Hello to all of our Triathlon Australia members,
This January newsletter provides you with an update on the activities of the Triathlon Australia Board and Staff. We endeavour to fulfill our roles as leaders of your member-based organisation. Everything we do should be for the benefit of members, so if you have any suggestions please let us know.
2011 Australian Championship Series
The Australian Championship Series was launched as our premier three-race series last year. Competitors in each age group will be racing for points and the winner in each category will be crowned the Australian Championship Series Champion. The inaugural Championship Series will kick off with the Geelong race in February, followed by Mooloolaba in March and finishing up with the Sydney race in April.
Geelong – 20 February 2011
The Geelong event provides an age group Olympic Distance Selection race and the Elite National Sprint Distance Championship. The Geelong Festival weekend offers a selection of other races and events suitable for participants of all ages and abilities. Entries are still open, so click here to sign up for a great weekend of participation and spectating. Entries will close at 5pm Wednesday 16th February 2011.
Mooloolaba – 27 March 2011
As a long established, enormously popular race on the Australian calendar, the 2011 Mooloolaba age group Olympic Distance race sold out within days of being open for entries.
But there is good news for TA members. If you missed out on securing an entry for Mooloolaba and still want to do it, we have arranged 50 additional Championship Series entries for annual members of Triathlon Australia. By signing up to do the three races of the Australian Championship Series, you are guaranteed entry into the Mooloolaba race. Click here to enter the Australian Championship Series. These entries will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis and will close at 5pm on Friday 11th February 2011, but may sell out before this date.
Sydney – 10 April 2011
The “Sydney Triathlon” – we want this phrase to roll off everyone’s tongue in the same way as we say “New York Marathon” or “Hawaii Ironman”. This year the age group race will be introduced for the first time to complement the opening race of the 2011 ITU World Championship Series.
Age group competitors will be taken on a swim in Farm Cove, close to the Opera House, a ride across the Harbour Bridge and a run through the Botanic Gardens – a truly “Sydney” course which will be great for competitors, spectators and TV viewers alike. The Local Organising Committee is working hard to ensure both the ITU World Championship Elite event and the Age Group selection event become the iconic elite and age group triathlon events in the world. With ITU support and significant funding from Events NSW for the next three years, the race can only get better and better.
The good news for this year is that there are still some entry spots available. Click here to enter and become a participant in the inaugural edition of this soon-to-be iconic event.
New Website and Member Database
We have started the long overdue process of revamping and upgrading our website. In fact the old website will be completely demolished, allowing us to start from scratch. The TA Board recently agreed to enter into a partnership with Active Network to lead this work for us. After an extensive tender process, Active Network were able to demonstrate that they could best deliver the following services to the Australian triathlon community:
- A new website which will be easy to navigate, attractive to use and dynamic, providing current and relevant information for our members as and when they wish to find it.
- A new membership database which will make it easier for members to interact with Triathlon Australia.
State and Territory Triathlon Associations and their affiliated clubs will be able to take advantage of both of these products for adoption and use within their own triathlon environments.
Active Network are well established partners to other national triathlon associations such as Triathlon NZ, USA Triathlon and British Triathlon. They are also the registration and website partners for two of our larger event organisers, USM Events and World Triathlon Corporation.
New Participation Programs
In November last year, Triathlon Australia received a significant increase in funding from the Australian Sports Commission for the purpose of developing participation opportunities in our sport.
Representatives from the State and Territory Associations and our National Association will be meeting in early February to plan the development and delivery of three new participation programs which will be announced shortly. The programs will be developed on a consistent basis across the country, and will be delivered primarily through our network of affiliated clubs.
Para-triathlon
We were excited to hear the recent announcement by the International Paralympic Committee that para-triathlon has been admitted as a sport for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. We will be working with the Australian Paralympic Committee over the next few months to explore the possibilities for developing the sport of paratriathlon in Australia.
Board Sub-Committees
To ensure that our activities and decisions properly reflect the expectations of our members, the TA Board has established several sub-committees for 2011. Each of these committees will have clear terms of reference and will report back to the Board with recommendations reflecting member expectations. The committees for 2011 include:
- High Performance Committee
- Athlete Selection Committee
- Age Group Committee
- Events and Calendar Committee
- Sydney World Championship Race Committee
- National Technical Committee
- Constitution Review Committee
- Nomination and Remuneration Committee
- Finance and Audit Committee
In addition we will be establishing an Elite Athlete’s Commission. The process for the establishment of the Commission will be initiated in early February.
Stronger National Focus
The Executive Officers of each State and Territory Triathlon Association, and key staff within the TA national office meet by teleconference on a regular basis to discuss the development and delivery of triathlon programs and events. One of the key aims of this group is to create more consistency in the delivery of triathlon activities across the country.
Of recent times, this group has been actively discussing a change in Membership categories and fees commencing for the 2011 / 2012 season. The aim is to provide a membership model which is consistent, fair and which provides members with the value and benefit they expect as annual members of their association.
High Performance Review
We have recently commissioned an external review of our sports High Performance program. The aim of the review is to make recommendations which will ensure that Australia achieves sustained international success at Olympic Games and ITU World Championship and World Cup events. Australia has been, and remains, the most successful nation at the elite performance level. We are confident that the recommendations arising from the review will ensure that we maintain that position through to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and beyond.
Triathlon Australia Change of Postal Address
Please note that the Triathlon Australia Postal Address has changed. The new address is:
PO Box 13 Alexandria NSW 1435
Please note that the previous Frenchs Forest postal address is no longer functioning. Our full office contact details are as follows:
Street Address: Level 3, 256 Coward Street, Mascot, NSW, 2020
Postal Address: PO Box 13, Alexandria, NSW, 1435
Phone: 02 9972 7999
Fax: 02 9972 7998
Email: info@triathlon.org.au