TSP9: The First British Triathlon Shown On TV
The Heineken Southport Triathlon took place on 18th June 1989 and highlights of the race were shown the following week on BBC Grandstand. It was the first British Triathlon shown on television. 220 Magazine called the event, “a truly historic day in British Triathlon.”
Although I’d read plenty of triathlon magazines, watching the Southport race was the first time I’d actually seen top athletes in motion. I also recorded the race using the family Betamax. And made sure to push out the tab on the underside of the cassette so nobody could record over it.
Most weekends after that would involve getting home from my Saturday job at Thompson’s Garage and MOT Centre, watching the tape and then heading out on my bike to recreate the day in Burnham Beeches or Windsor Great Park.
In this episode of The Streak Podcast I look back at the 1988 event, explain some controversy from 1989 and then present my favourite parts of the BBC Grandstand coverage and encourage you to watch it.
Images:
Tri-Athlete (UK) June 1988
Tri-Athlete (UK) August 1988
Tri-Athlete (FR) Aout 1988
Tri-Athlet (DE) August 1988
Tri-Athlete (FR) Mai 1989
220 (UK) August 1989
British Triathlon Scene (UK) June 1989
Tri-Athlete (FR) Aout 1989
Links:
BBC Grandstand Coverage of the 1989 Southport Triathlon
TSP5: UK Triathlon Magazines 1986-1990
Athlete Natural. Mandy Dean.
1983 Fosters Quadrathlon
1981 Hawaii Ironman
Sources:
Tri-Athlete (UK) September 1988.
Triathlon: The Complete Guide To Multi-Sport Success by Karin Zeitvogel with Sarah Springman.
Sarah Springman’s Results at World Triathlon
Superstars on Wikipedia
220 (UK) November 1992
Mark Allen’s Total Triathlete by Mark Allen with Bob Babbitt
Tri-Athlete (UK) Nov-Dec 1987
1989thestory.com
Wings, Wheels, Water Video