Family-operated Gold Coast based PhysioFlex partnered with Bond University‘s large team of student physiotherapists to offer triathletes complimentary treatments at the Gold Coast Triathlon – Luke Harrop Memorial from 6 to 7 April. The practice, which was the official health partner of the Gold Coast Triathlon, specialised in treating athletes competing in the three continuous and sequential endurance races, and offered its services free-of-charge to 1800 triathletes. The triathlon allowed the university’s physiotherapy students to gain invaluable practical experience working with the athletes.

The annual event is one of the largest sprint distance triathlon in Australia with competitors ranging from children to elite athletes seeking qualification to compete in the World Championships. The triathlon played host to a series of championship events as part of the weekend festival. Saturday saw athletes take to the track for the National Aquathlon Championships, while Sundays events doubled as the Triathlon Australia National Championships. This means it attracted double points as a qualifying event to compete this year for Australia at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Age Group World Triathlon Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland. This event is also the Triathlon Australia National Championship for Paratriathlon and Triathletes with Disabilities (TWD). Open elite competitors have the opportunity to take on the regions best athletes in the Oceania Triathlon Union (OTU) Cup Event in the draft legal format.

Triathlon came to Australia in the early 1980s after developing mainly on the West coast of America in the mid to late 1970s. The first State Triathlon Associations were formed in late 1984 and early 1985. In May 1986 at Broadbeach, the Triathlon Federation of Australia was formed with Dr. Jim Hazel becoming the inaugural President and Geoff Frost from Melbourne the Vice President. In 1991 the name of the national Governing Body was changed to Triathlon Australia, as it is known today.

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