Team Spain begins its journey with Javier Gómez Noya in Pontevedra
The Galician Centre for Sports Development (CGTD) in Pontevedra has been the setting for the launch of the new national high-performance triathlon group, which will train under the supervision of the legendary Javier Gómez Noya and the technical director of the Spanish Triathlon Federation (FETRI), Iñaki Arenal.
This project, called Team Spain Elite, aims to train the next great Spanish triathletes for the two Olympic cycles that will culminate in Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032.
Team España Elite was born from a joint collaboration between FETRI, the Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD) and the Xunta de Galicia, who have committed to launching a project that will not only train new generations of triathletes, but will also place Pontevedra as the epicentre of high performance in this discipline.
Diego Calvo, Sports Councillor of the Xunta de Galicia, highlighted the importance of this initiative taking place in Galicia, a region that has seen so many elite athletes grow up. “We thank the Council and the Federation for considering our facilities and Pontevedra as the venue for this project.
It is an honor that Javier Gómez Noya, five times world champion, has chosen his land to contribute his knowledge and guide these young talents“s,” said Calvo during the presentation ceremony.
A project with an eye on the Olympic Games
Team Spain Elite will initially have at least nine high-performance triathletes, all of them selected for their talent and projection in the under-23 category.
The main goal of this group is to thoroughly prepare triathletes for the international competitions that will take place in the coming years, culminating in the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.
During the presentation, Javier Gómez Noya He explained how the work with young athletes will be carried out.This idea comes from the Federation and the CSD to create a long-term project, with the aim of discovering new talents and helping them achieve the best possible results.“, commented Gomez Noya.
The five-time world champion also mentioned that Team Spain will be a dynamic group that will hold training camps in different locations around the country, always seeking to optimize the performance of the athletes.
The collaboration between the Xunta de Galicia and FETRI also includes the expansion of the CGTD, which will allow the infrastructure to be improved and the facilities to be adapted to the needs of the high-performance group.
José Hidalgo, president of FETRI, highlighted the importance of this alliance: “This is the largest transformative project focused on high performance that this federation has ever undertaken.
We wanted it to be in Javier's land because Galicia is the largest breeding ground for triathletes who have made it to the national team, and we have always found a lot of harmony in the Xunta.".
Training the next generation of champions
The Team Spain Elite project is not only focused on sports performance. According to Javier Gómez Noya“It is essential that triathletes understand the process, enjoy the journey and also develop as people.”
Gómez Noya, who has dedicated 25 years of his life to triathlon, said he was “grateful for the trust placed in me to share all my experience.”
He also stressed that his role will be that of a mentor, helping young athletes understand the demands of high performance and find the balance necessary to compete at the highest level.
With this project, Team Spain Elite aims to continue the tradition of Spanish triathlon, which has achieved great success over the years.
The vision is clear: to prepare the next generation of champions who will represent Spain on the most prestigious stages of world triathlon.
