GB Age Group Team Dominate in Horst 2014
The British Team won 53 medals in total, including 17 golds, an increase of three over last year’s 14. Not only did those 17 win their age groups, but Phil Holland (35-39) in the men’s long-distance race and Peter Ellis (30-34) and Gill Fullen (50-54) in the men’s and women’s sprints were the fastest age groupers in their races overall.
Gill’s achievement was especially noteworthy, coming against many much younger athletes, but perhaps it was not such a surprise from a multiple duathlon and triathlon age-group world champion who was named the 2013 BTF Age Group Triathlete of the Year. The only disappointment was that there is no official award for the overall age-group race winners.
Gill Fullen commented: “It was great to come in as the first lady but it was a bit disappointing not to get official recognition for it. But it was good to be out there with the team and lots of people from my club.”
British success came across the age groups and included notable performances from athletes defending titles they won in 2013. In the sprint race Alan Murchison (40-44) and Jacqui Phillips (45-49) repeated their 2013 gold medals, while in the long-distance race Wendy Gooding (50-54) and Elspeth Knott (60-64) both defended their titles. Fran Bungay (40-44) was impressed with silver in the longer event having won sprint gold last year.
Wendy Gooding said: “It’s a great town and there was the usual fantastic support for the Brits. I was delighted to finish about four and a half minutes faster than last year and to win my age group again.”
Alan Murchison commented: “It was a good race and I was very happy with it. It was good to see so many British athletes out there. It made for a really good atmosphere with it all centred around the town centre in Horst.”
Joan Lennon, Great Britain Age-Group Team Manager for the event, said: “Phil Holland and Gill Fullen in particular were phenomenal, they both deserve almost to race at an elite level. For Gill, racing in the 50-54 age group, to post the fastest time of all the age group women in the sprint race was just extraordinary. It’s a pity they don’t do an overall 1-2-3 across the age groups as she wasn’t lauded as the overall winner, which would have been nice.
“In the sprint race the Great Britain Age-Group Team was enormous compared to the others but the long-distance race was much more balanced in terms of nationalities but we still did exceptionally well.
“It was a fantastic weekend and so many of the team are overjoyed with how they performed. They fell in love with Horst as it’s a lovely venue. The whole town embraces the race, the kids go out on their bikes and people watch from the cafes. it’s a great place for new age groupers to cut their teeth on international racing and the support for GB was phenomenal.”
The Great Britain Elite Team took a small squad to Horst of which Gillian Palmer was the most successful, coming sixth in the women’s sprint. In the elite men’s long-distance race two Elite Multisport Squad athletes competed, Matt Moorehouse finished ninth and Joe Skipper 14th, while Vicky Gill was 11th in the women’s race.
Joe Skipper said: “The first leg of the run went really well but I found the bike leg hard after such a tough run leg but the second run went well. It was great seeing everyone race and being with such a big group of people in the Great Britain Elite and Age-Group Teams.”
Great Britain Age-Group Team Medalists
ETU POWERMAN EUROPEAN LONG DISTANCE DUATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Gold (4)
F25-29 Samme Brough
M35-39 Phil Holland
F50-54 Wendy Gooding
F60-64Elspeth Knott
Silver (6)
F25-29Charlotte Jenkinson
F30-34Natalie Shaw
F35-39 Lucie Custance
M25-29 Laurence Plant
M45-49 Carl Ferri
F40-44Fran Bungay
Bronze (1)
F35-39Nicki Aitken
ETU POWERMAN EUROPEAN SPRINT DUATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP
Gold (13)
FU20 Diana Chalmers
MU20 Finn Barnes
F20-24Jenifer Douglas
M25-29 Matt Hallan
M30-34 Peter Ellis
F40-44 Beth Scholes
M40-44 Alan Murchison
F45-49 Jacqui Phillips
F50-54 Gill Fullen
F60-64 Sharon Bardsley
F70-74 Christine Ravetz
F65-59 Helen Hayes
M60-64 Nigel Gates
Silver (16)
FU20 Tasmin Boam
MU20 Tom Stead
F20-24 Catriona Buchanan
M20-24 Anthony Meager
F25-29 Sam Anderson
F30-34 Mathilde Pauls
F35-39 Donna McHigh
M35-39 Scott O’Neill-Gwilliams
F40-44 Ruth Marsden
M40-44 Mark Flannery
F45-49 Kate Morris
M45-49 Craig Dyce
F55-59 Shelley Parkinson
M55-59 Peter Hollins
F60-64 Margaret Jagan
M70-74 Vernon Thomas
Bronze (13)
F20-24 Mary Bird
M20-24 Lewis Ecclestone
F25-29 Suzy Robinson
M25-29 Lee Cook
M30-34 James Stewart
F35-39 Bridget King
M35-39 Paul Hart
F40-44 Steph Scott
M40-44 David Mole
F50-54 Caroline Parkins
M50-54 Robert Elstone
F55-59 Rosemary Todhunter
M65-69 Raymond O’Grady