From short-course wins to Olympic qualification heartbreak and instant Ironman success, Aussie racer Liz Blatchford has experienced a long and colourful triathlon career. Advertisement We caught up with the Cheshire-born 34-year-old at a BMC Etixx pro team camp to discuss racing ITU for GB, her Ironman world championship podiums and what essential advice she has for age-groupers making the jump to long-course racing… 220: UK readership will know you from your ITU days racing for Great Britain. How do you look back on those days? Blatchford: I see my ITU years as my formative years. I attribute my quick long-course success to what I did in my 11 years of…

The S-stroke in front crawl could be more effective for triathletes, rather than the I-stroke, new research from the University of Tsukuba in Japan shows. Click Here: highlanders rugby jersey Advertisement  The scientists investigated which stroke was more effective in the water; the S-stroke when the arm draws a curve in the water or the I-stroke when it moves straight, and found that the effectiveness of the stroke depended on the distance swum. According to their results the S-stroke is better suited for swimming middle and long distances, when you need propulsive power with less physical exertion, while the I-stroke is better for short distances, which depend on speed over efficiency.…

Defending champions Gina Crawford (NZL) and Dylan McNeice (NZL) are just a few of the international pro triathletes lining up for the 10th anniversary of New Zealand’s long distance triathlon, taking place on 20 February. They will be looking to secure their seventh and fourth titles respectively and the lion’s share of the $80,000 prize fund. Advertisement However competition will be fierce for this ironman competition. Hoping to beat Gina will be DATEV Challenge Roth champion and former world record holder over the 226km distance, Yvonne van Vlerken (NED), who has had over 80 podiums in her career, along with 2015 runner-up Laura Siddall (GBR), Alyssa Godesky (USA) and Kiwi athlete, now…

Ironman have announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Lagardère Sports’ endurance division, which includes races in three continents and eight countries, including ITU races. Advertisement The long-course race organiser will now own and/or operate an additional five International Triathlon Union (ITU) events, four marathons, six cycling races as well as a number of other participation events. These events are expected to serve an estimated 140,000 participants in 2016. “Lagardère Sports has built innovative and world-class events which, when added to our global event portfolio, further builds our company and strengthens the entire endurance business under the roof of Wanda Sports Holding,” said Andrew Messick, Ironman’s Chief Executive Officer. “These iconic…

The men will undergo the most psychologically demanding and physically challenging endurance mission of their lives – the jungle selection phase. As with the first series, the course is designed and run by ex Special forces soldiers and based on their experience of the Special Forces selection process. Click Here: new zealand kiwis jersey Advertisement This is the closest you will ever get to experiencing selection for real. We are looking for 30 men, who are willing to travel abroad to the jungle for up to two weeks and undergo ten intense days of grueling psychological and physical tests, which are designed to play on the mental weaknesses that come to…

Five years after doing his first triathlon self-coached Joe is one of Britain’s most exciting talents in Ironman for 2016. Watch the video below, produced by Recon, to hear his thoughts on the upcoming season and how he is preparing. Last year’s season highlights for Joe included coming second in Ironman Texas and third in ITU Long Distance Worlds. Advertisement You can read our interview with him in the February issue, where he talks about going sub-eight and why facing Javier Gomez doesn’t worry him. Don’t miss either his 10-step guide to long-distance success. You can buy a single issue or subscribe to 220 Triathlon here   Advertisement Video © Recon Click Here: Warriors…

Endurance athletes who restrict carbohydrates burn more than twice as much fat as high-carbohydrate athletes.’ The headline-grabbing study from Ohio University made news as ‘fat expert’ professor Jeff Volek proclaimed it the highest fat-burning rates he’d ever seen. Advertisement The study involved 20 top-end ultra-endurance runners. One group of 10 were habitual low-carb consumers, their daily diet consisting of 70% fat, 19% protein and just 11% carbs. The 10 high-carb athletes’ fuelling plan comprised 59% carbs, 25% fat and 14% protein. Volek had the subjects run at 64% of maximal oxygen capacity for 3hrs to determine metabolic response. The low-carb group’s fat-burning rate was 2.3 times higher than the high-carb…

The sportswear giant is IAAF’s largest sponsor and it is believed that the decision is a direct result of the doping scandal sweeping the sport. Advertisement Neither organisation would confirm the split to the BBC, but both issued short statements referencing the “reform process” under way. An statement from the sportswear giant says: “As you know Adidas has a clear anti-doping policy in place. Therefore, we are in close contact with the IAAF to learn more about their reform process.” The sponsorship deal was due to run until 2019 and was reportedly worth $33m (£23m), although some sources say the figure is much higher. Advertisement Read full story here Click…

Wearing helmets could make cyclists more likely to take risks, new research from Bath University shows. According to their results, rather than making cyclists more safe, helmets could actually increase the wearer’s likelihood of taking risks. Advertisement The scientists, led by Dr Tim Gamble and Dr Ian Walker, measured sensation-seeking behaviour and analysed risk taking in adults aged 17-56 using a computer-based simulation. The individuals in the study wore either a bicycle helmet or a baseball cap, which they were told was just there to support an eye-tracking device. They were then tasked with inflating an on-screen animated balloon whilst wearing either the cap or the helmet and their tendency to keep…

County Donegal on Ireland’s beautiful northwest coast will be home to a new Swimrun event, the first of its kind in Ireland, on 20 August. Advertisement Organised by Breca Swimrun and named the Breca Árainn Mhór it will be taking place across the stunning Árainn Mhór Island and The Rosses.   Teams of two will take on the challenging 54km course across 45 legs, including 9km of open-water swims and 45km of trail running (split up as 22 swims and 23 runs) with an elevation gain of 470 metres. They will negotiate clifftops, open water, rolling sand dunes and have to work together to overcome tricky rock transitions. Entries will…