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Mark Elliott has been coaching Bevan Docherty, World Champion and Olympic triathlon silver medallist, for over 10 years and is busy working with Bevan to prepare him for the Beijing Olympics.

With one Olympics already under his belt, Mark knows that Beijing will have its own unique challenges that are quite different to the Athens Games. “The only thing the athletes are sure won’t change is that they will swim, bike and run,” says Mark. 

Every triathlon course is different, which means a lot of work is required to prepare athletes before each race. “Bevan has been training on a wind trainer and treadmill and using oxygen supplementation in preparation for the high altitude in China,” explains Mark. “We have been focussing on more intense training this time around and have introduced more recovery time between the hard sessions so he continues to keep sharp.”

Coaching triathletes is not simply about fitness and strength training.  There’s also an important tactical element that athletes need to incorporate into their performance in order to succeed. “Athletes need to look at themselves as individuals and apply their strengths, rather than just going for it,” says Mark. “Anyone can be fit, but they also need to know when to make the crucial break at the right time”. 

Because triathlon is still a relatively young sport (it was born in the 1980’s), the technical and tactical aspects are continuously being redefined and evaluated to improve performance.

Mark believes that consistency is the key to performing well at the Olympic Games. Bevan has come in the top five in every World Cup event since the Athens Olympics, and it is this consistency that will put him in good stead for a podium finish in Beijing. “One thing about being successful at an Olympic level is that you have to have shown some form of consistency leading up to the Games,” says Mark. “If Bevan continues to stay healthy and injury-free as we prepare for the Olympics, I’m confident he’ll do well.”