Sport for Business’ Coverage of the 2016 Olympic Games is supported by Team Ireland Official Partner Electric Ireland #ThePowerWithin
Ireland’s two Olympic-bound triathletes, Aileen Reid and Bryan Keane were out and about with Irish media yesterday before they go into lock down mode in preparation for the games.
Their journey to the start line at Rio has been far from easy and their performance on and around Copacabana beach will be important to them but also to Triathlon Ireland which runs the sport here on behalf of more than 17,000 amateur competitors here.
That membership has grown from less than 1,000 a mere ten years ago and it is the composition of those who participate that will be of interest to potential corporate partners with almost 50% in the 35-44 age group and 21% earning over €100,000 a year.
A seven year deal relationship with Vodafone is due to end after the Olympics and the sport is in discussion with a number of potential sponsors to take it to the next level.
A high profile performance from Keane and Reid would be a big boost to those negotiations.
Triathlon Ireland will be one of twelve sports to feature in a new Sport for Business Challenger Series looking at how sports away from the spotlight of the big three are presenting the many opportunities they have for commercial partnerships. It starts this Friday, June 24th with the world of Gymnastics Ireland…
The pair will spend much of much of the time between now and the Games training at altitude in Font Romeau in the French Pyrenees, coming down to sea level just twice to race at the Stockholm World Series triathlon on July 2nd; and as part of a two-man-two-woman Irish team in the Mixed Relay World Championships in Hamburg a fortnight later.
“I know that I am capable of being among the top ten because that’s my average over the past three years but that’s not to say I am not capable of better,” said Reid.
“Rio is going to be an amazing place to have a race, we did the test event at Copacabana last year, it’s a fantastic, hard course that will be a true aswim-bike-run test.”
“People assume it’s exciting to be at the Olympics and it is, but it’s also nerve wracking and scary. It’s all those things but I know when I get there I will be relaxed because I will have done all the work and I am definitely looking forward to it.”
For Keane, qualifying for the games is the culmination of a six year battle that has seen him live out of a suitcase for years and overcome a an injury that would have ended many athletic careers.
The 35-year-old was on track to qualify for the London Games when, in late 2010 he was knocked off his bicycle by a car and shattered his knee cap. The accident meant he had to watch the Olympics while undergoing intensive rehabilitation.
Keane only secured his place for the Rio Games in May, on the very last day of qualification. He had to finish inside the top 20 at an ITU World Cup race at Yokohama, Japan and beat two of his rivals from Hungary and Austria to be sure of qualification – a feat he achieved with one of his career best performances.
“This is the fulfilment of a life long ambition,” he said.
“Following my injury, I didn’t know whether I would get back of not but I said to myself that I would do everything to make sure I could.”
Rio’s triathlon course, which begins and ends at Fort Copacabana beside the world famous beach, promises to deliver one of the most exciting events of the Games with a rough ocean swim, a hard and hilly bike course and a pancake flat 10km run that will take competitors along a sea front circuit.
The men’s final at the Olympic Games takes place on August 18th with the women’s final taking place on August 20th.
Sport for Business’ Coverage of the 2016 Olympic Games is supported by Team Ireland Official Partner Electric Ireland #ThePowerWithin
