This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
From the CEO
Olympic Hopeful, Back-of-the-Packer or Somewhere In Between:
We’re Your Biggest Fans By Rob Urbach
International Triathlon Union (ITU) draft-legal racing is riveting. The elites are amazing athletes with lightning-fast 1.5k swims, mid-20 mph speed on the bike and 10k runs around 30 minutes for the men and 34 minutes for the women. This style of racing is practically violent as these speeds approach world-class in all three disciplines. In addition, the transitions are both chaos and ballet as our elite racers move from one discipline to the next seamlessly. Strategy, team tactics and intrigue create compelling storylines; with races often decided in the last few hundred meters. These athletes push the entire race with such intensity they often risk blowing up before the finish line.


With regard to strategies, the teams of the national federations decide whether or not to deploy a domestique, an athlete who pulls teammates through the swim and/or bike. The domestique will be responsible for getting his teammate through the crowds and attempting to create separation from the pack while enabling the designated team leader(s) to not only conserve energy by drafting, but also remain mentally fresh — as following enables a state of relative relaxation. Therefore if the tactic works, the team leader is at the front of the pack coming into T2 having saved energy from being “pulled” by a teammate, thus relatively fresh physically and mentally for the run. At that point, the racer can run his race. Depending on who else is off the front, he can decide at what point to make a break — when it works it’s a thing of beauty.


While most us cannot reach these speeds, just as most of us can’t shoot like Dirk Nowitzki, we can certainly appreciate the talent of these athletes. If you have not done so already, I suggest you watch an ITU (the sport’s international governing federation – whether it’s the Olympics, World Championship Series or World Cups) event. You can watch these races on triathlonlive.tv. The next World Championship Series event is in Hamburg on July 16-17, followed by the London race, which serves as an Olympic qualifier for the U.S., on Aug. 6-7.


The London race, which serves as an Olympic qualifier for a number of countries, including the United States, likely will boast a field that is deeper than the actual Olympic Games. There will be more athletes in London this year because countries are limited to just three men and three women at the 2012 Summer Games, while World Championship Series fields can include up to six athletes per gender. U.S. athletes will have extra incentive to place near the front of the overall field, as the top-two U.S. athletes per gender – provided they place in the top nine overall – will automatically qualify for the Olympic team.


Albeit in a much different way, the local sprint race I attended in Reston, Va., last month was just as exciting. There were a number of first-timers who were elated at the sight of the finish line along with equally elated family members and spectators sharing these “wins.” I can think of no better place to be than the finish line of your local sprint triathlon to see the impact our sport has on those experiencing the lifestyle for the first time. We should all bottle that emotion. The finish line of a close ITU race feels like Formula One; precisely tuned specimens performing at the limit and then up shifting and exceeded prior speed limits. A high-speed, high-skill draft-legal ITU race and the finish line of your local sprint tri are both enthralling. To our Olympic hopefuls and first-timers — thanks for fueling the multisport lifestyle.


 


GO ONLINE
To read more from Rob, visit his weekly From the CEO Blog on usatriathlon.org, published every Wednesday.


 


The fast-paced world of ITU racing will be on display at the London Olympics in 2012. Sarah Haskins, is a contender to make the U.S. women’s team.


26 USA TRIATHLON SUMMER 2011

Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144