Triathalon

Bloom in

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:06:44 +0100

Claire Bloom has qualified for the 2012 European Triathlon Championships after finishing fifth in Rother Valley Sprint Triathlon in Rotherham.

Having recorded a personal best time of 12.48 in the swim and 21.59 in the run section, Bloom will now compete for GB in the age group team in Eilat next year.

Her placing was an improvement on sixth at the Speedy Beaver qualifier.

Bloom in business

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:56:16 +0100

Claire Bloom has qualified for the Great Britain age group team (45-49) after finishing third at the World Sprint Championship Beijing qualifier at Dorney Lake, Eton.

Bloom, who works at David Lloyd Chigwell, took up sprint triathlon 18 months ago and completed her first full season last year.

She achieved some creditable results, including second in the age group at the London Triathlon and winning the 2010 Reading Triathlon and Abu Dhabi International Triathlon in March for her age group. Now she hopes to qualify for both the World and European Age Group Sprint Triathlon Championships to be held in Beijing in September and Eilat next April respectively.

Having achieved qualification to Beijing, Bloom will line up at the Speedy Beaver in Nottingham this weekend in the hope of gaining automatic entry into the European team.

Nyman on track for 2016 Olympic squad

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:13:15 +0000

Lara Nyman has been identified as one of three British sportswomen as potential cycling contenders for 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Nyman, 18, was recognised by Paul Manning, who collected a full set of Olympic cycling medals with the men's team pursuit between 2000 and 2008.

Now working with British Cycling women's endurance squad towards London 2012, he identified Nyman (right) following a selection process that was fairly quick from initial interest in September, through to physiological testing which showed how well she rode on a static bike, to sprinting and endurance tests.

The youngest of the three women and now only one of three on TASS scholarship from British Cycling, Nyman is the current European Under 20 sprint triathlon silver medallist and former national champion in both the ASA National Age Group 1,500m Open Water Swimming Championships and British National Youth Duathlon Championships.

Nyman said: "I'm really enjoying the programme. It has given me a new challenge and re-activated my interest in cycling."

She now faces the challenge of balancing her university studies with hectic new training schedule that involves time riding, both on and off road, on the track plus training sessions as well as working on her fitness.

Student Ziff's Triathlon win

Brian Sacks — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:08:14 +0100

Birmingham medical student Oliver Ziff, 21, has won the British Universities Triathlon Championships in Sheffield.

Ziff, 21, from Leeds, retained the title he won as a freshman last year.

He said: "I wasn't totally happy with my performance in the 1,500m swim, and I benefitted from the mistake of two swimmers who had broken away but then lost 10 seconds by going slightly off course.

"I managed to tag on to the back of the leading group and benefit from their slipstream. The 40k bike ride went really well and I finished it in second place. I then ran with the leader for the first half of the 10k run and was still feeling strong and I pulled away over the second half.

"My time of 2 hours 1 minute was by no means my fastest, but there is a wide variation between courses anyway. This event was non-drafting, meaning that slipstreaming was not allowed during the bike stage."

Ziff will now focus on preparing for the London Triathlon at the start of August, which incorporates the trial for the World Under 23 Triathlon Championships in Budapest in September.

Sport in brief

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:30:52 +0000

Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier Richard Goodman, 15, won the combined Under 17 and Under 20 North Thames Cross Country Championships in Kingsbury.

Competing against runners-up to four years his senior, Goodman of Stanmore finished 55 seconds clear of the rest of the field. “Before the race, former world record holder Dave Bedford told me that I could be the next Dave Bedford, and that I had the perfect physique for cross-country and middle-distance. That encouragement inspired me to run what I think is one of my best races.”

Israel’s hopes for London 2012 Games have been hit hard by the credit crunch. The US-based Sidney Frank Foundation, which has been giving the Israel
Olympic Federation $3 million-a-year since 2005 to sponsor the squad’s training, has announced that it will cease support from the end of this year.

Israel’s Tatiana Tzim has been appointed coach of the British Olympic synchronised swimming team.

Supergirl Nyman shines on elite stage

Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Lara Nyman finished 11th in a top-class field at the Corus Elite Triathlon Sprint in Reading.

With more than 40 British and international contenders on the start list including the current European junior silver medallist, the European Under 23 champion and Olympic qualifiers, the 16-year-old’s aim was to be the first youth over the line and hopefully, in the process, finish in the first quarter of the field.

Full steam ahead: Lara Nyman was riding high in Reading

As one of only three youths participating in the select field, the event, held in the shadow of Reading football club’s Madjeski Stadium, also incorporated the Senior British Sprint Triathlon Championships.

A sprint distance novice, Nyman started the race ranked 33rd and finished in an 11th position, achieving her aims in the process with a time of 1:05.

A disappointing swim over 750 kilometres was followed by an impressive showing in a fast sprint as she caught up with the leading peloton on the bike to post the third fastest bike time overall in the 20 kilometre race. With the fastest transition time, Nyman commenced her 5km run in good form but her initial burst on the bike to catch the race leaders had taken its toll. Chased down by the leaders, she finished just outside of the money which was distributed to the top 10 finishers.

Pleased to have achieved her initial aims, Nyman felt disappointed to have missed out on the prizes. “I never dreamed I would finish anywhere near the top 10 so to come 11th in a field with world-class competitors was great. However, it would have been nice to have won a cash prize; it is rather like finding out that you have finished in fourth position and lost out on the medals.” She is aiming for a podium spot in her next national race at Blenheim in June.