Olympic dreams may come true at the ITU World Triathlon Series race in San Diego on May 12 — but just who will be donning the red, white and blue for the U.S. this summer is still up in the air. Four American men have earned enough points to snag potential spots on the squad, but it will take a top-nine finish to lock in one of the two* tickets to London. Fortunately for the men, a race in San Diego gives them home-field advantage, which could bring a much-needed boost against the mostly international field. “We hope and expect a strong showing in a field consisting of the world’s best men,” says Andy Schmitz, USAT’s High Performance General Manager. “Ideally, two finishes in the top nine will settle the score of automatic Olympic qualification on the field of play.”
So who, exactly, will earn those automatic berths? Here’s a breakdown of the men with the best chances.
*As of press time, the U.S. men have two Olympic spots. However, they may earn a third spot based on the Americans’ performances in races through the end of May.
MATT CHRABOT
Age: 29
Resides: Colorado Springs, Colo.
Why he’ll qualify: If one were to pinpoint a race favorite among the men, it would be Chrabot. He closed out 2011 as the top-ranked American man for the second year running; a season that included his second career World Cup victory in Huatulco, Mexico, in October. He also fared well at the Yokohama World Cup in September, finishing fifth on a course that’s similar to the flat and technical venue that will serve as the stage in San Diego. And you can’t doubt his confidence going in: “I’m aiming to win the race,” says Chrabot. “Top nine and first American are the bare minimum.”
Potential obstacles: Although Chrabot’s enjoyed some come-from-behind finishes in draft-legal racing (including his win in Huatulco, where he posted the best run split by over two minutes), he has yet to display consistency on the run. His worst finishes on the ITU circuit last season typically resulted from sub-par 10k splits, so Chrabot will have to fire on all cylinders to outpace some of the stronger runners in the San Diego field — and land in the top nine.
JARROD SHOEMAKER
Age: 29
Resides: Clermont, Fla.
Why he’ll qualify: A 2008 Olympian (he finished 18th in Beijing), experience is on Shoemaker’s side. He knows what it takes to win at just the right time — as was the case four years ago when he bested all other American men to earn an automatic Olympic berth at the 2007 Beijing ITU World Cup. A strong runner, Shoemaker can keep pace with the fastest men the sport, a huge advantage in the likely case the race comes down to a sprint finish. Plus, he’s motivated: “I’ve done it before, and I can do it again,” he says.
Potential obstacles: Shoemaker has been rebuilding his strength after a series of unfortunate incidents last summer. In July, he was kicked in the head during the swim portion of the Hamburg World Championship Series (resulting in a concussion) and in August he crashed on the bike at the London WCS race (resulting in a neck injury). Despite it all, he managed to pull out a win at the Myrtle Beach USA Triathlon Elite Race Series Finale in October and came out on top of the 2011 ERS. Contends Shoemaker: “I’m working hard on being ready to race.”
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