For one Olympian, the next step in her career will be simply be a matter of switching two letters -- from AUS (Australia) to ASU (Arizona State).
Sun Devil triathlon head coach Cliff English has announced that Erin Densham, who will compete in her third Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, will be joining the program as an assistant coach. The Sydney-born Densham earned a bronze medal at the 2012 London games after placing 22nd in Beijing in 2008. Alongside team member Emma Moffatt, Densham will become the first Australian triathlete to compete at three Olympic Games. The first competition for the Sun Devils will be on Sept. 5 in Naperville, IL, at the Central Regional Qualifier.
"I am thrilled to have Erin join our Sun Devil coaching staff," said English of his soon-to-be three-time Olympian. "With an Olympic background that includes a bronze medal in 2012, she brings an incredible amount of valuable experience to our program. She is a highly-skilled and very technical athlete in all three sports and will have a big impact in developing our team and in NCAA triathlon across the country as the sport continues to expand."
Since becoming a triathlete when she was 16 after competing in swimming and cross country, the 31-year old Densham has won the U23 World Championships in 2006 in Switzerland, the 2012 Sydney World Championship and finished second at a 2012 World Championship race in San Diego. In the seven years from 2004 to 2010, she took part in 44 ITU (International Triathlon Union) competitions and achieved 22 top ten positions, including eight gold medals.
"Erin's racing profile will help immensely in helping us find the best student-athletes and is in line with our vision at ASU in making it clear that we want to be a powerhouse. Erin has trained for three years in the valley and shares my view that we have some of the best training venues right in our own backyard. I'm looking forward to all that she will add to the program."
"Having travelled the world now for 11 consecutive years, competing on just about every continent, I have had the privilege to observe and experience the variety of ways in which people including myself have navigated their individual sporting careers," says Densham. "The standards I have set for myself have always been higher than those set by people around me and as I come to the end of my own sporting career I will be able to look back at three Olympic Games, challenges overcome, friendships made and lessons learned. To compete at my third Olympic Games in Rio represents a culmination of 12 years of my life's work and as excited I am about this, but I am also excited about my pending move to coaching at ASU and the next stage in my life. I have worked with a number of coaches in my own career and I am aware of the responsibility that falls on the shoulders of a coach. I have learned a great deal about what works, what doesn't and how to get the best out of people as individuals. Coaching a young group of women at ASU alongside Cliff English will allow me to lead them to sporting and academic dreams and continue to demonstrate that ASU is an institution that radiates excellence."
Winning the Triathlon Australia Emerging Athlete of the Year in 2007, the former Ruse Public School and John Therry Catholic High School graduate went on to compete at her first Olympic Games in Beijing alongside Emma Snowsill and Emma Moffatt, where she finished 22nd on debut. She has been training in Phoenix throughout her career.
"The opportunity to return to Phoenix and "The Valley" is a highlight of the opportunity I have been given. I chose Phoenix as the location I would prepare for my last two Olympics and the time I have spent there has enabled me to continue to perform at my best and also gain lifetime friendships. I can't imagine a better place to pursue ones sporting and academic dreams and between the amazing facilities in conjunction with this amazing environment. I can't wait to show our new athletes what can be achieved in Phoenix and at ASU. Returning to Phoenix feels like I'm coming home and this will be a great place to start the next phase in my life as well as the next phase in the lives of these athletes.
"This is an amazing opportunity for these young women both athletically and academically. I was not fortunate enough to have such a great academic institution support me in pursing my academic and sporting goals and it is very humbling to now find myself in the position where I will play a role in them achieving this. As a new program I look forward to working with Coach English and all staff to pave the path and become pioneers at ASU."
English was named the first head coach of women's triathlon at Arizona State in October of 2015. English, with 15 years of elite-level triathlon coaching experience, including as USA Triathlon's Elite National Team Coach, will build the foundation of the first NCAA Power Five women's triathlon team. English has coached triathletes at the last three summer games in Athens, Beijing and most recently London.
SUN DEVIL TRIATHLON 2016 SCHEDULE
Central Regional Qualifier/September 5 (Naperville, IL)
East Regional Qualifier/October 2 (Greensboro, NC)
West Regional Qualifier/October 8 (Berkeley, CA)
National Championship/Nov. 5 (New Orleans, LA)
THE ADDITION OF TRIATHLON IN TEMPE
Through generous donations and a grant from USA Triathlon, Sun Devil Athletics officially announced in October of 2015 the addition of NCAA women's triathlon and NCAA women's lacrosse as Arizona State's 24th and 25th varsity sports, respectively. Sun Devil Athletics was one of 10 NCAA schools to receive a multi-year Women's Triathlon Emerging Sport grant from the USA Triathlon Foundation. The grant was created to drive the establishment of NCAA women's varsity triathlon programs. ASU is the first NCAA Power-Five conference school to officially adopt the sport of triathlon. Along with the 10 grant recipients, 12 NCAA schools pledged their intention to sponsor varsity Triathlon, including several Pac-12 institutions, by signing the NCAA Emerging Sport proposal. From USA Triathlon, Sun Devil Athletics will receive a grant of $140,000 distributed over the course of three years to develop, implement, grow and sustain women's triathlon programs at the NCAA-level. The collegiate sport of triathlon will compete at the "sprint distance," which includes a 750M swim, a 20K bike ride, and a 5K run.
TRIATHLON CONTINUES TO GROW
The sport of triathlon is growing exponentially with annual membership in USA Triathlon increasing from 127,824 in 1999 to now over 510,859 members. Among women, USA Triathlon has seen over 400 percent growth in the sport with membership increasing from 34,512 to 189,018 over the last 15 years. In 2000, Triathlon became an Olympic sport beginning with the Sydney Olympic Games.
Sun Devil triathlon head coach Cliff English has announced that Erin Densham, who will compete in her third Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, will be joining the program as an assistant coach. The Sydney-born Densham earned a bronze medal at the 2012 London games after placing 22nd in Beijing in 2008. Alongside team member Emma Moffatt, Densham will become the first Australian triathlete to compete at three Olympic Games. The first competition for the Sun Devils will be on Sept. 5 in Naperville, IL, at the Central Regional Qualifier.
"I am thrilled to have Erin join our Sun Devil coaching staff," said English of his soon-to-be three-time Olympian. "With an Olympic background that includes a bronze medal in 2012, she brings an incredible amount of valuable experience to our program. She is a highly-skilled and very technical athlete in all three sports and will have a big impact in developing our team and in NCAA triathlon across the country as the sport continues to expand."
Since becoming a triathlete when she was 16 after competing in swimming and cross country, the 31-year old Densham has won the U23 World Championships in 2006 in Switzerland, the 2012 Sydney World Championship and finished second at a 2012 World Championship race in San Diego. In the seven years from 2004 to 2010, she took part in 44 ITU (International Triathlon Union) competitions and achieved 22 top ten positions, including eight gold medals.
"Erin's racing profile will help immensely in helping us find the best student-athletes and is in line with our vision at ASU in making it clear that we want to be a powerhouse. Erin has trained for three years in the valley and shares my view that we have some of the best training venues right in our own backyard. I'm looking forward to all that she will add to the program."
"Having travelled the world now for 11 consecutive years, competing on just about every continent, I have had the privilege to observe and experience the variety of ways in which people including myself have navigated their individual sporting careers," says Densham. "The standards I have set for myself have always been higher than those set by people around me and as I come to the end of my own sporting career I will be able to look back at three Olympic Games, challenges overcome, friendships made and lessons learned. To compete at my third Olympic Games in Rio represents a culmination of 12 years of my life's work and as excited I am about this, but I am also excited about my pending move to coaching at ASU and the next stage in my life. I have worked with a number of coaches in my own career and I am aware of the responsibility that falls on the shoulders of a coach. I have learned a great deal about what works, what doesn't and how to get the best out of people as individuals. Coaching a young group of women at ASU alongside Cliff English will allow me to lead them to sporting and academic dreams and continue to demonstrate that ASU is an institution that radiates excellence."
Winning the Triathlon Australia Emerging Athlete of the Year in 2007, the former Ruse Public School and John Therry Catholic High School graduate went on to compete at her first Olympic Games in Beijing alongside Emma Snowsill and Emma Moffatt, where she finished 22nd on debut. She has been training in Phoenix throughout her career.
"The opportunity to return to Phoenix and "The Valley" is a highlight of the opportunity I have been given. I chose Phoenix as the location I would prepare for my last two Olympics and the time I have spent there has enabled me to continue to perform at my best and also gain lifetime friendships. I can't imagine a better place to pursue ones sporting and academic dreams and between the amazing facilities in conjunction with this amazing environment. I can't wait to show our new athletes what can be achieved in Phoenix and at ASU. Returning to Phoenix feels like I'm coming home and this will be a great place to start the next phase in my life as well as the next phase in the lives of these athletes.
"This is an amazing opportunity for these young women both athletically and academically. I was not fortunate enough to have such a great academic institution support me in pursing my academic and sporting goals and it is very humbling to now find myself in the position where I will play a role in them achieving this. As a new program I look forward to working with Coach English and all staff to pave the path and become pioneers at ASU."
English was named the first head coach of women's triathlon at Arizona State in October of 2015. English, with 15 years of elite-level triathlon coaching experience, including as USA Triathlon's Elite National Team Coach, will build the foundation of the first NCAA Power Five women's triathlon team. English has coached triathletes at the last three summer games in Athens, Beijing and most recently London.
SUN DEVIL TRIATHLON 2016 SCHEDULE
Central Regional Qualifier/September 5 (Naperville, IL)
East Regional Qualifier/October 2 (Greensboro, NC)
West Regional Qualifier/October 8 (Berkeley, CA)
National Championship/Nov. 5 (New Orleans, LA)
THE ADDITION OF TRIATHLON IN TEMPE
Through generous donations and a grant from USA Triathlon, Sun Devil Athletics officially announced in October of 2015 the addition of NCAA women's triathlon and NCAA women's lacrosse as Arizona State's 24th and 25th varsity sports, respectively. Sun Devil Athletics was one of 10 NCAA schools to receive a multi-year Women's Triathlon Emerging Sport grant from the USA Triathlon Foundation. The grant was created to drive the establishment of NCAA women's varsity triathlon programs. ASU is the first NCAA Power-Five conference school to officially adopt the sport of triathlon. Along with the 10 grant recipients, 12 NCAA schools pledged their intention to sponsor varsity Triathlon, including several Pac-12 institutions, by signing the NCAA Emerging Sport proposal. From USA Triathlon, Sun Devil Athletics will receive a grant of $140,000 distributed over the course of three years to develop, implement, grow and sustain women's triathlon programs at the NCAA-level. The collegiate sport of triathlon will compete at the "sprint distance," which includes a 750M swim, a 20K bike ride, and a 5K run.
TRIATHLON CONTINUES TO GROW
The sport of triathlon is growing exponentially with annual membership in USA Triathlon increasing from 127,824 in 1999 to now over 510,859 members. Among women, USA Triathlon has seen over 400 percent growth in the sport with membership increasing from 34,512 to 189,018 over the last 15 years. In 2000, Triathlon became an Olympic sport beginning with the Sydney Olympic Games.