Congratulations to all the inductees in the ITU 2019 hall of fame nominations. Special congratulations go to Dr Sarah Springman CBE, FREng, a highly successful triathlete, sports administrator and most importantly, foil for the father of short course racing and long time ITU President, and Ironman Hawaii age group winner, Les McDonald.
Dr Springman was one of those that pushed for transparency and process around drug testing in elite triathlon. As the nomination recognises, she was also key in the formal establishment in the recognition of Paratriathlon, which was a major focus of the 2019 Lausanne ITU World Championships.
I had the opportunity to meet and discuss triathlon futures and especially the development of age group racing and funding with both of them, but never together. Coincidentally, I met Dr Springman in Lausanne for a breakfast discussion during the 2004 European Triathlon Championships, accompanied by then Chairman of the British Triathlon Association, Norman Brooke.
Congratulations indeed.