Triathletes set for competition in Glasgow; action begins on Thursday

Glasgow, GBR - A team of six; three female and three male triathletes donning the maple leaf for Canada as they swim, bike and run, have arrived in Glasgow today for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The triathlon takes place at Strathclyde Country Park on Thursday July 24 with the men’s and women’s individual events; the team relay is on Saturday July 26^th.

Fresh off her bronze-medal breakthrough at the World Triathlon Series (WTS) in Hamburg, Germany, Victoria’s  Kirsten Sweetland will lead the Canadian squad into Glasgow. It has been a remarkable road back to the top for Sweetland, who has battled through injuries and a lot of heartache for the past six years. Competing in her first multi-sport Games, the 25 year old is definitely a medal threat heading into the Commonwealth Games.

Joining Sweetland in the women’s race are Quebec City’s Sarah-Anne Brault, and Calgary’s Ellen Pennock. Brault, who began the season with a fourth-place finish on the WTS, placed 11^th at the most recent World Triathlon Series in Hamburg. Brault, who is ranked seventh in the world, also had a seventh-place finish in Yokohama, Japan this year.

Ellen Pennock, the youngest competitor on the talented women’s triathlon team, won silver at the 2013 Under 23 World Championship in London, United Kingdom.

In the men’s race 2012 Olympian Kyle Jones, of Oakville, has shown he is ready for the international competition winning gold at Toronto’s ITU Pan American Cup on July 12; an unofficial test event for the 2015 Pan Am Games. Jones chalked up his best result of the season in London, U.K., where he was 15^th at the World Triathlon Series stop.

Victoria’s Matthew Sharpe, and Andrew Yorke of Caledon, Ont., will join Jones in Glasgow. The later, Yorke placed 25^th this season at the World Triathlon Series in Chicago. He also posted a career-best 15^th place finish earlier this year at the World Triathlon Series in Yokohama, Japan.

Sharpe, who was battling through injuries at the start of the season, was 15^th in the Triathlon Premium European Race in Holten, Netherlands earlier in July. The men’s team strategy will see Sharpe, a strong swimmer and cyclist, play a domestic role for Jones and Yorke. 

For the latest heading into the 2014 Commonwealth Games click here.

-CGC-

For more information:

Emily Hooper
Commonwealth Games Canada 
Triathlon Team Media Attaché
ehooper@athletics.ca 
07913595980