European Champion Athlete within Bradford College ranks

In our latest story of student achievement, a recent Bradford College graduate triumphed as a European Duathlon champion this summer.

The exemplary Christos Tzelis, who recently completed a Level 3 Sports qualification, enjoyed a monumental victory on behalf of Great Britain back in June at the ‘European Triathlon Multisport Championships’ in Coimbra, Portugal. 

It’s been a staggering rise for Tzelis after only joining Ilkley Harriers and Cycling Club in 2020, discovering a talent for hill climbing in both disciplines in the process. It was exactly this that inspired him to try out duathlon, leading to his new European Champion status in the 16-19 Male AG Sprint category. 

Christos said: “I qualified first in my age group at Weston Park Duathlon 2023, giving me the chance to represent Team GB for this European event! It was a great experience racing in Portugal; I really enjoyed cycling behind the lead motorbike on the smooth, wide roads, accompanied by the encouragement of a huge crowd cheering me on.” 

In terms of the race itself, Christos started with a staggering 15:28 5km run before jumping on his bike for a 20km ride in just 30:56. Following the cycle, it was back on foot for a final 2.5km run which saw him cross the finish line as winner.

He continued: “As I’ve done a few road races, I used my experience in making the race hard and pulling the stronger riders along with me so we could work together to get round the course. I had a slight lead coming into the final run and just gave it all I had.” 

This is just the latest champion athlete to come out of the Bradford College Sports Department, following a similar scale achievement from gymnast Patrick Watkinson in 2023. 

Speaking about the continued line of sporting successes to come out of the College, Gary Bradwell (Head of Sport) said: “We are so proud of Christos’ achievements and having another champion athlete from Bradford College! He’s been a model student and the dedication shown to rise the top of his specialism, in such a short space of time, is admirable.” 

“Juggling studies and training isn’t easy for anyone, but it’s something we will always try to accommodate for our students. We’re not just here to help them gain a qualification, we want to shape them into the best athletes they can be in their wider lives too – this is what it’s all about! 

“It’s an exciting time for Sport at the College and it’s only going to get better heading into the new 2024/25 academic year!”  

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