USA Triathlon Fields Strong Elite Team for ITU Short Course World Champs in September
Posted Tuesday, 15 August, 2006
Led by two-time Olympian and current world No. 1 Hunter Kemper and three-time world medalist Laura Bennett, USA Triathlon will send a team of 30 elite athletes to represent the U.S. at next month's International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The team consists of six athletes apiece on the male and female senior teams, five each on the male and female U23 teams, and four each on the male and female junior teams.
"Overall this is one of the strongest teams we have sent to worlds, with podium potential in each race," said USAT Sport Performance Director Scott Schnitzspahn. "The challenging bike course and fast, flat run match the strengths of a lot of our athletes across the board."
The U.S. team will look to surpass last year's haul of three medals, which included a bronze by Bennett and golds in both the men's U23 and Junior races.
Senior Elite Men
Any talk of U.S. triathletes must begin with current world No. 1 Hunter Kemper, who will be looking to earn his first world championship medal in his seventh appearance. Kemper will try to put last year's race far from his mind. The 30-year-old had a disappointing day in Gamagori, Japan, placing 41st, after a string of five top-15 results at previous worlds. His best finish was seventh in 2000.
That seventh place finish is the best by an American male since Mike Pigg captured bronze in 1991. In fact, only two American men have ever podiumed at worlds, with Mark Allen grabbing gold in the inaugural event in 1989.
In 2006, Kemper has finished in the top-10 in all five World Cup events he has entered, including three podium finishes. He also won his sixth elite national championship and captured the title at the popular Life Time Fitness Triathlon in July.
"Our men are consistently at the top of the worlds rankings," said Schnitzspahn. "They are just looking to prove they can do it at this event."
Joining Kemper on the senior men's team are Andy Potts, Jarrod Shoemaker, Joe Umphenour, Doug Friman, and Brian Fleischmann. This is an experienced team, as all but Fleischmann have finished in the top-three on the World Cup circuit in recent years. But this is Fleischmann's fifth worlds' appearance, with a top finish of 19th in 2001. Umphenour is also making his fifth appearance, while both Friman and Potts are going for the third time. Shoemaker is the team's rookie, but he is not without experience. Last year's U23 World Champion already earned a World Cup silver earlier this season.
Potts, an Olympian in 2004, is having a stellar season on the World Cup circuit, where he currently ranks third. He has finished in the top-four in each of the World Cup events he has raced, including two podium finishes. He is looking to improve on his previous best at worlds of 11th in 2004.
Though he has excelled in World Cups, it will take a special race to duplicate those finishes at Worlds, said Potts. "The course favors a complete triathlete, someone who can take it up a level near the end. It will be hard to break away on the swim. There are enough good swimmers in the field to keep it all together," said Potts, who had the fastest swim split at the Athens Olympics. "It's a course for a strong cyclist, who can come off the bike and still post one of the top runs. The course will be difficult anyway, but then you combine that with the hunger of everyone wanting to do well.
"I think World Championships is different than a World Cup. At the World Cups you just don't know where anyone is in their training. You know at the World Championships everyone comes in peaking. When you have that, it makes for a really hard race day."
Senior Elite Women
Since 1989, U.S. women have earned 15 top-three finishes at the World Championships, including at least one podium spot in each of the last five events. Three women have earned worlds gold (Karen Smyers in 1990 and 1995, Siri Lindley in 2001, and Sheila Taormina in 2004) in U.S. history.
Current World Cup No. 8 Laura Bennett is looking to be the fourth to don gold and continue an individual string of podium finishes. Heading into her seventh worlds' appearance, Bennett earned silver in 2003 and back-to-back bronze medals in 2004 and 2005.
Joining Bennett to provide leadership for this young team is Becky Lavelle, a five-time worlds' veteran, and Julie Swail (currently No. 32 in the world), who is making her second appearance. The experience of these three will be beneficial to a strong trio of newcomers: Rebeccah Wassner, Sarah Groff (currently No. 33 in the world), and Sarah Haskins, who are looking to produce in their first worlds appearances.
Haskins has had a great first year as a senior elite after competing as a U23 a year ago. She captured the USAT Elite National Championship in Long Beach in June and is currently the second-ranked American in the world at No. 27.
"I'm very excited and anticipate it being a little bit larger scale than the World Cup. The competition will definitely be challenging. The best of the best will be there," said Haskins. "But I'm also going into it with the attitude that 'a race is a race' and I intend to do my best.
"Training is progressing well. We've been doing a lot of race- specific workouts to get ready for the course, which has long climbs and a flat, fast run. It's a challenging course; that suits me."
U23 Men
Matt Seymour and current USAT U23 Elite National Champion Manny Huerta are the only men returning with U23 Worlds' experience. Both were instrumental in helping teammate Jarrod Shoemaker claim the title in 2005, but now they are ready to make their own marks. Their experience will aid in the development of teammates Michael Orton, John Dahlz, and Yoni Doron.
U23 Women
Look for Sara McLarty to continue her breakthrough season and improve on her top-10 performance from 2005. The current USAT U23 National champ has been performing well on the World Cup circuit and grabbed a third-place finish at Escape from Alcatraz. Jasmine Oeinck has been getting good experience in World Cup races and should be in the mix, as well. Michelle Lindsey also has World Cup experience.
2005 Junior National Champion Jennifer Spieldenner is making the jump from the junior ranks, but her experience at two junior world championships should help her.
Junior Men
Performing on the world stage is becoming second nature to Steven Duplinsky, the defending champion at this event and also the current junior world title holder in duathlon. This year, the 19-year-old is joined by young guns Willy Pickhardt and Zack Paris, who finished first and second, respectively, at the recent national championships and are making their first worlds' appearances. Greg Billington, who had the fastest run split at nationals, will also look to make an impact.
Junior Women
National Team members Yasmine White and Alexandria Lechner are returning to worlds and are joined by consistent performers Danielle Kehoe and up and comer Kate Ross. White is the junior national champion.
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