UPCOMING EVENTS

2004 ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships

Pam Fralick

2004 ITU Ishigaki World Cup

2004 ITU Continental Championships

Unfortunately, with only a quarter of our members responding, it is difficult to draw conclusions. The Women's Committee will continue to gather data, in an effort to provide more rigorous findings and to be able to compare the results with previous surveys, but, in the meantime, it is possible to provide a few observations:

• Athlete Participation: In terms of overall participation of women as athletes, numbers range from miniscule to almost 40% of all triathletes in the country. Many members report that over 20% of registered triathletes are women.
• Governance: In general, Boards and Executive Committees reflect only one or two women of 7 to 20 members.
• Officials: Women seem to fare well as officials, often reflecting 20 to 25% representation of all officials in a country.
• Coaches: While 4 members reported having a significant number of women coaches, most reported having no women as coaches at all.

Clearly, more data is needed in order to consider any findings indicative of the sport as a whole, and to allow for trend analysis with previous surveys. There are at least three reasons for the poor response rate to the survey, despite it having been sent to members on several occasions: lack of time to complete; no data currently being collected; a lack of infrastructure to respond to the request; and/or concern about revealing the true state of women's involvement in the sport of triathlon in their country.Issues: Key issues/barriers to involvement included family obligations, funding, and the lack of social acceptance/ awareness of the sport, or women in sport, in general.

On behalf of the ITU Women's Committee, and our sport, I continue to ask for your participation in this important aspect of understanding triathlon, and the role of women within. As can be seen from the above, no country-specific results will be published, but we do need more input in order to produce valid results, observations and analysis. It is not too late to participate! The Committee will continue to work with this data, and provide a more scientific report at next Congress. In the meantime, watch the ITU Update for additional results from this important survey.

The health of our sport relies on participation, at every level, from both genders. If we truly wish to see more women enter triathlon, we need role models as athletes, on Boards and Committees, and as officials and coaches. These are the influential positions that can have dramatic effects on bringing more women to our sport. One key part of influencing our current situation and increasing women's participation is to record and analyse "how we are doing", which then produces ideas and recommendations for change. Be part of the solution, and help the ITU monitor our progress in this vital area!

The Guatemalan Triathlon Federation was founded in 1986, the following year the first national championship was held with 55 triathletes competing - 3 women and 52 men. Today registration in the National Championships has a increased to 514 triathletes - 98 women and 416 men.

• Women participation on Executive Board, coaches, staff and officials· Junior Programs - the junior national team consists of 7 women and 6 men.
• An annual Women's triathlon.
• An education program to encourage the participation of women in triathlon in Guatemala.
• The educational program targets schools to reach women under the age of 19.
  

The British Triathlon Association writes: Jane Tomlinson was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993. She underwent a mastectomy but the cancer returned four years ago. In 2000 she was told the cancer had spread to her lungs and bones and that it was incurable.

Doctors told Jane she had months to live, but she was determined to prove that anything is possible.Jane started running in May 2001 training six days a week aiming to raise money for cancer research. She went on to complete events such as the London Marathon and the Great North Run.

In 2002 she turned to triathlon completing the London Triathlon and then in 2003, the UK Long Distance, which she described as her toughest challenge to date.

Jane's efforts in running and triathlon events have so far raised a staggering £451,227.

Jane Tomlinson's courage and determination to triumph in the face of adversity has attracted national media attention. She has captured the hearts of a nation, been awarded an MBE, the 2002 Woman of Courage Award and the Helen Rollason Award, presented at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony.

Jane is undergoing chemotherapy treatment at St James' Hospital in Leeds. She is married with three children, graduated from the University in 2002 with a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Imaging Practice and works as a radiographer at Leeds General Infirmary.

FFTri, the French Triathlon Federation writes: FFTri organized, in collaboration with clubs and regional bodies, the first National "Women's Triathlon" will be held June 26 - 27, 2004.This race is designed to encourage participation in triathlon among women in France. Currently only 18% of licensed French athletes are women.The format of the event: An experienced triathlete recruits a newcomer to triathlon to participate in the Women's Triathlon. The experienced triathlete will act as a "godmother" for the new athletes throughout the weekend. The goal is to allow the women to discover the benefits and accessibility of triathlon in a fun environment.

WWW.TRIATHLON.ORG