Triathlon News & Notes: Charles-Barclay Tackles yet Another Challenge, Canyon Wins an Award, Tragedy in Texas, and More
We bring you this week’s tri-related news and notes from around the world.
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Lucy Charles-Barclay to compete in the London Marathon
Lucy Charles-Barclay can’t stop (won’t stop). Two weeks ago, the 28-year-old Brit won the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championships in St. George, Utah. One week later, she placed 14th in the über-competitive (and ultra-quick) Super League Triathlon Malibu race. This week? She’s lining up for the London Marathon on Sunday. Charles-Barclay is downplaying her expectations for the race, posting that her main goal is to “finish and enjoy the epic atmosphere that my home city has to offer.” She also noted that this is her fourth attempt to compete in London, after efforts in 2016, 2017, and 2019 were thwarted by injury and illness. “Hoping I can improve,” she noted. (For those keeping track, Charles-Barclay’s fastest marathon time, 2:59:32, is from Ironman South Africa in 2019.)
Canyon Speedmax wins international design award
This week, the Canyon Speedmax, a bike favored by pros like Jan Frodeno, Patrick Lange, and Sarah Crowley, won an iF Design Award in the health and fitness category. Noted for its “optimized aerodynamics, innovative integration solutions, and storage spaces with a more refined design,” that gives “the triathlete every possible performance advantage,” the Speedmax received the prestigious award alongside other innovative health and wellness gear and tools including the Livall Evo21 smart road cycling helmet and Traileye Pro sports sunglasses.
Emma Snowsill Frodeno runs adventure race
2008 Olympic gold medalist and multi-time world champ Emma Snowsill Frodeno made a rare appearance on the race course last weekend, joining a relay team in the Red Bull Buen Camino, a 3-day running stage event that covers 314 km (195 miles) from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela, Spain on a challenging course. The 40-year-old mom of two and business owner posted a photo of her six person team, captioning it “When good people convince you to get out of your comfort zone” and later said it was “an experience I’ll remember forever.”
Details emerge in Texas bike crash that injured six triathletes
Details are emerging about the events that lead to last Saturday’s accident on a stretch of rural road near Waller, Texas, which injured six cyclists training for Ironman Texas. According to local reports, a 16-year-old boy driving a truck was menacing the cyclists and “rolling coal”—intentionally spewing black clouds of diesel exhaust. He then sped up and slammed into a pack of six cyclists, resulting in two victims having to be airlifted to a hospital (two others were taken by ambulance for treatment, while another two were treated at the scene; none of the injuries are life threatening). While the 16-year-old did stay at the scene, he was later released by police and has yet to be charged, drawing outrage from the greater cycling community. Meanwhile, a GoFundMe established to support the victims and alleviate some of the medical expenses has raised some $15,000 so far.
Russian triathlete who competed in Tokyo now banned for doping
After being indefinitely suspended from competition in July, Russian triathlete Igor Polyansky is now banned from the sport for three years due to violations of anti-doping regulations, the press office of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) said in a statement on Thursday. The 31-year-old, who competed in both the mixed relay and men’s individual triathlon races at the Tokyo Games, tested positive for genetically engineered Erythropoietin (EPO), during an out-of-competition test on July 21. Polyansky’s ban will remain in effect until August 9, 2024.
Competitor who died during 70.3 Augusta swim remembered as a devoted family man
George Hall, who died during the swim leg of Ironman Augusta 70.3 last Sunday, is being remembered as a devoted family man and an esteemed lawyer who “touched a lot of people.” Hall, who would have turned 60 just days after the race, was pulled from the Savannah River by a water rescue member on a personal watercraft, who then began performing life saving measures. Firefighters and EMTs then continued giving aid and he was transferred to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. A lifelong athlete, Hall ran track in college and had competed in triathlons before. “George always enjoyed participating in the IRONMAN so we can take some comfort in the fact that it was something he loved,” his colleague and friend said, also noting that Hall had appeared in court on Friday to argue at a trial. He leaves behind his wife, Margaret, two sons, and a granddaughter.
Podcast Notes
Greg Bennett brings back Dan Lorang to his show to chat about coaching some of the most dominating triathletes on the planet, including Jan Frodeno, Lucy Charles-Barclay, and Anne Haug.
ProTriNews rehashes last week’s races, including Super League Malibu, Augusta 70.3, Cozumel 70.3, and Ironman Chattanooga and also discusses the Professional Triathletes Organization (PTO) points race.
The MX Endurance podcast also dives into the PTO rankings and recent races.
The Get Fast podcast brings on Podiatrist Matt Fieldsend to talk about everything about foot and ankle mechanics, including common injuries, their prevention and treatment.
Kendall Gretsch, who won a gold medal in the women’s Paratriathlon Wheelchair in Tokyo, heads to the Ironwomen Podcast to talk about her race and journey in the sport.