Irvine triathlete, David McNamee, is steadily ticking off his goals for the 2008 season. In March he won the Scottish Universities Sprint Championships. This week he was selected for the four man British team bound for the World Universities Championships in Turkey (28 June).

“I was sixth in the British Universities Championships last month in Oxford,” said the 19 year old, the only Scot in the British team.  “Then in the British Championships two weeks later in Reading, which was another selection race, I was eight overall but fourth out of the universities competitors.  That's what got me selected and I feel one of the season's goal has been achieved.”
 
The Stirling University second year Accountancy student has made rapid gains in the sport since making the switch from swimming just three years ago. In March he won the Scottish Universities Championships, de- throning Blair Cartmell from Forres.   Since then he has been gaining race experience steadily.
 
“For the last six weeks I've been working on racing smarter and getting more race experience,” he said.  “I've got another four weeks before the World University Championships so I'm away down to Oxford this weekend for another race.
 
“Then I hope to have a French grand prix race on the 22 June in Paris for my French team, US Vendome.”
 
Supporting McNamee at home is the Central Scotland Institute of Sport. The Area Institutes of Sport network provides high performance expertise to Scotland's potential world class talent.
 
The Area Institutes of Sport work with partners to build greater success for Scottish sport. Its expert teams work together to deliver essential support services locally in sports medicine, sports science, strength and conditioning, and career and lifestyle guidance.
 
“Through the Central Institute there's physio and the strength and conditioning facilities are excellent,” he said.   “Scotland's top triathletes are all based here and the fact that everything is on hand here in Stirling helps.”
 
McNamee, who has been running in thermal clothing to simulate the heat he will face in Turkey, knows the race will be an important step towards his ultimate ambition of competing in the 2012 Olympics and 2014 Commonwealth Games.  And he'll be competing in a well prepared team.  
 
“The team manager says this is probably the strongest team he's ever had going out the World University Championships,” he said.  “And he seems quite confident we'll have one of the best teams in the event.”