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CHALLENGING times lie in store for Bahrain athletics as the kingdom’s new national triathlon coach aims to train a squad of supreme contenders to enter the Olympic Games.
Vicent Beltran was appointed as the national coach of the Bahrain Triathlon Association last month and has brought a fresh impetus to the programme which he hopes will see home-grown stars take on the world’s elite on the biggest stage of them all.
The high-performance specialist coach, who originally hails from the small town of Betxi in the province of Castellón, Spain, believes that there is sufficient enthusiasm and talent in Bahrain’s youth to make a mark.
He said: “The Olympics is our long-term main goal. The road to the Olympics usually lasts between six to 10 years, so our target is either 2020 or 2024 depending on the progress made. We are investing a huge percentage of our efforts in developing the sport foundations to create a project that will survive for many generations.
“Most of the triathletes here haven’t competed abroad yet, and so are on much poorer grounds in terms of competition compared to athletes from other parts of the world. The lack of competition in the region aimed at young athletes is a handicap we are facing and that we would like to be changed. In my opinion, competition is the key as it generates more focus, motivation and determination during training.”
Instead of jumping straight into the deep end, 33-year-old Vicent’s primary focus is to nurture a more athletic culture in Bahrain and make sure young athletes are ready for the dedication and pressures of high-level competition.
The first step is already underway, which is increasing the number of young triathletes and events in Bahrain. There are already 10 members involved in a high performance programme, with talent identification trials scheduled twice per year to increase that number. Furthermore, the Bahrain Triathlon Association is aiming to qualify more coaches in Bahrain to increase the scope and capabilities of the programme.
The training programme consists of four different categories. The Youth (14-15) group trains once, sometimes twice, per day for six-days-a-week. Juniors (16 to 19) train twice per day six-days-a-week, U23 (20 to 23) and Elite (23 and older) do two-to-three training sessions a day, five-days-a-week, while weekends consist of one longer session per day. Rests are every 10-12 days depending on body recovery, schedule and performance.
The first training session begins at 6.30am and lasts for two hours, with the second at 4pm for another two hours.
Despite the obvious enthusiasm within the group, Beltran admits that things aren’t always as clear-cut. He explained: “In order to compete at elite level in this sport you have to train a lot, ensure a proper recovery, eat well, avoid overtraining and keep injury-free. The combination of all these factors makes my job a bit complicated, especially when you work with non-professional athletes.
“Their predisposition for training is admirable but no one is a full-time triathlete. They have work or school and that makes us struggle with some important aspects of their preparation, in particular those aspects affecting recovery and nutrition.
“We hit the first session really early in the morning, and if they don’t go early to bed the day before, they don’t recover properly. If the quality and time of their sleep is inadequate, their recuperation will be affected in a negative way as the lack of sleep doesn’t allow the body to regenerate and obtain all the physiological responses that we are looking for.
“Similarly, some of them were not having their breakfast before their swimming session. This is really dangerous and could place detrimental effects on their health as well as on their performance.
“Discipline is the most important quality of all when it comes to triathlon and training; you have to care about every single aspect of you preparation if you want to reach the top. Training doesn’t finish when you leave the track, the gym or the pool, you are an athlete 24-hours-a-day and have to handle those consequences.”
The training sessions themselves consist of both sprint and Olympic distances, which take roughly an hour and two hours respectively to complete. Although triathlon is considered an endurance sport, the intensity during races reaches very high levels, so, much of the training focusses on developing aerobic capacity, high lactic acid tolerance, speed, power output and technique.
Beltran’s interest in high performance athletics began as a child when he played sports in the streets of his village after school. He said: “There weren’t many options in my village so I ended up playing football. I really enjoyed those days until I got disappointed by it and quit. I started swimming for fun and without realising I was suddenly lining up in an open water race. The feeling I experienced once I crossed that finish line was indescribable, I had never experienced something similar playing football.
“This encouraged me to read about training strategies to enhance my performance. Then, I tried triathlon and I was hooked and still constantly research it today. I first started studying swimming and obtained my certification as a swimming coach. Then I decided to do my Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Sport Science while getting qualified as a triathlon coach, which I succeeded at and allowed me to be here today!
“Although I like racing and competition as much as anything else, my physiological parameters showed me that I do not have the ‘engine’ needed to compete at an elite level, therefore I get my satisfaction from helping those who are capable to reach a high level.”
Beltran’s decision to join the project in Bahrain comes after a significant rise in popularity for the sport. The inaugural Challenge Bahrain took place in January which attracted huge numbers of both elite athletes and local enthusiasts, and the coach believes that the impact of the race has left behind a legacy that far outstrips the race day itself.
He said: “Nowadays, people know what triathlon is. I remember not long ago, I had to explain what triathlon was every time I mentioned what I coach. Now, they might not be fully knowledgeable about it but at least they know triathlon is a sport that requires extreme dedication, courage and fitness.”
For the uninitiated, a triathlon is a multiple-stage competition involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance disciplines. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling and running in immediate succession over various distances.
* Expat and local youngsters can take on members of Beltran’s young squad after Saturday afternoon’s Wheelathon charity event at Bahrain International Circuit in a ‘duathlon’ featuring a 5.4km cycle ride and 2km run.
