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Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Part of UK in Ukraine

25th November 2010

A sport anyone in Ukraine can "Tri"

Sports of all kinds are popular in Ukraine.  I’ve blogged before about that fact that at my 1:1 lunches, some of Ukraine’s top decision-makers are ready to have a quick game of table-tennis (a trend which continues – Ed) and about Kyiv’s fishing frenzy.  So it’s an honour to have to lunch at the residence the President of the Ukrainian Triathlon Federation, Andriy Bilda, and Secretary General Eduard Panarin.   Both are former elite triathletes and are an outstanding advertisement for the sport.

Triathlon, which includes categories for para-athletes, is one of the fastest-growing and most inclusive Olympic sports.  Competition is open to anyone from the age of eight and this year’s World Championships, held in Budapest, saw one competitor compete over the “Standard” distance of 1500m swim, 40k bike and 10k run who was over 80.

By good fortune, a member of the embassy staff, Paul Groves, is the Chair of the European Triathlon Union Technical Committee with a portfolio on rules and technical issues.  The European Triathlon Union and the International Triathlon Union are keen to see development of referees and events in Ukraine and hope that Paul can help support development of both these aspects in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Georgia and Moldova.  At our lunch we discuss a series of practical proposals for making this happen here in Ukraine.

So, armed with a race calendar for 2011 and a clear statement of support from the international federations I hope to see the enthusiasm of one member of staff in Kyiv developing into something really concrete for the triathletes in the region.

Swim, bike, run… it may sound exhausting but (warning: bad pun imminent) in fact it’s a sport anyone can “Tri”.

With Ukrainian Triathlon Federation

About Leigh Turner

I hope you find this blog interesting and, where appropriate, entertaining. My role in Vienna covers the relationship between Austria and the UK as well as the diverse work of…

I hope you find this blog interesting and, where appropriate, entertaining. My role in Vienna covers the relationship between Austria and the UK as well as the diverse work of the UN and other organisations; stories here will reflect that.

About me: I arrived in Vienna in August 2016 for my second posting in this wonderful city, having first served here in the mid-1980s. My previous job was as HM Consul-General and Director-General for Trade and Investment for Turkey, Central Asia and South Caucasus based in Istanbul.

Further back: I grew up in Nigeria, Exeter, Lesotho, Swaziland and Manchester before attending Cambridge University 1976-79. I worked in several government departments before joining the Foreign Office in 1983.

Keen to go to Africa and South America, I’ve had postings in Vienna (twice), Moscow, Bonn, Berlin, Kyiv and Istanbul, plus jobs in London ranging from the EU Budget to the British Overseas Territories.

2002-6 I was lucky enough to spend four years in Berlin running the house, looking after the children (born 1992 and 1994) and doing some writing and journalism.

To return to Vienna as ambassador is a privilege and a pleasure. I hope this blog reflects that.

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federation general Sport triathlon Ukraine ukrainian

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