Simon Lessing facts for kids
Simon Lessing at Lake Placid
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| Born | 12 February 1971 Cape Town, South Africa |
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| Country | Great Britain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Triathlon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Simon Christopher Lessing, born on February 12, 1971, is a famous British triathlete. A triathlete is an athlete who competes in a triathlon, a race with three parts: swimming, cycling, and running. Simon Lessing won five world titles from the International Triathlon Union (ITU). These wins happened in 1992, 1995 (twice), 1996, and 1998.
He also won races in other triathlon distances. These included the 70.3 (Half Ironman), ITU long distance, and Ironman events. In 1996, he set a world record for the Olympic-distance triathlon. Simon is also known for winning the Ironman Lake Placid race in 2004. He set a new course record there with a time of 8 hours, 23 minutes, and 12 seconds.
Simon Lessing stopped racing professionally in 2008. He lives in Boulder, Colorado, in the United States. There, he helps run a coaching business called Boulder Coaching with Darren de Reuck. For his great achievements in triathlon, he was given the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award in 2000.
Contents
Simon Lessing's Athletic Journey
Early Life and Sports
Simon Lessing was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He went to school at Kloof High School near Durban. Growing up, he was very active in sports. His parents, especially his mother who was a swim coach, supported him.
By the time he finished school, he was excellent in many sports. He earned awards in swimming, sailing, and biathlon. He was also a strong cross-country runner. When Simon was nine, his family moved to Durban, a city on the coast.
In Durban, popular sports were surfing and rugby. However, Simon focused on his favorite activities. He trained about three hours every day. His training included sailing, swimming, track, cross-country running, and duathlon. He also enjoyed hiking in the Drakensberg Mountains.
His swim coach, David McCarney, encouraged him to try a triathlon. In 1988, Simon became the South African triathlon champion. He was chosen to represent South Africa in a biathlon. Sadly, he broke his leg in an accident during a local triathlon.
When he was 18, Simon moved to Britain. He could do this because his mother was born in England, giving him dual citizenship. He then continued his sports career in Europe.
Professional Triathlon Racing
In the 1990s, Simon Lessing was one of the best Olympic-distance triathletes. He often competed against his rival, Spencer Smith. Simon won the ITU Olympic Distance Triathlon World Championship four times. These wins were in 1992, 1995, 1996, and 1998.
In 1996, Simon set a new world record for the Olympic distance triathlon. He finished the race in 1 hour, 39 minutes, and 50 seconds. This happened at the ITU Triathlon World Championships in Cleveland.
Simon also competed in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. This race happens every year in San Francisco Bay. He won the men's elite division three times: in 1996, 2003, and 2004.
In 2000, Simon Lessing took part in the first-ever Olympic Games triathlon. This was at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He finished in ninth place with a total time of 1 hour, 49 minutes, and 24 seconds.
Simon Lessing has been recognized for his amazing career. In 2012, he was added to the Boulder Sports Hall of Fame. Then, in 2014, he was inducted into the International Triathlon Union Hall of Fame.
Long Course Racing Achievements
Simon Lessing first tried a long course triathlon in 1993. This race was on the Nice triathlon course in France. He stayed close to Mark Allen, a nine-time champion, for most of the race. Simon went on to win the Nice race in 1995.
He has won many Ironman 70.3 races. These include the first Ironman 70.3 Florida race in 2004, and he won it again in 2005. In 2005, he also set a course record at the Wildflower triathlon. The next year, he won the Ironman 70.3 Vineman. In August 2007, Simon won the Ironman Timberman 70.3 race.
Ironman Competitions
In July 2004, Simon Lessing won the Ironman Lake Placid race. He set a new course record of 8 hours, 23 minutes, and 12 seconds. This win helped him qualify for the 2004 Ironman World Championships.
In his first Ironman World Championships in 2004, he had to stop during the bike part. This was because of strong winds and problems with his back.
In 2005, Simon did not finish the running part of the Ironman Coeur d'Alene race. This meant he did not qualify for the Ironman World Championship there. However, he raced again that summer. He took fourth place at Ironman Canada in Penticton. His time was 8 hours, 43 minutes, and 13 seconds, which qualified him for the World Championships. Unfortunately, he did not finish the running part of the 2005 World Championships either.
See also
In Spanish: Simon Lessing para niños
