WCS San Diego
Racers to watch for on the men’s side are Kemper, Jarrod Shoemaker, Matt Chrabot and Manuel Huerta, said USAT’s High Performance Senior Manager, Andy Schmitz. Of those four, Kemper and Shoemaker were on the 2008 Olympic Team.
On the women’s side, said Schmitz, expect to see 2008 Olympians Laura Bennett and Sarah Haskins, as well as Jillian Petersen. You read that right: two previous Olympians will be battling it out for one remaining spot. “It’s been a goal of mine since ’08 to qualify for 2012,” said Haskins. “I’m going to give it everything I have.” So will members of the Triathlon Club of San Diego, who helped bring the race to their hometown.
“The WCS race brings an international focus to San Diego as a legitimate powerhouse in the sport of triathlon,” said John Hill, vice president of the Triathlon Club of San Diego. “The sport was founded here. Many of the sport’s original athletes still live here.” It means a lot to the team to host the event, he said.
The City of San Diego, USAT, ITU and TCSD all worked together to make this race a reality, and each organization is thrilled that the dream of hosting an international event in triathlon’s birthplace will come true.
The event venue will be adjacent to Fiesta Island, home of the world’s first triathlon in 1974, and the current home of dozens of local triathlons, including UC San Diego’s Tritonman.
“There are a lot of great races here,” said Hill. “But having another big destination race where people come in from around the world is an exciting prospect.”
Indeed, athletes will come from around the world, and American athletes will get to witness a type of racing rarely seen in the States: the draft-legal style contested in the Olympics.
“It’s great to be able to showcase the draft legal side of the sport here in the U.S.,” said Haskins, who placed 11th at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She’s excited to share the style of racing on which she has based her career with age-groupers in her home country. And the age-groupers are excited to watch.
“The WCS race presents an interesting opportunity to be a spectator in our sport because most often age group athletes are only participants,” Hill said. “I think it will be fun to go to a race where we can enjoy the sport the way football fans go to watch a game.”
That said, San Diego age-groupers are also thrilled about the opportunity to race on the same course as our future Olympians.
“I’m a fan — I get a kick out of watching,” said Craig Zelent, a 19- year member of the TCSD. “But I’m most excited about my own chance to participate.”
An international group of 3,000 amateur triathletes will get to test themselves against each other and the non-drafting Olympic course. Registration for the event opens at the end of September 2011. “I’m excited to put on my wetsuit and strap on my helmet and shoes and to participate myself,” said Zelent, who added he’ll get a kick out of racing against such a deep field of athletes. As for our elite 2012 hopefuls whose Olympic dreams hang heavily on the San Diego race, they’ll be ready to prove themselves next May. “I think it’s better to qualify closer to the Olympics because it shows that someone’s doing very well, and should easily be able to carry on to London and do well there also,” Kemper said. “I’m truly excited.”
C M Y CM MY CY CMY K
For more information about the ITU WCS race in San Diego, go to
http://sandiego.triathlon.org
44 USA TRIATHLON FALL 2011
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