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. He won five world titles from the International Triathlon Union (ITU). These wins happened in 1992, 1995 (twice), 1996, and 1998.
Simon also won many other big races. These included Half Ironman, ITU long distance, and Ironman events. In 1996, he set a world record for an Olympic-distance triathlon. He is also known for winning the Ironman Lake Placid race in 2004. He set a course record there with a time of 8 hours, 23 minutes, and 12 seconds.
Simon stopped professional racing in 2008. He now lives in Boulder, Colorado, United States. There, he runs a coaching business called Boulder Coaching. He was also given the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award in 2000. This award was for his great contributions to triathlon.
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. His parents supported his love for sports. His mother was even a swim coach.
By the time he finished school, Simon was very good at many sports. He was known for swimming, sailing, and biathlon. He was also a strong cross-country runner. When Simon was nine, his family moved to Durban.
Even though surfing and rugby were popular, Simon focused on his favorite sports. He trained about three hours every day. He practiced sailing, swimming, running, and duathlon. He also enjoyed hiking in the Drakensberg Mountains. His swim coach encouraged him to try a triathlon. In 1988, Simon became the South African triathlon champion. He was chosen to represent South Africa in biathlon. However, he broke his leg in a triathlon accident.
When he was 18, Simon moved to Britain. He could do this because his mother was born in England. 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 race three times: in 1996, 2003, and 2004. Simon also took part in the very first Olympic triathlon. This was at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He finished in ninth place.
Simon Lessing has received special honors for his career. He was added to the International Triathlon Union Hall of Fame in 2014. He also joined the Boulder Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
Long Course Triathlon Races
Simon Lessing first tried a long course triathlon in 1993. This race was on the Nice triathlon course in France. He stayed close to the nine-time champion, Mark Allen, for most of the race. Simon later won the Nice race in 1995.
Simon has won many Ironman 70.3 races. He won the first-ever Ironman 70.3 Florida in 2004. 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. He dropped out during the bike part of the race. This was because of strong winds and problems with his back.
Simon did not finish the marathon part of the 2005 Ironman Coeur d'Alene. This meant he did not qualify for the World Championships there. However, he raced again that summer. He qualified for the World Championships by taking fourth place at Ironman Canada. He finished that race in 8 hours, 43 minutes, and 13 seconds. He did not finish the marathon at the 2005 World Championships either.
See also
In Spanish: Simon Lessing para niños
