60 | AustrAliAn triAthletestep amateurs. This is the scene I grew up
in initially as part of, and then observing
from beyond, as I progressed in “class”.
Only recently, I’ve begun to notice a
new shift in the scene. A closing of the
gap, if you will. Across all distances
amateur triathletes are getting faster,
depth of quality is getting greater, and the
best of the amateurs are breathing down
the neck of the pros. Some may say this is
due to better numbers in the sport or more
money behind these athletes but I think
it’s something else, and it’s a reason I’m in
full support of - the elitism of the
non-elite. Elitism can be defined as “the
superior attitude or behaviour associated
with an elite”, and this is where I feel a
swing has and is still occurring amongst
the triathletes traditionally not dubbed
elite. More and more amateur and age
group athletes, who are not necessarily in
the game for professional reasons orI
t seems to me that competing in
triathlon, not that long ago, was a
casual and mostly unprofessional
affair. From what I can gather in
speaking with those who were there and
observing the culture of the time with
hindsight, our sport was merely a novel
but challenging activity, and a boast-
worthy hobby for a slender minority of the
population. This reputation, in Australia
in particular, shifted rather quickly as the
accessibility of triathlon became greater
and the inclusive nature (born out of a
combination of swim clubs, running clubs
and surf lifesaving clubs crossing over
each other) and national series’, and now
iconic events, took off. With the inclusion
of triathlon in the 2000 Sydney Olympics
the sport’s status skyrocketed and with it
came the dollars. A huge cash injection saw
an unsurprising spike in professionalism in
the upper echelons, where the funds were
mostly directed. Even though I wasn’t there
to witness this refinement of direction
(my first ever tri was in the same year that
six triathletes stood on an Olympic dias)
I was a great beneficiary of this growth
of elitism in Australian triathlon over the
following decade, as a developing youth,
junior and professional*.
With this shift, the pointy end of
athletes in our sport improved in leaps andbounds. Across the spectrum of the
triathlon scene, Australia (and many other
nations) produced and maintained a
plump crop of World Champions, Olympic
medalists, legends and heroes. The elite
prospered. With cash and enthusiasm
behind us we innovated and refined our
craft. Iron distance champions realised the
potential of setting up international bases
and relocated homes and families to gain
the greater advantage on the racecourse.
Training techniques improved with the aid
of expert sports science and the
equipment that was once weird,
wonderful and subjective, became proven,
lab tested and conventional. Triathlon, at
the top, was truly a professional sport.
With this sharp upward trajectory of
the professional ranks, there was a gap
forming. The amateur ranks were still all
about the participation, the challenge and
the socialisation. Of course, there were
those who took their age group racing very
seriously. But the bulk of the participants
at the local club race or the annual
pilgrimage event would rock up on the
back of the bare minimum of training,
have a sweat and a laugh and be rightfully
chuffed they survived another one.
There was a distinct difference in the
appearance, approach, performance and
finish times from the elites to the nexteLITISM of The
nOn-eliTe
A Triathlon Revolution
SEXTON’S
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Brendan Sexton
© Getty images for Ironman