Claire Michel (BEL)
Following the release of the Female Coaches in Triathlon – Status Study and Development Plan (2025), World Triathlon continues to highlight women who are redefining leadership in sport. These stories celebrate not only their achievements but also their resilience, innovation, and commitment to change. Belgian coach Claire Michel exemplifies this new generation of leaders — combining the insight of an elite athlete with a systems-focused approach to athlete development and federation growth.
After an impressive career which saw 3 Olympic Games starts (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024), Belgian triathlete Claire Michel wasted no time stepping into her next challenge. Just two weeks after finishing her final professional race in December 2024, she began a new chapter as Technical Director for the Ligue Francophone de Triathlon (LF3), Belgium’s French-speaking regional league.
“While I felt ready for the change, it was a bit of a shock to the system at first adapting to the new lifestyle and being on the other side of the fence,” Claire reflects.
From Athlete to Championing Athlete Care
Claire’s decision to move into coaching and leadership came from wanting to be part of the solution. As an athlete, she had witnessed many of her peers struggle with their federations, and she wanted to help improve the system from within.
“I strive to be a solution-oriented person,” she explains. “I wanted to bring my experience as a professional athlete and my passion for athlete development to improve processes within high performance in Belgium.”
While acknowledging that women remain underrepresented in coaching and management, Claire says her own path into leadership was relatively smooth. Her appointment to LF3 marked both personal transition and cultural progress within Belgian triathlon.
Challenging Perceptions
Working in a smaller federation has given Claire unique opportunities — and interesting conversations. With fewer staff, she often finds herself directly involved in coaching duties at races, avoiding the sidelining many women experience.
“I’ve had debates with coaches who think the World Triathlon coaching accreditation policy is discriminatory against men,” she shares. “These have led to valuable conversations about why quotas and representation matter.”
Through open dialogue and education, she continues to champion the importance of equity and visibility — helping others see how inclusion strengthens the sport as a whole.
Mentorship and Continuous Growth
Belgium’s sport system, she notes, provides strong institutional support for coaches and retired athletes. From Olympic Committee-led leadership masterclasses to ADEPS-subsidised education and psychological support, the structure around career transition has been vital.
Claire is currently completing a Sport Management course, expanding her leadership toolkit while continuing to learn from peers across the international triathlon community.
“Being a member of the World Triathlon Athletes’ Committee for eight years has broadened my network,” she says. “It’s inspiring to see so many of my peers move into coaching and high-performance roles.”
Finding Balance and Perspective
The end of her professional racing career didn’t mean the end of sport in her daily life. For Claire, staying active is both grounding and restorative.
“I was surprised how much I missed the daily dose of dopamine from training,” she admits. “Time permitting, I try to train with my local club — it brings balance and mental clarity.”
She also values creating boundaries, prioritising family time, and embracing “social sport” moments that keep her connected to her roots.
Building Systems, Inspiring Growth
At the heart of Claire’s coaching philosophy is a focus on structure and process — helping athletes and clubs understand what truly drives performance.
“Seeing young athletes surpass themselves and grow into more resilient people keeps me motivated,” she says. “The biggest impact I can have is putting the right frameworks in place so athletes and coaches can focus on what really matters.”
Her goal is to bring the same mindset of continuous refinement that elite athletes apply to themselves — but now at a broader, community level.
Looking Ahead
Claire believes that World Triathlon’s longstanding gender equity stance — from equal prize money to female coach accreditation quotas — is making a tangible difference. But she also recognises that progress must be global.
“Belgium’s culture isn’t the same everywhere,” she says. “We need to intensify visibility, leadership courses, and even hosting races in underrepresented regions. These are all part of the effort to improve gender equity worldwide.”
With her combination of experience in competition, empathy for others, and systems thinking, Claire Michel represents a new generation of coaches — those who understand that performance is built not only on results, but on culture, collaboration, and opportunity.