Age Group Focus: European Champions in Budapest

A total of 11 age-group winners from this year’s European Championships in Athlone, Ireland will be competing on Sunday in the Olympic-distance competition at the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series Grand Final in Budapest. Here’s a closer look at Europe’s finest age-group athletes as they get set for the biggest race of the season.

20-24 Women

Katerine Henderson (GBR)
The Briton has shown huge improvements in 2010, highlighted by her age-group win in Athlone. She’ll be competing in her second consecutive Grand Final after finishing 67th in this age group at last year’s Gold Coast Grand Final.

30-34 Men

Dale Grassby (GBR)
Grassby will be competing in his fourth consecutive ITU World Championship in the 30-34 age group. He’ll be looking for his first win, after finishing 9th at the Gold Coast (2009), 16th in Vancouver (2008) and 12th in Hamburg (2007).

40-44 Women

Sophie Whitworth (GBR)
Whitworth is one of the most decorated amateur athletes competing in this year’s Grand Final. She’ll be looking for her first age group world title, after finishing second in the 35-39 category at the last three ITU World Championships. She also won the ETU European Championship in Copenhagen in 2007.

40-44 Men

Matt Molloy (IRL)
Molloy, winner of the 40-44 age group in Athlone, will be competing in his second Grand Final. He raced in both the Aquathlon and Triathlon World Championship last year, finishing second in the Aquathlon and 54th in the triathlon in the 40-44 category.

45-49 Women

Kay Hack (IRL)
Ireland’s Kay Hack is competing in her first ITU World Championship after winning the 45-49 age group in Athlone. She also competed in this year’s ITU Long Distance World Championship in Immenstadt, Germany, finishing 14th in this age group.

50-54 Men

Reto Schawalder (SUI)
Switzerland’s Schawalder is one of the most successful age groupers in the history of ITU and will be competing in his 11th ITU race on Sunday. This year he won his age group in Athlone and at the Long Distance Champs in Immenstadt. He won the 45-49 category at the 2004 ITU World Champs in Madeira and finished second two years later in Lausanne.

55-59 Women

Joan Griffin (IRL)
Griffin is one of Ireland’s top age-group athletes and will be competing in her first ITU World Championship. She won the 50-54 category at the 2005 ETU Championships in Lausanne.

60-64 Women

Jane Leslie (GBR)
Leslie will be competing in her fourth consecutive ITU World Championship on Sunday. She finished 7th in this age group at last year’s Gold Coast Grand Final.

60-64 Men

Klaus Kuebler (AUT)
Kuebler had a huge year in 2009, finishing second in this age group at the Grand Final in Australia and third at the European Champs in Holten, Netherlands.

65-69 Men

Bill Shackcloth (GBR)
The decorated Briton will be competing in his 10th ITU event. He finished 7th in this category at last year’s Grand Final. Shackcloth has finished on the podium of the European Champs on three occasions, winning in Athlone (2010), finishing second in Holten (2009) and third in Copenhagen (2007).

70-74 Women

Dafne Belt (GBR)
Belt has won all three ITU events in which she’s finished. Prior to winning in Athlone this year, she also won the 65-69 age group at the 2007 Long Distance World Champs in Lorient and the 2006 Long Distance European Champs in Almere.