WHAT ABOUT THE WOMEN?
After Gwen Jorgensen and Sarah Groff snapped up their spots at the ITU World Championship Series race in London last August, just one Olympic berth remains for the American women. Only three additional athletes have earned enough points to be eligible for the Olympic squad, so if one of them earns a top-nine finish in San Diego, she’ll automatically book her trip to London. Otherwise, USAT will select the final qualifier. Here’s a closer look at the contenders.
LAURA BENNETT, 37, Boulder, Colo.
2011 ITU World Championship Series Ranking: 8
Why she’ll qualify: A poorly-timed, suboptimal race in London last August was the only real scuff in Bennett’s otherwise sparkling season, which featured seven consecutive top-10 finishes on the WCS circuit over 2010-11. She may have missed qualifying in London, but as long as this venerable frontrunner in top shape, she should be the one to beat in San Diego.
SARAH HASKINS, 31, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2011 ITU World Championship Series Ranking: 49
Why she’ll qualify: A 2008 Olympian, Haskins rarely has a bad day. She spent most of 2011 dominating the non-drafting circuit, but also fared well in ITU events, including a convincing win at the Pan American Games in late October. If Haskins has a strong swim and bike, expect her and Bennett to battle it out until the finish line.
JILLIAN PETERSEN, 29, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2011 ITU World Championship Series Ranking: 52
Why she’ll qualify: The dark horse of the group, Petersen isn’t as strong on paper as Haskins and Bennett, but her gutsy performances of late — like a 7th-place finish in Ishigaki last April — prove that she could be a contender. If she stays in the lead pack off the bike, she just may give Bennett and Haskins a run for their money.
ITU WORLD TRIATHLON SAN DIEGO
AGE-GROUPERS: BE A PRO FOR THE DAY
In conjunction with the Elite World Triathlon Series event, top-flight Olympic-and sprint-distance age group races will be contested with a total of up to 2,500 amateurs competing in the same venue as the world’s best athletes. Race-day action is scheduled to start on Friday, May 11. Visit
http://sandiego.triathlon.org/ for the most up-to-date schedule.
LOCATION: MISSION BAY, SAN DIEGO
The ITU World Championship Series – San Diego will take place adjacent to the site of the world’s first-ever triathlon — in Mission Beach.
DISTANCES
Age Group Olympic Distance: 1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run Age Group Sprint Distance: 750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run
VIRTUAL TOUR
Visit
http://bit.ly/SDvirtualtour to watch a virtual tour of the San Diego WTS course.
A RACE FOR EVERYONE
• Age Group Olympic Distance Triathlon
• Age Group Sprint Triathlon
• Age Group Team Relays
• Military Challenge
• Global Club Challenge
• Collegiate Club Challenge
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