Europe Triathlon

A group of 28 athletes and coaches from six different developing and emerging National Federations gathered together in Karatas near Kladovo in Serbia last week, for the seven-day European Triathlon Union athlete development camp.

The main focus of the camp was to implement and understand the field test results and measurements in the long term athlete development program for both athletes and coaches. The programme for the athletes and coaches included three practical sessions a day and an evening theory lecture about different topics important for their development like nutrition, ethics, anti-doping, competition rules, bunch riding and psychology.

According to the Zeljko Bijuk, who organised this camp together with the Serbian Triathlon Union, the camp creates a great opportunity for networking amongst athletes and coaches which is important for their future pathway. The first goal for most of the athletes, who came from Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Israel and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, is the next Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing 2014.

Head coach Luc Morin said it was a pleasure to work with an excellent group of athletes.

“It is always a privilege for me to work with such a highly motivated and talented group of athletes, I am honoured to influence a small portion of these athletes’ continuous development. Our coaching staff is also constantly evaluating and improving their professional skills. ITU provides a wonderful opportunity for athletes and coaches to grow triathlon.”

While coaches and athletes also found the course extremely helpful. Uri Zilberman from Israel, who is the coach of the junior national team said,

“Once again the ITU development program is helping the Israeli triathlon to succeed in our long therm goal and send an athlete to the 2016 olympics in Rio. After Ron Darmon, Fanny Beisaron and Amitai Yonah this camp in Serbia help us to develop our next successfull triathlon generation.”

Goran Peic a coach from Croatia who was attending his first camp, said it had been a great experience. “This is the first time that I took part in an ITU camp and I need to say that I’m very satisfied with staff, organisation, program and excellent atmosphere amongst all participants.”

While a number of athletes talked about the importance of networking and meeting athletes with similar future pathways from other countries, including Gal Levy and Yuval Gome, female junior athletes from Israel.

“This camp is a great opportunity for us to improve our skills and knowledge together with meet athletes from other countries with which we already create new friendships,” they said.

Milan Tomin from Serbia said it was a great boost for his future.

“This camp give us guidelines how to become future triathlon champions,” he said. “From the coaches we get knowledge, new skills and proper technique and from the participants we get new friends and motivation to continue on our way.”

The athletes at the ETU development camp in Serbia included Tea Miloš (CRO), Maruša Klemenc (SLO), Eva Troha (SLO), Zsofia Szakaly (HUN), Viktoria Vizi (HUN), Gal Levy (ISR), Yuval Gome (ISR), Lianne Witkin (ISR), Strahinja Trakić (SRB), Vladimir Stojsavljević (SRB), Danilo Jovanović (SRB), Petar Ivačković (SRB), Milan Tomin (SRB), Bogdan Tomin (SRB), Bojan Karanović (SRB), Tin Bulić (CRO), Urban Cehner (SLO), Jaka Kaplan (SLO), Ron Lewinhson (ISR), Luka Garevski (MKD), Royi Zoarets (ISR), Luka Paliska (CRO) and Eugen Jagušt (CRO).

For more information on triathlon development