Africa Triathlon

IOC Evaluation
  Commission Visit to London:

On February 17,   members of the Evaluation Commission of the IOC spent the day touring London’s   proposed venues for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. One group of   Commissioners, including Paul Henderson (Canada), Jose Luis Marco (Argentina),   Simon Balderstone (Australia) and Gilbert Felli (Switzerland), came to Hyde   Park where the triathlon will be staged.

A little behind   schedule, as daylight faded in the cool, damp air, the coach carrying the visitors   pulled up by the Serpentine, and the group were treated to a demonstration of   the cycle to run transition of a triathlon. A dozen triathletes from British   Triathlon’s Start/Potential programme had been waiting for the Commissioners   to arrive in order to show off their skills in the carpeted and branded transition   area specially constructed for the visit. Once the triathletes had whizzed through,   the Commissioners were ushered into a small marquee, where Jasmine Flatters,   British Triathlon Chair, and Sian Brice, former Olympian, presented their visions   for the London 2012 Olympic triathlon.

Jasmine said to   the Commission: “Triathlon is a young, contemporary sport, and here in   London we will be able to showcase it against the backdrop of some of the most   famous and historic landmarks in the world. The bike course takes in such familiar   sights as Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. I’m sure   that the triathlon will be one of the highlights of the Olympic Games in 2012.”

“There’s no   doubt,” she continued, “that if the London bid is successful, there   would be a tremendous boost to the sport of triathlon in Britain. We eagerly   await the decision of the IOC in July.”