After putting the sport of triathlon on the map, Olympic gold medallist Simon Whitfield is retiring from competition at age 38.
Triathlon was a new addition to the Summer Games in 2000 when Whitfield, little-known outside Victoria, electrified the country by taking home the first gold medal in the sport. Overnight, triathlon gained a new profile that drew athletes of all levels.
Runners, cyclists and swimmers who wanted new ways to test themselves took on the challenge of combining the three disciplines.
With a 1.5-kilometre swim, 40-kilometre bike ride and 10-kilometre run, the Olympic triathlon demands a high level of all-round fitness. And for those who want still more, triathlon distances vary from the shorter sprint to the exhausting Ironman, which finishes with a full marathon.
For Whitfield, the gold medal was only one of many winning finishes. He also won a gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, 12 Canadian championships and 14 victories in world cup events.
In 2008, he took the Olympic silver medal in a dramatic drive for the finish line that lifted fans out of their seats. In 2012, he was selected to carry the Canadian flag at the opening ceremonies of the London Olympics.
Along the way, he galvanized one generation of competitors to excel, and through his work with KidSport and other organizations, he helped give the next generation a start.
Whitfield鈥檚 legacy will live on not only in the record books, but in the athletes he inspires and the excellence he personifies. Thanks, Simon.
