Freestyle for triathletes lecture by Olympic and Paralympic swim coach Jan Prins

Sri Lanka Tourism and Pro-Am Serendib Ltd. will bring the world’s number one multi-sport event to Sri Lanka, the Ironman, which will serve as a qualifying round for triathletes to participate in the Ironman World Championship 2018 in South Africa. 

The event is scheduled to be held on 25 February 2018 with a 1.9 km sea swim, a 90 km bike ride and a 21.2 km run, all to be completed by triathletes within a period of 8.5 hours. The event is open to relay teams, while Ironkids will be held on 24 February 2018 to encourage children to participate and earn the title of Ironkids. 

The triathlon has huge potential to become a mainstream sport in Sri Lanka and this event will inspire local athletes to take on the challenge on home soil while encouraging the participation of women and differently-abled athletes too.

As part of preparations for the big day, a lecture on freestyle swimming stroke mechanics focusing on triathletes will be conducted by Jan Prins PhD. Prins, the Director of Swimming Biomechanics Inc, is both an Olympic and Paralympic swimming coach and will be using both above and underwater video footage while the lecture will include slow motion and freeze-frame technology in order to better examine and understand freestyle stroke mechanics, the stroke required for successful participation in open water swimming as in the 1.9-km sea swim for Ironman. 

The lecture, titled ‘Freestyle for Triathletes’, will be conducted on Saturday, 16 December 2017 at 7.30 a.m. at the NCC Boardroom, 29, Maitland Place, Colombo 7.

Participation will cost Rs. 1,000 per person and proceeds from the lecture will go towards funding the registration of Punchi Banda, the only indigenous athlete to participate in Ironman 70.3 Colombo. For more information call 077-212-1266.