ITU Supports Triathlon Development Courses Around the World

The ITU is helping establish development courses around the world with the most recent undertaking in Iran. The three-day intensive Sport Development Camps were first introduced in 2012 in Asia and were geared toward talent identification and coaching instruction.

The recent Iranian camp took place on Kirsh Island where 12 certified ITU level 1 coaches and 25 junior and U23 athletes took courses, were tested for athletic potential and learned about training effectively. Mohammad Ali Sabour, president of Iran Triathlon Federation, explained that liberal minded coaches were selected to help cultivate the development of the sport in Iran.

“I am certain that all our coaches and athletes learned a lot. We were asked to think about the purpose of each training session, explain and comprehend all drills or skills we gave to our athletes. It seems simple and obvious, but we easily forget the basics concepts and we get used to doing what we have been doing without thinking about the real purposes,” said Mohammad Mansourzadeh, Iran National Team Coach.

“Iran has potential to develop Triathlon. The federation is young but they know what needs to be done to develop their coaches and athletes. I hope Iranian coaches and athletes realize that without good coaches, athletes can’t reach their full potential. Coaches need to constantly learn to improve their athletes’ performances,” said Luc Morin, ITU development expert.

“Iranian coaches and athletes are eager to learn about triathlon training. There were many questions about how international athletes train and what coaches do. Luc did his best to make them understand the reasoning behind all the coaching instructions. I am certain that we can fulfill National Federations’ demands through this type of project,” said Ki Woo-kyong, ITU Asia Sport Development coordinator.

A similar camp just took pace in Egypt where 25 athletes and coaches from eight countries participated in a development camp in Sharm el Sheikh  from March 10 to 15. The camp and coaches seminar were held in conjunction with an ATU African Cup and the Pan Arab Triathlon Championships.