THE ELITES
American elite ITU athletes are normally at a disadvantage to their European counterparts because the majority of the World Triathlon Series is contested in Europe, meaning the European elite athletes enjoy sleeping in their own beds, eating familiar food, speaking familiar languages and training in familiar environments while the Americans have to deal with jet lag and the inconveniences of being so far from home.
Beginning next year, however, the Americans will watch the tides turn, as some of the biggest and most important races of 2014 and 2015 will be on North American soil.
In June, the World Triathlon Series will come to Chicago, and the race will be important for the elites for several reasons. For one, it will serve as one of the first races that will offer Olympic points as part of the ITU’s arcane 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic qualification system, where athletes must gain Olympic points to even be eligible to participate in their individual country’s Olympic Trials, and elite athletes will want to start earning points early. For another, competing in Chicago in 2014 will offer elites the opportunity to preview the 2015 Grand Final course in Chicago.
After Chicago this June, the Americans will race the 2014 World Triathlon Series Grand Final on North American soil when it touches down in Edmonton, Canada, in August, and then, in 2015, the most important race of the year for the elite athletes will be the World Triathlon Series Grand Final in Chicago. Not only will it be where the 2015 world champions are crowned, but it also will be the last Grand Final before the 2016 Olympics, and most countries, including the U.S., will likely use it as an Olympic Trials or Olympic qualification event, meaning that the Americans will, for a change, enjoy the fruits of competing at home during a race where it is absolutely essential to perform at their best.
Indeed, American athletes will tell you that racing in the U.S. provides them with that little extra boost that’s often the difference between a podium and an “also ran.”
“Competing at a WTS event in the USA is like having a home court advantage,” said elite American ITU athlete Gwen Jorgensen, who used the home crowd to help her win the 2013 World Triathlon Series race in San Diego. “It’s an amazing experience, and something that pushes all of the USA athletes further than we think possible.”
And while a home crowd is nice, perhaps the best part about having two important races on home soil in Chicago for the elites is that these races will expose more American age-groupers to an under-represented side of triathlon: draft-legal ITU racing.
“The U.S. already has an incredibly strong triathlon culture, but it remains mainly focused on the non-draft format,” said American ITU athlete Sarah Groff, who finished fourth at the 2012 London Olympics. “By hosting WTS races in the U.S., we are given the opportunity to showcase our fast, exciting format in a more visible way. By hosting a major ITU race in a triathlon hotbed [Chicago], we will hopefully inspire a new generation of young ITU athletes and gain some new fans.”
— Courtney Baird
USATRIATHLON.ORG USA TRIATHLON 37
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