Talents and late comers. Task and possibilities of Sport Youth Centers within the selection and education of top triathletes in the Czech Republic
Abstract
A retrospective study of data published by various international and Czech sport organizations for years 2007-2013 has shown that the triathlon talent selection and development in the Czech Republic is on the European level. At that period, 41 Czech junior triathletes were ranked in the first hundred of European juniors by European Triathlon Union; 17% of them as 10th or better.
In spite of that, the probability that the Czech system of triathlon talent selection and development will produce a competitor of world class is very small because only 3% of all junior European triathletes ranked in the first hundred was ranked 50th or better as adult by International Triathlon Union and because membership of Czech Triathlon is small. The probability could be increased by augmenting the triathlon system of Sport Youth Centers (SCM) by athletes leaving SCMs of other sports, particularly swimming and athletics.
The door should be left open also for "late comers" i.e. elite athletes whose careers stalled for various reasons and for whom triathlon may be a second chance.