Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | 21 October 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 62 kg (137 lb) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
Country | New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Aaron Barclay (born 21 October 1992) is a triathlete who represents New Zealand internationally. He competed at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore and won the first-ever gold medal awarded for the boys' event. Barclay also subsequently won a silver medal in the mixed relay event, competing for a team representing Oceania. [2] The Games were the first time Barclay had competed outside of Oceania. [3]
Barclay's parents are Craig and Christine Barclay. [4] He attended Gore High School. [4] Barclay had been portrayed as being "visually impaired" [5] and "disabled" [6] as he chooses to race without contact lenses, something his coach said the triathlete was able to overcome without problem. [7] However, this was later revealed as being only semi-true. Barclay requires glasses outside of competition, and had jokingly claimed to be half-blind without them on a questionnaire athletes were made to fill out for Infostrada Sports before the Games, which was picked up on and transmitted as being fact. [6]
At his first international triathlon meet in Gold Coast, Australia in 2009, Barclay finished only 31st, [5] [6] but he improved to finish second in the Oceania Youth Olympic qualifiers [3] before winning individual gold at the Youth Olympics. He won a further silver medal in the mixed relay event, teaming up with New Zealand teammate Maddie Dillon and two Australian triathletes to represent Oceania. [8]
Barclay will take part at the 2010 International Triathlon Union Junior World Championships, before making a decision whether or not to turn professional. [7] He considers Hamish Carter, gold medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics event, one of his heroes. Barclay now currently is coaching the Macleans College Cycling and Triathlon team. [5]