5 min read time
Triathlon New Zealand has announced a restructure of its High Performance team following a comprehensive strategic review conducted after the Paris Olympic Games cycle. General Manager of Performance, Travis White, sits down with The Full Send to add further insight to a plan designed to strengthen athlete representation and position the programme to deliver at least one medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Read the accompanying media statement to this announcement here
1. The review has seen two roles from the Paris cycle disestablished and replaced by a new ‘Technical & Pathway Lead’. What is the strategic play here?
Ultimately it’s about the alignment of our people resource to deliver on the core components of the HP2025+ plan whilst working within the constraints of our financial envelope. As the adage goes, strategy drives structure and following the Paris review and subsequent 17.5% reduction in HPSNZ funding, we have had to make tough decisions on how we reduce our spend and still deliver on the plan. The new role has a primary focus on the technical (performance triathlon) aspects of our sport, supporting and building our performance pathway, and developing and engaging with our HP coaching community.
2. What are the over-arching remits of the HP2025+ plan?
There are four key areas that underpin the HP2025+ plan: pathways, culture, coaching and environments. Big picture we are aiming to develop a sustainable pipeline of healthy athletes who challenge for podium results at all levels of racing. This incorporates U19, U23 and elite level racing and across super sprint, sprint, standard distance and mixed relay formats. While a major focus is on LA2028, we need to ensure we are identifying and developing talent now for Brisbane 2032. This is where the focus on the pathway comes in and supporting our athletes and coaches to progress through the pathway with clear evidence and informed decision making. This is challenging in a global environment where everything costs more, and we have less to do it with.
3. With the hindsight of qualification lessons learned from the Paris campaign, how will the LA ’28 cycle look different for our elite and emerging athletes?
As it stands you can qualify a maximum of six athletes (three male, three female) for the Games. The primary course of qualification is through a nation’s mixed relay ranking at the end of the qualification period where you can receive two male and two female quota spots. However, to gain the additional spots you need to have three athletes ranked in the top 30 within their gender at the end of the qualification period. We are still to have the qualification system for LA2028 confirmed, however should it stay the same we will have a plan that strategically addresses the race and points offerings across the period and balances individual and mixed relay racing to ensure we are maximising the opportunities for ranking points across the full period. We almost got there with our guys for Paris and with a bit of focus up front we will be well placed to have a full complement of athletes racing come July 2028.
4. Will Banyoles in Spain continue to be a European base for our athletes given the Games are shifting to North America?
Europe is still and will remain the epicentre of elite triathlon racing. To continue to progress, our athletes need to spend significant chunks of time located in the northern hemisphere to develop and refine their ability to campaign internationally. With Banyoles we have a location that is extremely user friendly and ticks a lot of boxes when bringing a group together to live, train and operate for extended periods of time. Through the review of the program, we no longer feel we need such a long-term presence and have reduced the period of time the international training base is in operation. For 2025 the base will be in operation for six weeks and close the weekend of the World Triathlon Sprint and Mixed Relay Championships in Hamburg on July 12-13. Obviously with a North American Games coming up in 2028 we will be looking for opportunities to train and complete near LA prior to the Games and will await news from World Triathlon regarding racing opportunities in that part of the world.
5. How important is the Mixed Relay to Tri NZ’s Olympic Games ambitions and will there be a focus on developing athletes specifically for the shorter, sharper legs?
Simply put, the ultimate target is to win medals at the Olympic Games. As we know in triathlon there are three medal events to try and do this in – individual male and female, and mixed relay and we are trying to develop athletes that can challenge for medals in all events. At any given time, our ability to do this comes down to the capabilities of the athletes in our pathway. With the mixed relay we have a unique opportunity to track and progress athletes across dual pathways – individual and mixed relay. With the relay, you need a critical mass of athletes that we can develop and select from who can perform at the highest level.
