1992 Simon Lessing Interview And Michael Rughede Stuff
Here’s an interview with Simon Lessing. It was done just after he won the World Short-Course Championships in Muskoka in September 1992.
It compliments what I posted yesterday about the 1989 Triathlon International de Cannes. It gives some more information about his sporting background, leaving South Africa, life in France, professional triathlon at the time and his training. See also my Simon and Brad post.
Images: 220 (UK) October 1992
I also like finding random triathlon history stuff online. Fact checked or decent first person sources. Here’s something from Michael Rughede posted on the Triathlon Denmark site.
Michael was a solid Danish athlete in the late-80s and early-90s. And was a member of Salon Triathlon with Simon. I’ve just done a quick Google Translate but there’s some cool info in there.
About moving to France with fellow Danish triathlete Gabor Klozcl (1989 and 1990 Embrunman winner). Their first French race in Toulon (I’ll try and find the race report) and racing the Grand Prix for Mantes la Ville.
In 1989 Michael switched club to race for Salon. And therefore training and raced with Simon for a few years. Here’s what he had to say:
Next season we moved 40 km up the road to Salon de Provence. We lived there for a few seasons with Simon Lessing. Triathlon superstar in the 1990s. 4 x world champion in the short distance and once in the long distance.
He had come to France as a big 17-year-old boy from South Africa with a couple of friends. Simon had turned down a free college stay in the USA as a runner, to try his luck as a triathlete in France instead.
When he got to the Salon de Provence, he trotted down to the stadium and ran his intervals. He hadn't even had down on his upper lip and he was already running 2.37-2.38 in the 1000 meters.
He was also a good swimmer (his mother was a swimming coach) and had cycled on a regional youth team. So everyone knew that here was the future world champion. Simon became Nike's new global name and set to replace Mark Allen as Nike's front man.
However, his career turned out to be a little different. He was not as good at the Ironman distance as he was at the short distance, where he was the king. The explanation probably lay somewhere between genetic predispositions and form of training.
Simon trained for many years after his own head and wanted to win every training session. But intensive training just above and below the acid limit just doesn't harmonize with long distance.
On the other hand, we had fun on the bike! His problem was that the French would not train with him and that the international class triathletes who planned to stay a few months left after a few weeks.
No one thought it was fun to train with Simon.
