Shane Robert Reed (16 June 1973 – 30 October 2022) was a New Zealand aquathlete and triathlete. He won three titles at the ITU Aquathlon World Championships.[2] During his sporting career, he took part in over 65 ITU competitions, winning five medals and achieving thirty-one top ten finishes.[3]

Shane Reed
Personal information
Birth nameShane Robert Reed
NicknameSnuffie[1]
Born(1973-06-16)16 June 1973
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Died30 October 2022(2022-10-30) (aged 49)
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight70 kg (154 lb)
RelativeMatt Reed (brother)
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
Sport
Coached byBrendon Downey
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
  • Swim (1500 m) – 15:59[1]
  • Cycle (40 km) – 53:37[1]
  • Run (10 km) – 29:50[1]
Medal record
Men's aquathlon
Representing  New Zealand
ITU Aquathlon World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1998 Noosa Elite
Gold medal – first place 1999 Noosa Elite
Gold medal – first place 2004 Madeira Elite

Early life

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Reed was born in Palmerston North, North Island,[4][5] on 16 June 1973.[1] His father was a painter, while his mother worked as a head nurse.[1] The family relocated to Australia when Reed was eight years old.[4] He studied graphic and design in university, but dropped out to pursue triathlon before he could complete his bachelor's degree.[1]

Career

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Reed competed in his first triathlon when he was 21.[1] He finished in seventh place at the 2004 ITU World Triathlon Championships in Madeira, Portugal. He was also eleventh at the 2005 ITU World Triathlon Championships in Gamagori, Japan.[1] Reed was the gold medallist at the 1998, 1999, and 2004 editions of the ITU Aquathlon World Championships.[1][3]

Reed was selected for the New Zealand Olympic team in the men's triathlon. He qualified for the country's third and final spot at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing by winning the Oceania championships triathlon title in March of that same year.[6][7] His teammates at the Games were Kris Gemmell and Bevan Docherty, who later won the silver medal in this event. Reed's brother Matt, however, became an American citizen just a year before the Olympics and was competing for the United States.[1][8] In the men's triathlon, Reed led the field out of the swim leg, and ran strongly within the whole course. He expected to reach a top ten finish with his teammates, but he was not able to maintain his pace after being exhausted from riding the bike. Adding to his frustration at not being able to run his own race, Reed was narrowly beaten by his brother Matt, who finished strongly in thirty-second place. In the end, he crossed the finish line by just two places behind his brother, with the time of 1:52:48.[9]

Miltary career

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In 2012 Reed enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a safety and surface technician.

Personal life

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Reed married Tammy Kendall, a fellow triathlete from New Plymouth, in October 2005.[10] They met in Hawaii,[10] and remained married until his death. Together, they had two children.[4][11] They resided in Palmerston North, where Reed was head coach at the Kiwi West Aquatics from July 2021 until his death.[4][12] He was noted for being a gifted cartoonist and illustrated cartoons for triathlon magazines during his early years in the sport.[4]

Reed died on 30 October 2022. He was 49, and was diagnosed with brain cancer six months prior to his death.[4][11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Shane Reed – Athlete Profile 2009" (PDF). International Triathlon Union. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Shane Reed". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Results: Shane Reed". World Triathlon. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Former New Zealand Olympic triathlete Shane Reed dies". Stuff. 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  5. ^ Troughton, Jamie (22 December 2007). "Reed intent on ironman revenge: Star triathlete eyes spot for Beijing Games". Bay of Plenty Times. p. A14. ProQuest 431733056. Retrieved 30 October 2022 – via ProQuest.
  6. ^ "Doe picks out danger man Triathlon: Beijing Olympics hopeful Shane Reed shapes as dark horse". The Daily Post. 3 January 2008. p. A8. ProQuest 432138844. Retrieved 30 October 2022 – via ProQuest.
  7. ^ Worthington, Sam (10 March 2008). "Time to Reed all about it". The Dominion Post. p. D1. ProQuest 338300327. Retrieved 30 October 2022 – via ProQuest.
  8. ^ Michaelis, Vicki (18 August 2008). "Reed brothers face off in Olympic triathlon". USA Today. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  9. ^ "Reed happy to play his part in NZ triathlon success at Beijing Games". Stuff NZ. 26 November 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  10. ^ a b Hills, Murray (12 November 2005). "Reed set for battle, but ready to rest". Taranaki Daily News. New Plymouth. p. 13. ProQuest 315213148. Retrieved 30 October 2022 – via ProQuest.
  11. ^ a b "Kiwi Olympian Shane Reed passes away aged 49". The New Zealand Herald. 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  12. ^ Troughton, Jamie (19 June 2021). "Long-time swim coach moving on". Manawatū Standard. p. WM13. ProQuest 2542418764. Retrieved 30 October 2022 – via ProQuest.
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