Lucy Charles-Barclay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lucy Anne Charles-Barclay

Lucy Charles-Barclay at the 2017 Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt
Personal information
Born	(1993-09-15) 15 September 1993 (age 31) Hoddesdon, England
Agent	BPM Sport
Height	170cm
Weight	58kg
Sport
Country	UK
Coached by	Reece Barclay
Now coaching	Pulse Fitness Triathlon
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	Ironman: 8:24:31 (2023)
Medal record Women's triathlon Representing  Great Britain Ironman World Championship Gold 2023 Individual Silver 2022 Individual Silver 2019 Individual Silver 2018 Individual Silver 2017 Individual Ironman 70.3 World Championship Gold 2021 Individual Silver 2018 Individual World Triathlon Long Distance Championships Gold 2022 Individual

Lucy Charles-Barclay was born on September 15, 1993. She is an English professional triathlete. She is famous for competing in Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races. These are long-distance swimming, cycling, and running events.

Lucy became the World Ironman champion in 2023. She also won the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in 2021. In 2022, she won the World Triathlon Long Distance Championships. In 2023, she set a new course record at the famous Kona Ironman race.

Before triathlon, Lucy was an excellent swimmer. She competed in long-distance and open water swimming. She tried to join the British Olympic swimming team in 2012. Even though she was a strong swimmer, she was not chosen.

Lucy started triathlon in 2014. She quickly became very good at it. In 2015, she won her age group at the Ironman World Championship as an amateur. After that, she decided to become a professional triathlete. Her husband, Reece Barclay, is also a professional Ironman triathlete. He is also Lucy's coach.

Lucy's Early Life and Swimming

Lucy Charles-Barclay was born north of London, England. She started swimming when she was 8 years old. By age 9, she was already beating swimmers much older than her. She convinced her coaches to let her compete in challenging events. By the time she was 16, Lucy was a national swimming champion.

In 2010, at age 17, Lucy competed in her first 10K open-water swim. She finished as the top British competitor. The 2012 Olympic Games were held in London. The 10K open-water swim was a big event there.

Lucy's main competitor for the 2012 Olympics was Keri-Anne Payne. Keri-Anne had already won an Olympic silver medal. Even though Lucy was swimming very well, she was not selected. Britain only had one spot, which went to Payne. Lucy was very sad about this. By 2013, she felt less motivated to keep swimming.

From Swimming to Triathlon

In 2014, when she was 19, Lucy tried her first triathlon. At that time, she had no experience in competitive running or cycling. But she learned quickly. In her second year, 2015, Lucy did very well. She qualified for the World Championships. She also won her age group there. In the same year, she became the Under-23 World Champion in Ironman 70.3. In 2016, Lucy officially became a professional triathlon athlete.

Lucy's Triathlon Career

Lucy's professional triathlon career began in 2016. She quickly showed she was a top athlete.

Early Professional Wins

In May 2017, Lucy won the Ironman Lanzarote race. She also won "The Championship" event by Challenge Family. She then took second place at the Ironman European Championships. She was only 4 minutes behind the winner, Sarah Crowley. At the Ironman World Championship in October 2017, she finished second again. She was behind the four-time World Champion, Daniela Ryf.

In April 2018, Lucy won her second Ironman race in South Africa. She also won Challenge's "The Championship" again that year. In September, she placed second at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships. At the 2018 Ironman World Championship in October, she was second again to Daniela Ryf. She also broke the swim record with a time of 48 minutes and 13 seconds. Her total race time was the second fastest in history.

In 2019, Lucy won Challenge Roth and the European Ironman Championships. She set a personal best time of 8 hours, 31 minutes, and 9 seconds. She then finished second for the third time in a row at the 2019 Ironman World Championship.

Becoming a World Champion

In 2021, Lucy won the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. She finished more than 8 minutes faster than the second-place athlete. This was a huge win for her.

In 2023, after coming in second place four times, Lucy finally became the Ironman World Champion in Kailua-Kona. This was a dream come true for her.

In 2024, she earned two second-place finishes in the PTO T100 World Tour. She won Ironman France to secure her spot for the 2024 Ironman World Championships. During the London T100 tour, she had to stop the race due to an injury. This was her first time ever not finishing a professional race.

Lucy is known as one of the strongest swimmers in triathlon. She lives in Chingford, Essex, and is coached by her husband, Reece.

Notable Results

Here are some of Lucy Charles-Barclay's most important achievements:

See also

In Spanish: Lucy Charles-Barclay para niños