World Triathlon’s coach education programme continued across Europe and South America in October, with Level 1 and Level 2 courses and workshops focused on supporting female athletes. The month’s activities brought together coaches and former elite athletes from multiple National Federations, with a strong emphasis on increasing female participation in coach education and strengthening coaching knowledge across different levels of the sport.
Level 1 courses in Finland and Uruguay
The 2026 Pajulahti World Triathlon Coaches Level 1 Course welcomed 17 participants, with women representing 47% of the group. Coaches attended from six National Federations: Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Poland, Croatia and Montenegro.
"A great experience that combined practical coaching, learning and sharing ideas with other coaches. The course challenged me to reflect on my own coaching and gave me new tools and perspectives. Every minute spent with the facilitators was a learning experience; their depth of knowledge and willingness to share it gave me so much to take back home to Iceland. I’m looking forward to sharing and applying what I learned with my athletes and fellow coaches." - Frey Gonzales (ISL), Coach
"On behalf of the Polish Triathlon Federation and our coaches, I would like to thank you all for giving our coaches the opportunity to attend the course in Pajulahti. They came back very inspired and truly happy with the knowledge and experience they gained, as well as with the people they had the opportunity to meet during the course." - Polish Triathlon Federation
“We had a mix of coaches from different countries. While we are all coaching in different environments, the one common thread is the passion to grow triathlon as a sport from the youngest age to the oldest age. The group’s willingness to engage, share, explore and experiment with new concepts and ideas showed through in their adaptive coaching behaviours over the duration of the course.” - Denise Murphy (IRL), TRI Facilitator
In South America, the 2026 Maldonado OS – World Triathlon Coaches Level 1 Course attracted 20 participants, with equal female and male representation and women accounting for 50% of the group. The IOC Olympic Solidarity-funded course also welcomed special guest Mauricio Rivas, President of the Uruguay National Federation, highlighting the importance of collaboration between World Triathlon and National Federations in developing coaching capacity.
“This was one of the best groups that I worked with. Totally committed and involved, and with an exceptional quality of knowledge & practice” - Rodrigo Milazzo (BRA), TRI Facilitator
“Thank you so much for everything. Your willingness to engage and the time spent reflecting were truly enriching.” - Natalia Caballero (URU), Coach
Supporting coaches of female athletes
Two World Triathlon Coaching Female Triathletes Workshops were also held during October, in Hurghada and Melilla. The workshops gave coaches opportunities to deepen their understanding of female physiology and the specific considerations involved in coaching female athletes.
Improving coaches' understanding of female-specific considerations is an important part of developing more informed coaching practices and creating environments in which female athletes can thrive.
“We explored female physiology, the menstrual cycle, endurance performance and strength training, and how coaches can better understand and support female athletes.” - Adele de la Rey (NAM), TRI Facilitator - Hurghada worksho
Level 2 Coach pathway for former elite athletes
The 2026 Murcia World Triathlon Coaches Level 2 Course for (former) Elite Athletes brought together eight participants - all former elite athletes, with women representing 50% of the group. The program was designed to support the next generation of athletes in their coaching career change. The course welcomed participants from seven National Federations: Spain, Columbia, Slovakia, Croatia, Lithuania, Estonia and Chile. The World Triathlon Level 2 course took participants through theory components and practical modules which challenged them to establish their own testing protocols, conducting both a bike power profile test and a ramp test — two distinct approaches — to create real-world data that they then applied to coaching in the Training Design Workshops as a part of the course requirements.
Continuing the development of coaches worldwide
October’s World Triathlon education projects showed the continued commitment to expanding coach education opportunities, strengthening National Federation capacity and increasing female representation across coaching programmes. Through its structured Level 1 and Level 2 pathways, alongside targeted workshops such as Coaching Female Triathletes, World Triathlon continues to support coaches at different stages of their development and contribute to the long-term growth of triathlon coaching worldwide.
