Malcolm King has travelled the world in pursuit of triathlon glory. The sport has seen the New Zealander visit and compete in countries such as Australia, Belgium and Canada.

In this exclusive interview he shares some of his greatest moments as an elite triathlete and outlines his desire to continue to train and work hard, and reach World Cup level in the sport. 

What were some of your earliest triathlon successes?

Within my first season of competing I was doing well for my age group back in 2013 to 2014. One of these races was the New Zealand Sprint Nationals of which I qualified for the 2014 Age Group ITU World Championships in Edmonton, Canada.

I placed fifth in the world for my age group, 20 to 24, and this really fuelled me to pursue my passion for the sport and see where it could take me!

I went on to win the NZ South Island Standard Distance Championships in 2016 which for me, was my first big win.

Who is your sporting hero?

I can’t name one person off the top of my head, although anyone competing in sport at the top level I really admire for their determination and drive to get to where they are. It’s not easy!

Who have been your biggest supporters during your triathlon journey?

The support my parents and family give me is incredible, from taking me to swimming lessons from a young age to still supporting me in the biggest way now. I will be forever grateful. Also my wife who keeps me accountable and encourages me, training partners, friends, and family who financially back me. 

In which discipline of triathlon do you have to work the hardest and which comes most naturally to you?

Coming from a swimming background it has taken me a while to build up the strength to run consistently and hard without injury. I had to ease into it but with hard work and consistency we are improving my running!

What have been your biggest triathlon triumphs and where in the world has the sport taken you?

Claiming the silver medals for both the sprint and standard distance races at the Age Group ITU World Champs in the Gold Coast, Australia, this year was a big high and wining our National Champs twice! The sport of triathlon has taken me all around the world.

In 2018 my wife and I travelled over to Belgium where I raced and trained with a team which was an incredible experience! I am regularly travelling to race.

How hard are you currently training and which events and races do you have coming up in the months ahead?

I have just finished a tough three-week training block of which I was training 26 hours each week and am beginning to taper off now for two Continental Cup elite triathlons in Canada this July. 

What targets do you have for the future and which events would you most like to compete in?

I would love to race at a World Cup level, so I am currently training and racing to make that become a reality. 

Read more about Malcolm King at: https://www.malcolmking.nz