’s Best On Sept. 8, USA Triathlon announced that the International
Triathlon Union will make San Diego, Calif., a part of its World Championship Series in 2012. Not only will 3,000 age group athletes get at race on the Olympic-qualifying venue, but they and thousands of other triphiles will also witness triathlon history in the making.
On the weekend of May 12, the world’s top 150 triathletes — 75 men and 75 women — will descend upon the birthplace of triathlon to race for spots on their countries’ 2012 Olympic teams. And among those 150 triathletes will be best of the U.S., fighting for their final chance to automatically qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team.
“It’s really exciting for the U.S. athletes to compete on their home soil,” said three-time U.S. Olympian Hunter Kemper. “In general, athletes perform better when they have a big race in their country. What a great venue to host our Olympic journey in 2012.” The San Diego race will be the second and final event used to determine the U.S. team. The first was the ITU WCS race that took place in London in August 2011, where female triathletes Gwen Jorgensen and Sarah Groff qualified by placing in the top nine women overall. But no men qualified in London, so the entire men’s team has yet to be determined — and the only sure-fire way to secure a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team is to finish in the top nine in San Diego.
The San Diego skyline will greet 150 elite athletes, including Hunter Kemper, who will come to town next spring to compete for an ITU World Championship Series event title and a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team. Photo by ITU/Jero Honda
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