World Triathlon

A new generation of ITU coaches came together in Slovenia last weekend to take part in an ITU Level 1 Community Coaching course.

A total of 13 coaches from three different European nations, Norway, Slovenia and Croatia, came to Terme Snovik to take part. The majority were young, ambitious coaches, many who are still active triathletes, who all share the goal of helping triathlon get to the next level in their countries.

This was particularly evident with the two Norwegian representatives, Espen Laaveg and Kalle Jensen. The pair are planning to travel to ITU sanctioned events and courses this year and look at them from a technical and coaching level to build their knowledge before organising the first ITU-style triathlon event in Norway. According to Laaveg and Jensen, there is plenty of lifestyle triathletes in Norway, but they are keen to bring the next generation through to the ITU racing.

The course was organised by Zelko Bijuk (CRO), ITU Continental Coordinator for Europe, and Grega Zore (SLO), the Secretary General of the Slovenian Triathlon Federation.  Bijuk, Zore and coach Milos Petelin (SLO), who coaches young up and coming Slovenian teenager Monika Orazem, facilitated the course.

The course included theoretical and practical sessions about triathlon, based on the ITU’s Level 1 community coaching manual, including information on everything from the swim, run, bike and transitions to basic nutrition and coach responsibility. The course was held in the thermal bath complex in Snovik.

The participants were Laaveg and Jensen from Norway, Tone Vrhovnik Straka, Karla Oblak, Sebastjan Omerzo, Rok Vrhovnik, Uros Seme, Miha Rojc and Ales Susnik from Slovenia, with Kresimir Tijardovic, Martin Papista, Marcel Zelenika and Bojan Dujkovic from Croatia.