New Zealand athlete Hamish Carter is to be inducted into the ITU Triathlon Hall of Fame.
Carter, who won a 2004 Olympic gold medal for the sport, will be part of the second annual inductee ceremony in Chicago next week.
Hamish Carter with his gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Carter was the overall ITU Triathlon World Cup champion in 1998, won a bronze medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and is a two-time World Triathlon Championship silver medalist.
New Zealand ironwoman Erin Baker was inducted into the same hall of fame last year.
Carter told the New Zealand Olympic Committee that this kind of thing was not what drove him to compete in the sport.
"But equally, when you have had 10 years away from the sport, it is nice to be recognised - and, although a hall of fame sounds a bit odd, whether it is famous people or not, it is recognition from the sport I focused on and loved.
"It is a real honour, and you think about the others who will be inducted - I raced against them week in, week out, and I have huge respect for them as well."
He said his time as a competitive athlete felt like a lifetime ago.
"The sport was going through huge change, right through my career. I started in a non-drafting sport and finished in a drafting mode, and then it became an Olympic sport and also was at the Commonwealth Games.
"I think across that period you had to adapt and change to the styles and elements of racing, so, thinking of my career, the success I had came down to my ability to adapt and change with the sport - and to consistently perform and respond well in the tough times - Sydney to Athens was a defining time in my career."
Credit paid to coaches, wife
Carter was quick to point to others who should share in his news - including his mentor Jack Ralston, who died in 2012, and wife, Marisa.
"I had amazing people to work with, I would like to dedicate this news today to the late Jack Ralston, who developed me as an athlete for 15 years before the Sydney Olympics. He was a huge part of my career. It is sad he can't be here but he was an amazing guy who shaped so many athletes. It is nice to remember him at this time as well.
"There are a ton of other people behind my success, like Chris Pilone, Mark Bone and the role that my wife Marisa and training partners all played. Success is never achieved on your own, I had a huge team behind me, people like Roger Mortimer who had a massive part to play. So many people but at times like this I need to try and remember them all."
Carter has, since his racing days, played a continued role in the development of the sport in New Zealand, acting in various roles from mentor to advisor to commentator, inspiring those looking to reach the top level of the sport.
