BEST OF BRITISH

We've long known that Great Britain produces exceptional pro triathletes, but on the women's long-distance side the Union flag has flown proudly for decades. In a 220 exclusive, we bring together leading lights from the last five decades - Sarah Springman, Bella Bayliss, Chrissie Wellington, Lucy Gossage and Lucy CharlesBarclay to compare their respective eras...

- Tim Heming

Triathlon comes in many forms and British triathletes seem to excel in most of them. No more so than GB's long-course women, who have been taking on - and beating the best of the rest of the world for decades.

However, it's not only results that set these women apart, it's also been the way they've blazed unique trails to entertain, inspire and raise the possibilities of what other triathletes and soon-to-be triathletes - believe can be achieved.

Sarah Springman, Bella Bayliss, Chrissie Wellington, Lucy Gossage and Lucy Charles-Barclay are those we've talked to for this piece. All world-beaters to be celebrated, but there are also many others who could be profiled who have equally stomped pedals to stamp their own indelible mark on the sport.

So here's what the fab five had to tell us about their respective careers, their thoughts on the current crop of talent, and how they hope to see the sport evolve.

220: What was your introduction to the sport?

Sarah Springman: I did my first triathlon – the first triathlon in Britain – at Kirton’s Farm in Reading in 1983. I passed my exams to become a chartered engineer and this was my celebration. I’d never swum in a lake before and borrowed a bike that was stuck in top gear.

Bella Bayliss: I grew up in Aberdeenshire and enjoyed taking part in tetrathlon: swimming, running, shooting and riding. I saw a local triathlon advertised when I was about 17 and went along on a borrowed bike, met some encouraging people and it all went from there. I left the horses behind, started racing in Scotland, then England, then internationally.