World Triathlon

London 29 April 2010 – British Triathlon could soon fulfill its Olympic medal-winning potential and become one of the UK’s next great sporting success stories, thanks to a new partnership with GE, announced today.

GE, one of the worldwide sponsors of the London 2012 Olympic Games, will become Partner of British Triathlon teams, providing support and expertise for the athletes as they prepare and compete at the highest levels in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games. They will also support British Triathlon Elite events, Elite Paratriathlon team, Age Group teams, home nation regional academies, and the British Triathlon Coach Development programme.

As part of the partnership GE will work with British Triathlon to identify ways to support the 50-strong team of athletes – which includes Men’s World and European Champions Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, Women’s Under 23 World Champion Hollie Avil and the 2008 Women’s World Champion Helen Jenkins.

In keeping with previous Games, where GE provided state-of-the-art medical imaging equipment for the early diagnosis and treatment of sporting injuries, the partnership is exploring specific ways in which GE’s healthcare technology and expertise could help to optimise and improve the performance of the team in the events leading up to and including the Olympic Games.

Mark Elborne, President & CEO, GE UK commented: ”As a proud sponsor of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, we wanted to establish an association with an exciting and modern sport which we feel would benefit from our support, our technology and our expertise. We believe British Triathlon is a great fit for GE and we are confident that our support could potentially make a real impact on Team GB’s gold medal prospects in 2012.

“British Triathlon is a successful organisation with a strong vision for its future development.  As one of the fastest growing Olympic sports in the UK, it has strong medal potential for 2012 and could become one of the next great sporting success stories for Great Britain.  The team can rely on GE’s support - as well as the cheers of 18,000 UK employees.”

Zara Hyde Peters CEO of British Triathlon commented: ”It is fantastic news for the sport, which is growing rapidly in popularity and profile, that we have been able to partner with GE to support our performance pathway. At an elite level this is a sport where Britain has been a dominant force at international level. We currently have five reigning World Champions and an incredibly talented team of athletes and support staff. I am confident that the support of GE will increase our medal winning potential in 2012.”

Within Performance Director, Heather Williams’ elite coaching set up, Head Coach, Joel Filliol recognises the benefits that the partnership will bring.

He said: “The GE GB Triathlon team, as one of the strongest teams in the world, is always looking for advantages over the competition that will make a significant difference to our athletes. The aggregation of marginal gains can make the difference that means winning medals. GE’s healthcare technology will mean that we are better equipped to monitor and manage the health and fitness of athletes as they push themselves to the limits of performance.  GE’s investment will ensure the World Class Programme that we have put in place through UK Sport Lottery funding produces the best prepared athletes in the world.”

Current ITU World Champion, Alistair Brownlee added: “This sponsorship is going to mean a great deal to the whole team because it will help reduce the amount of training time missed through injuries. This could make a significant difference as we strive to be the best in London 2012.”

Commenting on the announcement, Sir Clive Woodward, the British Olympic Association’s Olympic Performance Director said: “The BOA is delighted that GE have joined forces with British Triathlon and I believe this kind of support could be crucial for our athletes in the run-up to, and during, the 2012 Olympic Games.

“It’s great to see partners such as GE working so closely with our Olympic sports. British Triathlon is blessed with some truly world-class athletes and I hope this support will help push them along the path towards delivering outstanding results as part of Team GB in 2012.”