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Spencer Smith: triathlon today is too divided

We chat to the three-time ITU world champ about triathlon's growing recognition, the Olympics and his all-time hero, Mark Allen

Spencer Smith

(Image: Nigel Farrow)

As part of our Tri Legends series, in which we speak to some of the stars of 220‘s lifetime, we speak to British athlete Spencer Smith about triathlon’s journey, the divisions in the sport and the tough job of selling himself in the early days…

220: What for you have been major changes in the sport since 1989?

Smith: The growth of the sport and being recognised and accepted into the Olympics. Rarely now do people ask ‘what is a triathlon?’. The average person on the street may not know all the distances and all the races, but the fact that they recognise the sport is a very big deal. The cost is a negative thing. Triathlon has become very expensive and isn’t always readily available to all who want to compete in it.

What is your greatest achievement?

My world championship titles and the fact that I made my mum and dad so proud.

Who would be your hero of 220’s lifetime?

Mark Allen. He was my hero from the start and still is to this day. A true living legend that could win at any distance.

What relationship have you had with 220?

You’ve played a huge part in my career. Without wanting to sound dated, in my early racing days the media coverage was very limited and to go out and acquire sponsors was challenging. The fact that I could show a potential sponsor a publication that was the quality of 220 from day one was massive. It made the already tough job of selling myself that bit easier.

What major change would you hope tri makes in its next 25 years?

I would actually love to see both long- and sprint-distance racing accepted into the Olympic programme. To me, they represent everything that the Games stand for. The sport today is far too divided and, with the inclusion of long-distance racing into the Games especially, I think the gap could close.

220 Triathlon is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, with our 300th issue going on sale on 27 May in newsagents and on iTunes/Google Play/Zinio

Profile image of Spencer Smith Spencer Smith Former world champion triathlete and multisport coach

About

British-born triathlete Spencer Smith is a three-time world champion turned triathlon coach, and one of only a handful of athletes to have consistently succeeded on the biggest stage at both short- and long-distance triathlon. His triathlete and sports career record is exemplary. Spencer Smith has won over half of all the races he has ever competed in – a phenomenal statistic that is almost unparalleled in the sport of triathlon. At the age of 20, Spencer became the youngest-ever world and European champion. He was then the first male triathlete to win consecutive senior world championships (1993 and 1994) in addition to his junior world title in 1992. However, it's not just Spencer’s success as a triathlete that has made him an iconic figure in the sport – it's also his ability regularly to bounce back from adversity and his positive, down-to-earth attitude that have helped to make him one of the most marketable men in the world of triathlon. Known and respected for his tough, hard-driving style of racing, away from the course he's universally considered to be one of the friendliest and most charismatic of athletes. A good example of Spencer’s extraordinary ability to overcome severe hardship came while training for the 2005 season, when he suffered a horrific accident that not only cost him his season but also nearly cost him his life. While out on his bike, he was struck by a car. He suffered third-degree burns from being trapped beneath the engine, and also broke his scapula, clavicle and six ribs. Despite his injuries, which would have forced many lesser athletes to retire, he astonished the triathlon community by coming back strongly in 2006, placing second in Ironman Arizona and qualifying for the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii for the fifth time. Interestingly, he's also one of the very few champion triathletes to have raced in the highly-competitive world of professional cycling, where he spent the 1999-2000 season with the Linda McCartney team before reverting back to triathlon, proving his adaptability by winning Ironman Florida in a record time and coming 8th in the Hawaii Ironman World Championship within a year of his return. Spencer now runs the multisport and triathlon coaching company, S2Coaching to help athletes all of abilities develop and reach their potential through world-class training.