Africa Triathlon

Following the successful inauguration of the ITU Science and Triathlon Conference in Alicante last year, ITU will kick off the second edition of the conference at the Swiss Federal Institute of Sports in Magglingen, Switzerland this Thursday.

“After the first event in Alicante, I stated that I hope this becomes the first place for researchers working on triathlon to be recognised for their contribution and where new ideas can be discussed,” ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado said when the conference was first announced. “Science has always had a place in the development and transformation of our sport, as well as been the principle way in which we keep all athletes safe, and therefore this is an extremely important event for ITU and all of triathlon’s stakeholders.”

While last year’s conference focused heavily on training aspects, this year’s theme of the conference is ´Reflect on the past - design the future.’ The three-day seminar will analyze topics such as coaching elite triathletes, periodisation, talent identification, as well as training and injuries in athletes by drawing on the last Olympic quad for scientific examples.

Dr. Sergio Migliorini, Chair of the ITU Medical Committee said, “For a sport born out of innovation, it’s only fitting that triathlon continues to foster the growth of research and scientific trends.”

Headlining the list of keynote speakers are such notables as Malcolm Brown and Jack Maitland, who are best known for their roles in preparing Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee for their history-making medal performances at the London Olympic Games.

Periodisation and polarised training in endurance sport will be one of the overarching themes of the conference, with noted experts in this field such as Dr. Stephen Seiler, University of Agder, Faculty of Health and Sport, and Dr. Jurgen Wick, Deputy Director Institute of Applied Science, Leipzig slated to provide lectures. They will focus on the impact of competition structure and periodisation theory from 2008 to 2012, presenting what lessons we can apply moving towards the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Speakers on the topic of injuries, nutrition and recovery include Dr. Samuel Mettler, who manages nutrition for the Swiss Federal Office of Sport, Dr. Veronica Vleck, the well known expert on training load and triathlon injuries, Dr. Liz Broad, Manager of Clinical Services for AIS Sports Nutrition, and Dr. Steve Ingham, Head of Physiology at the English Institute of Sport.

For more information on the 2013 ITU Science and Triathlon Conference, click here.