Triathlete Kate Allen was born in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, but represented Austria at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics after obtaining Austrian citizenship in 2002. She won the gold medal in 2004 and finished 14th in 2008. At Athens she was Austria’s flagbearer at the closing ceremony.
Allen took up triathlons in 1996 and had her first successes in 2000, the year after marrying fellow triathlete Marcel Diechtler of Austria. In 2002, Allen placed second at the Ironman Austria and seventh in Hawai’i and then won the Austrian national the following year. After her Olympic triumph she was named Sportswoman of the Year in Austria and was awarded the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria.
In 2005 and 2006, Allen placed fifth at the Ironman Hawai’i, and won the Ironman Austria again in 2005. She won the silver medal at the 2004 and 2007 European Championships over the Olympic distance.
Austria