John Coxon  Sports Photography

 World Class  Triathlete Michelle Dillon

My first experience of photographing Triathlon was at Salford, 2004 when my city hosted the ITU World Cup.  (I was working for the City as their official photographer.)

I was simply mesmerised by the sport as a spectacle

and photographic subject with three exciting events rolled into one, swimming, cycling and running. I was hooked! It rained solidly for the ten hours I was on call but I hardly noticed.

That year lovely Michelle Dillon ( aka “Mish” ) was the winner of the women’s elite race. Although born in Wembley, England, her family emigrated to Australia when she was eight but she actually competes for Great Britain. Incredibly Michelle only learned to swim in her early twenties.

For more pictures of Michelle click this image

      Michelle Dillon is quite rightly one of the most popular triathletes on the World circuit. At the end of that Salford 2004 race I was struck by how genuine and unassuming Michelle is ; so friendly and so  at ease with the media and members of the public alike, taking time out to chat to spectators and fans. Clearly not only is she an exceptional athlete but a remarkably nice person, and I have followed her career ever since.

     I was dismayed when, during the podium ceremony after the 2004 race, champagne corks flew and, naively perhaps, I was kneeling directly in front of Michelle and German triathlete Maik Petzgold. I got covered in champagne and hadn’t noticed it had gotten on to my lens!  Hence, some of the potentially great subsequent shots I got of Michelle were spoiled. However, Michelle returned to Salford the following year. She graciously allowed me to take some informal shots of her the day before the race but alarmingly, on the big day, she ended up in the first aid tent. (Such a determined person she had burned herself trying to catch the leading group.) I discovered her lying in the tent on a red blanket. She looked stunning as she recovered wrapped in silver foil and beaming smiles but alas she asked me not to record the moment on camera.  Happily, a few weeks later, I caught up with her again during the London Triathlon. I also had the privilege of doing a photo shoot of Michelle along with the UK’s Stuart Hayes at Eton Rowing Lake for Michelle’s then sponsors. It was a lot of fun as Michelle is a natural and so easy to get along with.

       Currently I learn from Michelle she is back in Australia, taking time out to recover from a niggling back injury and getting back into shape. I was delighted to learn she will be back in Salford this summer to compete in the World Cup.