Three University of Stirling triathletes selected for Worlds

Three triathletes from the University of Stirling will compete at the World Championship Finals in Australia next month, it has been announced.

Representing Great Britain, Millie Breese will compete in the under-23s category and Alex Robin in the junior event, while Ireland’s Tom Williamson will vie for the Para PTS5 title. The Finals – the climax to the World Triathlon Championship Series – take place in coastal Wollongong, New South Wales, from October 15 to 19.

Their selection caps an impressive summer of international success for athletes at Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence. Stirling swimmers returned from the World Aquatics Championships with two gold medals; Head of Golf Dean Robertson captained the Great Britain and Ireland team at the Walker Cup; 1,500-metre runner Ryan Martin competed at the Under-23 European Athletics Championships, and basketballer Shayne Humphries won silver at the World University Games.

Achievement

Marc Austin, Lead Performance Coach of the National Triathlon Centre - a partnership between the University of Stirling and Triathlon Scotland, said: “To have three of our triathletes competing at the World Championship Finals next month is a fantastic achievement for the individuals and the wider high-performance programme.

“Millie, Alex and Tom have performed brilliantly across the season and deserve their places at the Worlds. I wish them all the best ahead of their trip to Australia and look forward to seeing how they fare as they face this exciting challenge on the international stage.”

Millie secured automatic selection for the World Championships after producing a career-best run to finish third overall, and second in the under-23 category, at the British Senior Championships in Wales. Fellow Stirling athlete Isla Hedley also impressed – taking sixth overall and third in the U23s. Although Isla narrowly missed out on selection, she is set to return to international competition this weekend at the World Xterra Triathlon in Italy on Saturday [27 September].

Millie, 20, a third-year BSc Sport and Exercise Science student, said: “I’m excited to get out there. I just want to go there and enjoy the race and replicate what I do in training.”

Alex, 19, automatically qualified for the Worlds with a brilliant performance at the British Youth and Junior Championships. He was first out of the swim, remained controlled on the bike in wet, slippery conditions, and closed with a 5k run time of 14:45, beating the European Junior bronze medallist.

“This is pretty high up in terms of my achievements in triathlon so far,” said Alex, a first-year BSc Economics student. “I made the Worlds last year, but it was about going to get experience, to see what it was like competing at that level.

“This year, I am going there to perform and to compete right at the front of the race. The qualifying race was probably my best yet – so it’s really pointing to that being possible.”

Highlight

Tom has enjoyed a successful season – including winning silver at the Para World Series in Montreal – and will represent Ireland at the Worlds. He said: “It’s definitely one of the highlights of my career so far – I’m looking to go there and really perform, fight for the podium. Times like this – representing your country at the highest level – will never be taken for granted.

“I’ve podiumed nearly every race this season, bar one. Every single time that I step on the start line, my aim is to win – and this World Championships is no different. I am going there to try and win, and whatever comes I’ll take – as long as I finish the race exhausted, I’ll be happy.”

At Stirling, athletes have access to world-class facilities, including a 50-metre pool, unrivalled outdoor space, and state-of-the-art strength and conditioning suites. In addition to its coaching and facilities, Stirling’s International Sports Scholarship Programme – one of the largest high-performance programmes in the UK – offers athletes funding support, academic flexibility, equipment and kit. It has supported hundreds of athletes since its inception in 1981 – with many competing on the world stage, including at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

Core sports include triathlon, football, golf, tennis, swimming, rugby and curling, while individual scholarships cover all Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports.

Read more about sports scholarships at the University of Stirling.