NEWS & NOTES
USA TRIATHLON LOOKS AHEAD TO LONDON GAMES – TWO YEARS OUT

July 27 marked exactly two years until the start of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, and USA Triathlon and its athletes are already diligently preparing for the sport’s fourth inclusion in the Olympics.



London hosted one of Europe’s largest triathlons in Hyde Park in July in preparation for the Games of the XXX Olympiad, which will be held July 27 to Aug. 12, 2012. More than 3,000 athletes took part in the ITU World Championship Series event, including 130 of the world’s best elite triathletes. Twelve U.S. elite athletes were in action in London, including top-ranked American and 2008 Olympian Jarrod Shoemaker, who finished seventh.

“It is extremely important to know where we will be racing in 2012, not only knowing the race venue, but also the surrounding areas,” said Shoemaker, who fi nished 2010 ranked 13th in the ITU World Championship Series and will look to qualify for his second Olympics in London. “Hyde Park is a great place and is always full of people running, walking and biking.”

According to ITU, more than a quarter of a million spectators lined the roads of London to watch last weekend’s event. “Hyde Park offers the ideal venue to host an event of the magnitude of the Olympic Triathlon,” said ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado. “The course is very spectator friendly and will no doubt make the event one of the most memorable of the 2012 Games. We’re very excited to return to London in 2011 to test the same course set for the Olympic Games, which runs around Hyde Park.”

In 2012, triathlon will make its fourth appearance in the Games, having made its debut at the 2000 Games in Sydney. The London event will feature the top 55 athletes in both the men’s and women’s fields. Visit london2012.com for more on the Games. Triathlon is anticipated to be one of the most exciting events of the Games, and also one of the most accessible with Londoners being able to watch the event for free.


USAT FINALIZES SELECTION PROCEDURES FOR 2012 OLYMPICS
USA Triathlon has finalized its selection procedures for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team, which will compete in the Games of the XXX Olympiad in London from July 27-Aug. 12, 2012, pending final approval by the USOC Chief Executive Officer. Additionally, USAT has set its selection procedures for the 2011 Pan American Games set for October 2011 in Guadalajara, Mexico.



The selection events for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games will be the International Triathlon Union (ITU) London World Championship Series event on Aug. 6-7, 2011, and a to-be-determined ITU World Cup or World Championship Series event between March 1-May 31, 2012. Up to one remaining spot for both the men’s and women’s teams will be filled at the discretion of the USAT Elite Athlete Select on Committee, with any remaining spots allotted by order of fi nish at the second selection event.


The maximum size of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team is six: three athletes per gender.


The goal of USA Triathlon is to field teams in both the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2011 Pan American Games that will compete for the podium.


The 2011 ITU London WCS event will be held on the 2012 Olympic course and will be the first opportunity for U.S. athletes to qualify for the Games. At this event, the two highest-placing eligible American athletes per gender will automatically qualify for the Olympic team provided they place among the event’s top nine finishers.


If any slots remain after the London selection event, any eligible American athlete who did not qualify in London and places in the top nine at the to be determined second selection event will automatically qualify for the Olympic team. Selection event No. 2 will be named within one week of the release of the 2012 ITU schedule.


If necessary, discretionary selections could entail potential medalists or an athlete who can assist the medal-potential athletes through specific team tactics.


Visit http://bit.ly/USATqualification to view the enti re selection procedures documents for the Olympics and Pan Am Games.


The 2011 ITU Hamburg (Germany) World Championship Series event, scheduled for July 2011, will serve as the sole qualifying race for the 2011 Pan American Games. While Guadalajara, Mexico, is the host city of the 2011 Pan Am Games, the triathlon competition will be held in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.


The maximum size of the 2011 U.S. Pan Am Games Triathlon Team is six: three athletes per gender.


The highest-placing eligible American athlete per gender at the Hamburg selection event automatically will qualify for the team provided he/she places among the race’s top 15 finishers. The second highest-placing eligible U.S. athlete also will qualify for the team if the top two Americans place in the race’s top 10 finishers.


If there are spots remaining following the selection event, the highest-ranked American athlete on the ITU Olympic Qualification List who has not already qualified for the Pan Am Games team will earn a spot provided he/she is ranked in the top 50 of the list. Any remaining spots would be filled by discretionary selection.


As in the Olympic selection procedures, discretionary selections for the Pan Am Games could entail potential medalists or an athlete who can assist the medal-potential athletes through specific team tactics.


20 USA TRIATHLON FALL 10

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