PHUKET, THAILAND – Outstanding triathlon talent Tim Meyer from Germany is well on his way to excelling on the world stage after pushing Swiss Olympian Ruedi Wild all the way to the finish line at the Laguna Phuket Triathlon.
The Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) team athlete showed his performance training with Jurgen Zack and a great team of professional athletes during recent weeks is paying off after finishing an agonizingly close 9 seconds behind men’s winner Wild.
The one-two finish, plus age group champions, once more proves TSLC is a world class training ground for Asia’s top triathletes. The exceptional triathlon elite camp training programmes offered at TSLC provided the athletes with an edge that helped with the unprecedented results at the annual event. Meyer, age 22, produced the best swim performance of his short career to come out of the 1800m swim one minute down on Wild, 2008 Austrian Olympian Simon Agoston and 3rd place finisher Alberta Casadei of Italy. The young Thanyapura athlete then asserted himself on the bike to catch the leaders early, except for Chris Leito who is regarded as one of the fastest cyclists in the world of triathlon.
Ruedi Wild (left) won first place, with Tim Meyer (right) following close behind to win second place at the Laguna Phuket Triathlon.
Meyer and Wild who have been pushing each other to the limit in training at Thanyapura the past two weeks didn’t disappoint as they put the hammer down as they set about reducing Leito’s 1 min 40sec lead. By the half way point Wild had a short lead over Meyer and there was daylight to the rest of the competitors including 5-time world champion Chris McCormack from Australia. At the end the 2012 Swiss lympic triathlete had the edge down the finishing chute, but knew there was a star on the rise right behind.
TSLC is quickly becoming the leading training destination for not only children and age group athletes but also many professional triathletes. In recent weeks there has been an increase in top athletes basing at Thanyapura including 2012 Olympians Wild and Czech athlete Radka Vodickova who won the 2012 Laguna Phuket Triathlon women’s title. Wild has enjoyed training with the likes of Meyer as “it’s more motivating to join in training groups so I don’t have to do all the training sessions on my own. The facilities are state of the art and the staff is very professional and treats you like family.
“It’s been inspiring being able to help coach the Ironkids youth triathlon program with the help of Meyer and other top athletes. We love giving back to the sport.”
The three time Laguna Phuket Triathlon winner, Vodickova has also made Thanyapura her training base including the 50m swimming pool.
“You really enjoy swimming backstroke even if you are not good at it – the view of the exotic nature is amazing,” she said. She also enjoyed being in a modern, fully equipped sports complex where “it is nice to see other people, especially children, training. It motivates you for your training, even if you are almost at the end of your season.”
Meyer continues his training preparation at Thanyapura this week alongside leading professional athletes as well as many age group and youth athletes who are preparing for this Sunday’s Ironman 70.3 Phuket Triathlon.
According to Thanyapura President and keen triathlete Robert Hauck, Meyer not only has the potential to be a champion but he also has the mindset.
A total of 40 TSLC athletes took part in the highly competitive Laguna Phuket Triathlon trained at the TSLC Triathlon Academy, headed by former five time Ironman World Champion Jurgen Zack, with six of the top 20 in the men’s category using the TSLC facilities.
These were Ruedi Wild (2:29:22), followed by Tim Meyer, Fredrik Croneborg who came sixth, followed by Olivier Baillet in 15th place, Jaray Jearanai in 17th as the best Thai athlete and Thomas Braun, who was also the winner in the 45-49 years old age group. Not to be outdone, Radka Vodičková won the overall female category in a time of 2:50:41, which would have made it into the men’s top 10, with Nickey Barnard winning the 35-39 years old female category, and Joey-Lynn Musselmann winning the 45-49 years old female category.
Mr Hauck said there was a real buzz about TSLC with so many athletes excelling at this year’s Laguna Phuket Triathlon – and it bodes well for the future. “We have worked very hard to prepare such a high quality complex and it is great to see so many athletes benefit from the facilities,” he said. “It is another milestone on Thanyapura’s journey to becoming Asia’s favoured training and retreat facility for both amateur and professional athletes from around the world in many sports and disciplines.”
For further information or high-resolution photography, please contact:
Ms. Nathaphat Asavathanachart
Marketing Communications Manager
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: +66 (0) 76 336 000 Ext 50633
Mobile: +66 (0) 80 266 9393
www.thanyapura.com
Mr. David Johnson
Managing Director
Delivering Asia Communications
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: +66 (0) 2246 1159
Mobile: +66 (0) 89 170 9866
About Thanyapura. Thanyapura offers a diverse portfolio of unique properties centred on one idyllic campus in the heart of Phuket including Thanyapura Sports & Leisure Club – Phuket, a world class sports and fitness facility for elite athletes and amateur enthusiasts, Thanyapura Mind Centre for the cultivation of mental and emotional balance, Phuket International Academy Day School, 77- room Thanyapura Resort (opening 2012), 38-room Thanyapura Retreat as well as a satellite operation, the five-star, nine-suite Thanyamundra two hours drive north of Phuket on a working organic farm adjacent to Khao Sok National Park. Thanyapura’s leisure amenities extend to a day spa, fully equipped kids and teen clubs, arts studio and performance centre plus innovative food and beverage outlets featuring organic cuisine, wine and cooking instruction. Unrivalled on Phuket, Thanyapura presents the ideal destination for active leisure travellers, professional and amateur sports enthusiasts, corporate groups on offsite retreats, seminars, incentives and team building as well as for the active and wellness needs of the local community. Thanyapura prides itself on being a responsible member of the Phuket community, operating with integrity as equal opportunity employers and adhering to the highest ethical standards.
