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April 20, 2008
Race Results: 2008 Olympic Triathlon Trials - Tuscaloosa
from InsideTriathlon…
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — Matt Reed, recent U.S. citizen and at 6-feet 5-inches the tallest man in competition triathlon, whipped heavy favorites Andy Potts and Hunter Kemper to take the second U.S. men’s Olympic Triathlon team trials event in Tuscaloosa Alabama Saturday.
In a race that went a little closer to form, Julie Swail Ertel used a lightning-quick bike to run transition to surge ahead of Sarah Haskins, then sealed her win with a personal best 35:19 10km– 23 seconds faster than Haskin’s run – to cross the line in 2:02:21 for a 29-second margin of victory. The win gave the 2000 Olympic water polo silver medalist a rare Olympic qualification in a second sport.
The men
Reed made a daring break on the last of eight bike laps on a hilly course along the Black Warrior River, gaining a 25-second advantage over Potts, Kemper and Brian Fleischmann starting the run.
While Kemper let Reed have his last lap bike surge, believing he could overtake his tall, Zealand-born friend, Reed answered with a race-best 31:03 10km run that outpaced both Andy Potts (31:07) and Kemper (31:07) to cross the finish in 1:52:15. Had he been pushed, Reed could have run even better, since he spent a happy 20 seconds exulting, working the crowd, and drinking in the moment – and still had a 20-second advantage over runner-up Potts and 24 seconds over third place Kemper. “I worked hard for a long time for this moment, so I wanted to enjoy it,” said the taciturn Kiwi.
April 18, 2008
Race Preview: 2008 Olympic Triathlon Trials - Tuscaloosa
from usatriathlon.org…
Twenty-one of the top triathletes in the country are ready to toe the line and compete for two Olympic team spots – one for a U.S. man and one for an American woman – at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The women’s race starts at noon while the men’s race begins at 2:30 p.m.
The winners of the men’s and women’s races will join previous qualifiers Jarrod Shoemaker (Sudbury, Mass.) and Laura Bennett (N. Palm Beach, Fla. / Boulder, Colo.) on the Beijing-bound U.S. team. The final male and female Olympic team members will be determined after the Hy-Vee Triathlon on June 22 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Andy Potts (Princeton, N.J. / Colorado Springs, Colo.), who was on the 2004 Olympic team in Athens and finished 2007 as the second-ranked U.S. man in the world, discussed the Olympic Trials experience.
April 17, 2008
2008 Australian Olympic triathlon team selected
from olympics.com.au….
Emma Moffatt and Erin Densham have won a four-way battle to join Emma Snowsill as Australia’s women’s triathletes at the Beijing Olympics.
Triathlon Australia (TA) announced the athletes they will nominate to the Australian Olympic Committee, with Moffatt and Densham getting the nod over Felicity Abram and Annabel Luxford.
Snowsill was pre-selected by TA last year, as were men’s representatives Brad Kahlefeldt and Courtney Atkinson.
Greg Bennett was provisionally named as the third men’s team member, subject to Australia meeting the International Triathlon Union requirements by June 8 to have a full squad of three.
April 14, 2008
Race Results: 2008 Men’s Ishigaki BG Triathlon World Cup
from Triathlon.org…
Sydney Olympic Champion Simon Whitfield of Canada continues his quest for another Olympic title with a win at the Ishigaki BG Triathlon World Cup today. Whitfield showed a field of top Olympians that he still has kick in his legs to claim his 11th world cup title, in a time of 1 hour 51 minutes and 12 seconds. Close behind in second was 2007 big prize money winner Rasmus Henning of Denmark, 10 seconds back. Rounding out the podium was Russia’s Ivan Vasiliev another 11 seconds back, who just managed to outlast a charging Peter Robertson of Australia. In fifth was Britain’s Tim Don, who also ran back from over a minute deficit after the bike to finish in the top-5.
“That was good, a great way to start the year. I’ve been coming here for 12 years and never been close to the podium, “said Whitfield after his win, which ties him for second all-time world cup wins with Kiwi and fellow Olympic gold medalist Hamish Carter. “When I was running along I was thinking ‘Come on, this might be my last time here so I have to win this thing’. It’s my first win in Japan so it’s a thrill, never done that. “
April 14, 2008
Race Results: 2008 Women’s Ishigaki BG Triathlon World Cup
from Triathlon.org…
Australian superstar Emma Snowsill added to her extensive medal count today with a win at the Ishigaki BG Triathlon World Cup. Snowsill led from start to finish claiming her eighth world cup title in a time of 2 hours 3 minutes and 11 seconds. In second place, 29 seconds behind, was fellow Aussie and Olympic hopeful Erin Densham. A further 1 minute 45 seconds back in third was young Hollie Avil of Great Britain in her world cup debut, nipping home crowd favourite Juri Ide of Japan in an exciting sprint finish. In fifth position was Canadian Kathy Trembley.
“I just wanted to get out there and get a second hit out,” said Snowsill after her win. “I felt like I had a bit more of a plateau, not so many ups and downs. I’m really happy, 2 for 2 what more can I ask for at this stage.”
April 14, 2008
Race Results: 2008 Ford Ironman Arizona
from NAS…
Tempe, AZ – It was a race to the finish for the men’s title at Ford Ironman Arizona with just 74 seconds separating the top four finishers. First time Ironman winner Jozsef Major bested the field to take first place. Fellow Hungarian Erika Csomor took the women’s race on a day that saw the heat become a major factor for all competitors.
Major raced to a hard fought 8:34:19 just 18 seconds ahead of American TJ Tollakson of Des Moines, IW. Third place was Jordan Rapp of Scarborough, NY who was followed closely by the man who had led the race for much of the day, James Bonney from Austin, TX.
Csomor beat out both the 2006 and 2007 Ford Ironman Arizona Champions today posting an impressive 5:02:30 bike ride on a very windy course for an overall time of 9:14:49.. Michellie Jones finished in second place, the 2006 World and Arizona winner posted a 9:25:52 and was followed by the defending Ford Ironman Arizona Champion Heather Gollnick in 9:32:07.
April 11, 2008
Team Running USA Athletes - Hall, Kastor and O’Neill - Ready for Marathon Tests in London and Boston
from Running USA…
Three Team Running USA athletes - Olympians and recent national champions Ryan Hall, Deena Kastor and Kate O’Neill - are ready to race at the most important marathons to-date in 2008, the Flora London and U.S. Olympic Trials Marathons, on Sunday, April 13 and Sunday, April 20, respectively.
In London, Hall, 25, who last November won the U.S. Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials in impressive and record fashion over the hills of Central Park, returns to the site of his U.S. record debut of 2 hours, 8 minutes and 24 seconds, where he raced like a veteran and finished 7th overall against a deep international field.
This year at London, in his third marathon, the Stanford grad again faces world class competition including defending race champion Martin Lel of Kenya, 2004 Olympic Marathon gold medalist Stefano Baldini of Italy, two-time world marathon champion Jaouad Gharib and last year’s London runner-up Abderrahim Goumri of Morocco, 2007 world marathon champion Luke Kibet of Kenya and his countryman, the world half-marathon record holder Sammy Wanjiru who ran 2:06:39 in his marathon debut in Fukuoka last December and South African veteran Hendrick Ramaala.
Team Running USA Coach Terrence Mahon commented on his young charge, “Ryan’s build up to the Flora London Marathon has been his best training by far. He is stronger, faster and more relaxed when putting in the training workload required to be one of the world’s best marathoners. He is excited to test his fitness against the incredible field that they have assembled in London. We both feel that this marathon will be a great test for what lies ahead in Beijing.”
For a recent Hall interview via a podcast where he talks about his London preparations, his tapering strategy and expectations and more, visit: www.thefinalsprint.com/2008/04/tfs-running-podcast-132ryan-hall-takes-on-the-london-marathon-part-deux
A week later at the Olympic Trials over a multi-loop course in downtown Boston, Kastor and O’Neill hope to join teammate Hall on the Beijing U.S. Olympic marathon team. Based on her long list of running achievements including the first sub-2:20 marathon by a U.S. woman and her 2004 Olympic Marathon bronze medal, Kastor, 35, is the clear favorite to win the event.
According to Coach Mahon, “Deena is ready to begin her quest to a return to the Olympic podium. Her training has gone very well and she is stronger than ever. She would like nothing better than to cross that line at Boston and find out that she will share her trip to China with her training partner Kate O’Neill.”
O’Neill, 27, an Olympian (10,000 meters in 2004), ran an impressive debut (2:36:15) in the heat at Chicago in 2007 and as a result, the Yale grad, who won the 2008 USA Half-Marathon title in Houston on January 13, is also a contender for a top three finish at the Olympic Marathon Trials.
Coach Mahon further commented, “O’Neill, much like Ryan Hall, is a newcomer to the marathon but appears to be a natural for the event. Her third place finish in a hot and steamy Chicago shows that she knows how to handle whatever marathon race day throws at her. Having the advantage of being able to train with Deena Kastor on a daily basis - Kate knows what it will take to make the Olympic team and feels more confident about her chances after each training session.”
“Deena and Kate have worked extremely hard in their Trials preparations, and they will be tough to beat and will inspire each other during the race,” he added.
Other Olympic Marathon Trials contenders at Boston include two-time Olympian Elva Dryer, 2004 OMT fourth place finisher Blake Russell, Mary Akor, 2004 OMT fifth place finisher Magdalena Lewy Boulet, Samia Akbar and Desiree Davila. As past Olympic Marathon Trials have shown, however, upsets are more the rule than the exception, and someone again could “shock” the field and the pundits.
For more Olympic Trials information including the list of qualifiers and entrants, prize money, course configuration and more, go to: www.usatf.org/events/2008/OlympicTrials-Marathon-Women or http://bostontrials2008.com
April 11, 2008
Race Preview: Ishigaki - BG Triathlon World Cup race #3
from Triathlon.org
The small fishing island of Ishigaki, Japan comes alive this weekend as it hosts the longest-running world cup and a favorite stop for many of the world’s best. Last year’s women’s race was a fierce battle between Portuguese star Vanessa Fernandes, three-time world champion Emma Snowsill and 2006 winner Debbie Tanner, three of the premiere runners in the sport. Both Snowsill and Tanner will be back to battle on the tough Ishigaki course. As expected a large Japanese team will be on the start line including the veteran Olympian Kiyomi Niwata and Juri Ide who took silver at last year’s BG Triathlon World Cup finale in Israel. A number of top Europeans will also be in Ishigaki this Sunday including German Anja Dittmer, Elizabeth May of Luxembourg, Nicola Spirig and her teammate Daniela Ryf who’s coming off a fourth place finish in New Plymouth last weekend. Last year’s junior world champion Hollie Avil of Great Britain is expected to make her elite world cup debut this weekend. Click here for full women’s start list
On the men’s side, Courtney Atkinson of Australia looks to continue his mastery of the Ishigaki course with a fifth victory. The Beijing bound Atkinson considers Ishigaki to be his lucky race after losing his wedding ring during the swim three years ago. His compatriot Peter Robertson looks to rebound from a disappointing start to 2008 with a strong showing in Ishigaki. They will have to contend with a strong men’s field that is expected to include 2006 world champion Tim Don of Great Britain, two-time European champion Frederic Belaubre of France and 2000 Olympic gold medalist Simon Whitfield. Also in the mix are Rasmus Henning of Denmark, Kris Gemmell, Russian Alexander Brukhankov and Sven Riederer of Switzerland. For the home team, Hirokatsu Tayama looks to duplicate his success from last year’s season finale when he became the first Japanese triathlete to ever win a world cup title. They’ll all be vying for the US$100,000 prize purse. Click here for full men’s start list
On April 1st, ten days before the Ishigaki BG Triathlon World Cup, the podium that had been used for the Osaka Track and Field World Championship last year in September was donated to Ishigaki. This commemorated the renovation of the Ishigaki City Central Sports Park and the completion of its all-weather running track. The podium arrived at Ishigaki only through the hard work of locals and all those involved and this year it makes its debut at the Ishigaki Island Triathlon.
In addition a photo exhibition entitled “Huge Passion for a Tiny Island: Reliving the Memories” has been set up in the entrance hall of Ishigaki City Hall, and all the photos and T-shirt designs up to this year are being showcased.
April 10, 2008
2008 Ford Ironman World Championship lottery winner preview
Are you one of the rumored 7,000 triathletes who entered this year’s lottery who hopes to win one of the coveted 200 lottery slots?
Official results are to be posted on April 15 - but a ‘preview’ of the list is to be run at the end of Saturdays’ broadcast of the Ford Ironman 70.3 championship from Clearwater - which will air on NBC at 5PM EST (check local listings).
April 6, 2008
Race Results: 2008 Panthers Ironman Australia
Patrick Vernay repeated his win from last year with a time of 8:31:33 in this year’s event. Chrissie Wellington continues to dominate every Ironman she enters with another win - she’s now three for three - with a time of 9:03:55.
Mitchell Anderson moved up from fourth last year to second this year. In the women’s race Kate Major led for most of the bike leg before being overtaken by Chrissie near the end.
Men’s Top Ten
1. Patrick VERNAY 8:31:33
2. Mitchell ANDERSON 8:40:19
3. Mathias HECHT 8:42:48
4. Tim BERKEL 8:44:20
5. Luke MCKENZIE 8:46:01
6. Luke BELL 8:56:17
7. Matt WHITE 8:59:50
8. Nathan STEWART 9:03:29
9. Raimo RAUDSEPP 9:04:24
10. Kevin CUTJAR 9:06:50
Women’s Top Ten
1. Chrissie WELLINGTON 9:03:55
2. Kate MAJOR 9:09:12
3. Melinda COCKSHUTT 9:50:02
4. Prue OSWIN 10:00:11
5. Sarah POLLETT 10:00:12
6. Alison COYLE 10:00:49
7. Joanne BENNETT 10:05:37
8. Amelia PEARSON 10:10:45
9. Emma WEITNAUER 10:20:41
10. Kirsten MOLLOY 10:23:17
