we can be the best in the world in triathlon when it matters most. “The ability to step up and perform at the Olympics is what makes Simon one of the best athletes to ever represent our country.”

Whitfield, from Victoria, says winning his sixth National Championship on Canada Day weekend will be one of his toughest challenges yet. “It’s definitely getting more competitive with guys like Paul Tichelaar, Colin Jenkins, Kyle Jones and Brent McMahon all raising their levels. Some of these athletes have had eye opening performances in the early part of the season and I expect they’ll continue to improve.”

Asked what motivates the 31-year-old to keep pushing his body to limits unknown and Whitfield calmly responds, “Kyle Jones – he’s awesome, he’s the reason I am working so hard. He’s the reason I go to bed early at night. Kyle Jones has so much courage; he has no fear of training. There is no complacency in this guy – the sky is the limit for this kid.”

There is no doubt the upcoming National Championships poses a difficult challenge for Whitfield as he enters the race as the clear-cut favourite. But as Tom Patrick says this won’t be the first time he’s been in this position. “This is the challenge – to be able to perform with expectations. It’s easier to win one’s first National Championship when they were not expected to succeed. It’s quite another matter to be able to perform when one is expected to win. To be a World Champion requires one to have mastered the expectations that come along with the National Championships.”

Whitfield has only participated in one World Cup race to date in ‘06 - a ninth place finish in Mazatlan – however, in the next 3 months Whitfield will be racing in 8 major Olympic Distance events in 7 different countries. “I am extremely busy for the rest of the summer and its all great preparation for the World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland in September. The goal is to find races with difficult bike courses in order to prepare for the challenging, hilly bike course in Lausanne. My entire training schedule and competition schedule is geared toward my preparation for the World Championships.”

In 2005 Whitfield was 6th in the World Championships in Gamagori, Japan - Whitfield’s only win last season came in the National Championships in Kelowna, BC. Dr. Tom Patrick says winning this year’s National Championship is important for Simon in order to show he is ready to perform well without being fully rested. “Both Simon and his coach, Joel Filliol, are focused completely on achieving a podium performance at the upcoming World Championships.”

Filliol says Whitfield had his best off-season ever, “One of the themes this year is taking more risks in the preparation - Simon likes to say ‘no risks - no champagne’ and this is so true. Simon has re-dedicated himself to the sport and his passion is as high as I’ve ever seen it.” Filliol added that Whitfield has changed up his overall training regimen and everything is moving in the right direction. “Simon has all the tools to win again. Lausanne is an important step along the way; however, Beijing is the pinnacle.”

Many athletes with Whitfield’s credentials, especially those who have won an Olympic Gold medal, take it year-by-year. This is not the case for Whitfield – his goals are clearly defined and he wants to add another Gold medal to his collection. “I will definitely compete for at least 2 more years. The World Championships in 2008 are in Vancouver. Being in Canada, this will obviously be a special event for me and I want one more chance to win another Gold medal in Beijing before I ride off into the sunset.”

For more information on the HSBC Brampton Nationals please vist: www.c3online.ca.

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