AIS Program Overview
Australian Institute of Sport - Triathlon
Triathlon is a challenging blend of three endurance sports - swimming, cycling and running. However, it is one single sport, not simply a collection of these three sports and, as such, triathletes have very specific training needs. Triathletes do need swimming, cycling and running fitness and skills, but they also need the proper sequencing of training that gives them technique, endurance, strength, speed and recovery.The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Triathlon program is overseen by performance manager Andrew Logan. Profile
About AIS Triathlon
The AIS triathlon program has evolved from its initial inception in 2001 as a Junior Elite program; to an U23 development program when, in 2002, the International Triathlon Union (ITU) introduced the U23 category; and then in 2004 to its present focus of supporting and targeting Australia?s elite triathletes competing in Olympic distance events at Olympic and Commonwealth Games, ITU World Championships and the ITU World Cup series.The AIS triathlon program works in partnership with Triathlon Australia (TA) and is an integral component of TA?s national high performance plan. (For more information on the TA?s high performance pathways please visit www.triathlon.org.au ).
The AIS triathlon program is focused on assisting, developing and providing world leading cutting edge support to our best elite triathletes with a specific target outcome of winning medals at the 2008 Beijing and the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Operated as a decentralised program, triathletes train in their home environment with their home based coaches. The AIS provides support -added value - for both coaches and the triathlete to attend camps, clinics, project focused activity; to access to sport science and sports medicine services and to use the latest sports performance technology.
The principle aims of the AIS triathlon program are:
- To help Australian elite triathletes achieve medal success at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympic Games;
- To help the athletes develop the physical, physiological and psychological basis to be able to handle the workload required to succeed at the highest elite level in Triathlon;
- To support and assist the coaches of AIS athletes;
- To examine specific needs of Triathlon in race situations and work to optimise training methods and race tactics;
- To provide the athletes with the support while living as a professional sportsperson in various locations and situations; and
- To develop the highest levels of professionalism in all aspects of the sport of Triathlon.
In 2006, for the international season, the AIS program has established two training bases. From mid June to mid July, triathletes will be based in Boulder, Colorado USA and will compete in two World Cup events, Edmonton and Corner Brook, Canada. The second training base is in a small French village Aix les Bain which for the past years, is a favoured training location for our triathletes. the triathletes will be based here from mid July to early September. This provides a home base where the triathletes travel to and from World Cups and more specifically the ITU World triathlon championships, Lausanne Switzerland Saturday 2 September 2006.
AIS triathlon program success
Under the guidance of the program?s inaugural head coach
(2001-05),former world champion triathlete Jackie Fairweather (nee
Gallagher) the program achieved remarkable success. Most recently, five
current AIS scholarship holders competed at the 2006 Melbourne
Commonwealth Games with Brad Kahlefeldt and Peter Robertson winning
gold and bronze respectively in the men?s event and former scholarship
holder Emma Snowsill winning gold in the women?s event.
In 2005, Peter Robertson and Brad Kahlefeldt won gold and bronze
respectively in the men?s and Emma Snowsill and Annabel Luxford won
gold and silver respectively in the women?s events at the ITU World
championships.
The program was awarded the 2005 AIS sport program of the year.
In the first three years the program achieved outstanding results with
nine medals at World Championship level (Jnr, U23 and Snr) ? five of
them Gold!
For more information about the AIS Triathlon Program see the below link:
