Triathlon Stars Get Chance to Shine in London

Friday 26 March 2021

Super League Triathlon returns for the first time in 2021 as the SLT Arena Games Powered by Zwift comes to London.

With a host of big names such as Jonathan Brownlee and Georgia Taylor-Brown stepping up their preparation for this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo and long course stars such as Lucy Charles-Barclay and Tim Don testing themselves at a much shorter distance, triathlon’s most innovative format is set to deliver another incredible spectacle.

The SLT Arena Games is a blend of in real life and virtual racing that sees athletes pushed to the limit over three fast and furious races that include elements of eSports thanks to Super League Triathlon’s pioneering partnership with Zwift.

Saturday's event at the Aquatics Centre on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will be broadcast to more than 179 territories around the world, as well on Super League Triathlon's YouTube channel. The event also features two paratriathlon races.

Three-time Olympian and four-time world champion Tim Don, who famously came back to triathlon after a horror bike crash that saw him needing a metal halo screwed into his skull, is one of those taking up the challenge - despite recently turning 43.

He said: “Since I broke my neck, if a challenge comes my way I definitely accept it. I will commit 100 percent to a race and leave nothing out there at all. I am going to have to fight for every place. You can only do one thing in that kind of race - full gas.

“My motivation for racing the Arena Games is the challenge. It’s proving to myself that I can still be competitive over the super short distance against these young guys coming up. I’m not just this Ironman guy who is super slow and ‘been there, done that.’ Half of my PBs are quicker than these guys. I've been to more Olympics than they’ve had hot dinners, let alone won world titles.”

Lucy Charles-Barclay is a three-time runner-up at the Ironman World Championship and unquestionably Britain’s finest long course triathlete. Her decision to race short course with Super League has lit speculation that she may decide to turn her attention to the Olympics for 2024.

She said: “I’m definitely someone who loves a challenge. I love to throw myself in at the deep end. For a long time I have wanted to see if I could do the short course racing and see how I stack up against those top girls on the ITU circuit and this is going to give me the opportunity to find out. I want to see how I fare against them and give it my all.

“Super League is rocketing the sport into the future. Triathlon is such a big sport but not really as watched as it should be.

“Super League is making it exciting. There’s so much going on. It’s brutal. It’s quick moving and it’s something in the future I think we could have big crowds watching it and enjoying and supporting triathlon.”

Also in the field is defending champion Justus Nieschlag, who took the inaugural SLT Arena Games title in Rotterdam last year.

“The intensity of the format is huge,” said the German Olympian. “In the first stage it is like a normal triathlon, but with each stage it gets harder and harder and in the end it is just all about surviving. Never give up and fight until the finish line.”

Racing takes place from 3pm-5pm local time, with post-race analysis from expert pundits and participants via the all new 'Short Chute Show' immediately after the live broadcast on Super League Triathlon's YouTube channel.

Super League Triathlon


Coming Triathlon Events View all

eagleXman

Assergi, Italy

TriBourne 226

Eastbourne, United Kingdom

Kaike triathlon

Yonago, Tottori, Japan

Outlaw Triathlon

Nottingham, United Kingdom

Wild Siberia Xtreme

Lake Cheybek-Kohl, Siberia, Russian Federation

Starvation Extreme

Starvation Reservoir, Utah, United States

Norseman Xtreme

Geilo, Norway

Ostseeman

Glucksburg, Germany

Slovakman 226

Pieštany, Slovakia

Greatman Kornik

Kornik, Poland

Ironman Lake Placid

Lake Placid, United States

Ironman Leeds

Leeds, United Kingdom

Ironman Canada Ottawa

Ottowa, Canada

Ironman Kalmar Sweden

Kalmar, Sweden

Ironman Copenhagen

Copenhagen, Denmark

Ironman Tallinn

Tallinn, Estonia

Ironman Switzerland

Thun, Switzerland

Ironman Wisconsin

Madison, Wisconsin, United States

IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPS MEN

Nice, France

Ironman Japan South Hokkaido

Hokkaido, Japan

TRI Boulder

Boulder, CO, United States

Castle to Coast

Windsor to Brighton, United Kingdom

Sourdough Triathlon

Chatanika, Alaska, United States

Timisoara Triathlon

Timisoara, Romania

The Gauntlet Belvoir Castle Triathlon

Belvoir Castle, United Kingdom

Trumer Triathlon

Obertrum am See, Austria

Honeymoon Half Gravel Tri

Honeymoon Bay BC, Canada

TriBourne 113

Eastbourne, United Kingdom

Garmin Tri Tour Goldap

Goldap, Poland

Route 66 Half

Springfield, IL, United States

70.3 Ecuador

Manta, Ecuador

70.3 Oregon

Salem OR, United States

70.3 Ohio

Sandusky, United States

70.3 Boise

Boise Idaho, United States

70.3 Maine

Augusta, United States

70.3 Calgary

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

70.3 Krakow

Kraków, Poland

70.3 Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

70.3 Lapu Lapu

Cebu, Philippines

70.3 Hradec Kralove

Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic

Triathlon News & Media Blogs View all

IRONMAN Lake Placid Pro Series Start List

IRONMAN Lake Placid Pro Series Start List

Friday 18 Jul 2025 [Triathlon News]

On Sunday, July 20, the IRONMAN® Pro Series™ returns to New York’s Adirondack Mountains when over 80 of the world’s top professional triathletes toe the start line at the iconic Athletic Brewing IRONMAN® Lake Placid triathlon. The event will offer a maximum of 5,000 points towards IRONMAN® Pro Series standings, a $125,000 USD event total pro prize purse, and four qualifying slots for each gender to the 2025 IRONMAN World Championship® triathlon in Nice, France (men’s race) and Kona, Hawai`i (wom more

70.3 Ecuador Pro Start List

70.3 Ecuador Pro Start List

Friday 18 Jul 2025 [Triathlon News]

Welcome to a very special edition! In 2025, we celebrate 10 years of history, dedication, and passion—a decade filled with emotions, con- quered challenges, and thousands of athletes crossing a finish line that has become a symbol of pride for the entire region. more

Little Elm, Texas to Host New IRONMAN 70.3 Triathlon in 2026

Little Elm, Texas to Host New IRONMAN 70.3 Triathlon in 2026

Monday 14 Jul 2025 [Triathlon News]

IRONMAN®, the global leader in long-distance triathlon, announced today that it will host the new IRONMAN® 70.3® Dallas-Little Elm triathlon in 2026. The new event is scheduled to make its debut on Sunday, March 15, 2026, beginning at Little Elm Park and traversing through the town of Little Elm and the North Texas countryside. General registration for the new event opens on July 23, 2025, more

Julie Derron Wins IRONMAN Vitoria Gasteiz 2025

Julie Derron Wins IRONMAN Vitoria Gasteiz 2025

Monday 14 Jul 2025 [Triathlon News]

The 2025 IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz, held on Sunday, July 13th in the Basque Country of Spain, saw a commanding victory in the women's professional race and some fierce competition in the age-group categories. more

Kat Matthews, Harry Palmer Crowned IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea Champions

Kat Matthews, Harry Palmer Crowned IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea Champions

Sunday 13 Jul 2025 [Triathlon News]

The South Coast of Wales was the sunny setting for this weekend’s race, as the IRONMAN Pro Series™ landed in the UK for the first time ever. Harry Palmer of Great Britain retained his IRONMAN® 70.3® Swansea title, while Kat Matthews claimed her second IRONMAN Pro Series win of the season. more

Facebook


YouTube


Sign up for FREE NEWSLETTER:

We will never share your email address or spam you.