Simon Lessing
Encyclopedia
Simon Christopher Lessing, MBE
, (born 12 February 1971) is a British triathlete who won five Olympic-distance world titles (1992, 1995(2), 1996 and 1998). He also won races at 70.3, ITU long distance and Ironman
-distance events. He set an Olympic-distance world record in 1996, and is noted for his 2004 Ironman Lake Placid win, where he set a course record of 8:23:12. Simon currently resides in Boulder, Colorado
, United States, where he operates Boulder Coaching with Darren de Reuck.
, Western Cape
South Africa, he completed school at Kloof High School
in Durban
. Table Mountain was the backdrop to his formative years. His father and mother (who was a swim coach) supported him, and Simon was out of the blocks early and into competitive sport.
, a port city set on the East Coast.
Growing up, surfing and rugby were two of the major sports in Durban, but Simon resisted the pressure to make the change to these activities. He trained an average of 3 hours a day in his areas of interest: sailing, swimming, track, cross-country and duathlon. He developed an interest in hiking and hiked in the Drakensberg Mountain range. His swim coach, David McCarney, encouraged Simon to try a family oriented race he organized at Kloof High School.
In 1988, Simon was the South African triathlon champion. He was selected to represent South Africa in a biathlon but suffered a broken leg in an accident during a local triathlon.
Simon moved to Britain at age 18 and continued his international sporting career in Europe. He was entitled to dual citizenship because his mother was born in England.
, dominated Olympic distance triathlon. Lessing won the ITU Olympic Distance Triathlon World Championship in 1992 Muskoka Canada, 1995 Cancún
, Mexico 1996 Cleveland, Ohio
, United States, and 1998 Lausanne
, Switzerland.
In 1996, Lessing broke the world record in the World Championship triathlon (Olympic distance) with a time of 1 hour, 39 minutes, 50 seconds at Cleveland. This record stands as of 2008 (compare with the Olympic Games
record by Simon Whitfield
of 1:48:24.02).
Lessing is a regular competitor at the famous Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon
held annually in San Francisco Bay
. He has won the men's elite division there three times: 1996, 2003 and 2004.
Lessing competed at the first Olympic triathlon at the 2000 Summer Olympics
. He took ninth place with a total time of 1:49:24.32.
triathlon course, in the Côte d'Azur. A memorable race to many fans Lessing stayed with 9-time defending champion Mark Allen
until within 5 kilometers of the finish. He went on to win the Nice race in 1995.
Lessing has won numerous Ironman 70.3 races on the World Triathlon Corporation Circuit, including the inaugural 70.3 at Walt Disney World Florida in 2004, and again in 2005. He won first place at the Vineman 70.3 in 2006.
In 2005 he set a new half-Ironman course record at the famous Wildflower triathlon
.
Lake Placid
in July 2004, where he set a course record of 8:23:12. In his first appearance at the Ironman World Championships (2004) he dropped out halfway into the bike leg, due to fierce winds and problems with his back.
Lessing did not complete the marathon at the 2005 Ironman Couer d'Alene and failed to qualify there for Kona
. He raced again the same summer and qualified for the 2005 Hawaii Ironman World Championships by taking 4th place at Ironman Canada in Penticton, B.C., August, 2005, in a time of 8:43:13. He did not complete the marathon at the 2005 world championships. Some say he was too worn out by the season of racing by the time he arrived there in October.
On Sunday 19 August 2007 Lessing won the Timberman 70.3.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, (born 12 February 1971) is a British triathlete who won five Olympic-distance world titles (1992, 1995(2), 1996 and 1998). He also won races at 70.3, ITU long distance and Ironman
Ironman Triathlon
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a swim, a bike and a marathon run, raced in that order and without a break...
-distance events. He set an Olympic-distance world record in 1996, and is noted for his 2004 Ironman Lake Placid win, where he set a course record of 8:23:12. Simon currently resides in Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
, United States, where he operates Boulder Coaching with Darren de Reuck.
Background
Born in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
South Africa, he completed school at Kloof High School
Kloof High School
Kloof High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Kloof, near Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.-History:Kloof High School opened in February 1960 under the first headmaster, Mr Goodwin...
in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
. Table Mountain was the backdrop to his formative years. His father and mother (who was a swim coach) supported him, and Simon was out of the blocks early and into competitive sport.
Starting Young
By the end of his fifth year at school, he had won honors in swimming, sailing and biathlon and was known as a cross-country runner. When Simon was 9, his family moved to DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, a port city set on the East Coast.
Growing up, surfing and rugby were two of the major sports in Durban, but Simon resisted the pressure to make the change to these activities. He trained an average of 3 hours a day in his areas of interest: sailing, swimming, track, cross-country and duathlon. He developed an interest in hiking and hiked in the Drakensberg Mountain range. His swim coach, David McCarney, encouraged Simon to try a family oriented race he organized at Kloof High School.
In 1988, Simon was the South African triathlon champion. He was selected to represent South Africa in a biathlon but suffered a broken leg in an accident during a local triathlon.
Simon moved to Britain at age 18 and continued his international sporting career in Europe. He was entitled to dual citizenship because his mother was born in England.
Short Course
During the 1990s he and his great rival, fellow Brit Spencer SmithSpencer Smith (triathlete)
Spencer Smith is a British triathlete. During his career in the early 1990s, his main rival was Simon Lessing-Short course titles:His short course titles include:* ITU World Triathlon Champion**1993**1994* ITU World Triathlon Junior Champion**1992...
, dominated Olympic distance triathlon. Lessing won the ITU Olympic Distance Triathlon World Championship in 1992 Muskoka Canada, 1995 Cancún
Cancún
Cancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
, Mexico 1996 Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, United States, and 1998 Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, Switzerland.
In 1996, Lessing broke the world record in the World Championship triathlon (Olympic distance) with a time of 1 hour, 39 minutes, 50 seconds at Cleveland. This record stands as of 2008 (compare with the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
record by Simon Whitfield
Simon Whitfield
Simon St. Quentin Whitfield is an Olympic triathlon champion from Canada.-Biography:Whitfield was born in Kingston, Ontario. As a young boy he played soccer but at age 11 began triathlon, honing his early competitive skills in the Canadian Kids of Steel program. By age 15 he was pursuing...
of 1:48:24.02).
Lessing is a regular competitor at the famous Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon
Escape from Alcatraz (triathlon)
Escape from Alcatraz is the name for two different triathlons held in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. The Escape from Alcatraz originated in 1981 as a private club event, beginning in San Francisco and ending in Marin County...
held annually in San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. He has won the men's elite division there three times: 1996, 2003 and 2004.
Lessing competed at the first Olympic triathlon at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. He took ninth place with a total time of 1:49:24.32.
Long Course/70.3
His first attempt at Long Course Triathlon took place in 1993 on the NiceNice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
triathlon course, in the Côte d'Azur. A memorable race to many fans Lessing stayed with 9-time defending champion Mark Allen
Mark Allen (triathlete)
Mark Allen is the six-time Ironman Triathon World Champion. He graduated from UC San Diego,where he was an All-American swimmer, with a degree in biology....
until within 5 kilometers of the finish. He went on to win the Nice race in 1995.
Lessing has won numerous Ironman 70.3 races on the World Triathlon Corporation Circuit, including the inaugural 70.3 at Walt Disney World Florida in 2004, and again in 2005. He won first place at the Vineman 70.3 in 2006.
In 2005 he set a new half-Ironman course record at the famous Wildflower triathlon
Wildflower Triathlon
The Wildflower Triathlon is a triathlon held at Lake San Antonio in Central California since 1983, the first winner being legendary Dean "The Machine" Harper. The last place finisher was Paul "Mr. Liarpants" Huddle...
.
Ironman
Lessing qualified for the 2004 world championships with a 1st place win and course record at IronmanIronman Triathlon
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a swim, a bike and a marathon run, raced in that order and without a break...
Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
in July 2004, where he set a course record of 8:23:12. In his first appearance at the Ironman World Championships (2004) he dropped out halfway into the bike leg, due to fierce winds and problems with his back.
Lessing did not complete the marathon at the 2005 Ironman Couer d'Alene and failed to qualify there for Kona
Ironman World Championship
The Ironman World Championship has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978, with an additional race in 1982. It is owned and organised by the World Triathlon Corporation and is currently sponsored by Ford...
. He raced again the same summer and qualified for the 2005 Hawaii Ironman World Championships by taking 4th place at Ironman Canada in Penticton, B.C., August, 2005, in a time of 8:43:13. He did not complete the marathon at the 2005 world championships. Some say he was too worn out by the season of racing by the time he arrived there in October.
On Sunday 19 August 2007 Lessing won the Timberman 70.3.