Update
Our FISU World University Championship team…if you look 3 people from the left you’ll see Justine Whipple, World University Champion!
European Adventure
It’s time to race again! I’m off to Europe today for three races in as many weeks.
It all starts this weekend at the FISU World University Championship in Erdek, Turkey. Both our men’s and women’s teams are very strong and were recently described as the ”strongest team we have ever taken to the FISU race” by FISU coach Andy Schmitz. Here is the roster:
Men
Greg Billington (Spokane, Wash.) – 2007 USAT Junior Elite Athlete of the Year, 2007 USAT Junior National Champion, 2006, 2007 and 2008 USAT Junior Worlds Team Member, 2006 Junior Aquathlon World Champion
Barrett Brandon (Fort Worth, Texas) – 2004 USAT U23 Worlds Team Member, 2004 USAT Collegiate National Champion, 2004 FISU Worlds Team Member
Ethan Brown (Lowell, Mass.) – 2007 USAT U23 National Champion, 2008 USAT U23 Worlds Team Member, 2006 FISU Worlds Team Member
Kevin Collington (Orlando, Fla.) – Kind of a big deal
Steve Sexton (Davis, Calif.) – 2008 USAT Collegiate National Champion, 2006 FISU Worlds Team Member
Women
Amanda Felder (Houston, Texas) – 2005 and 2008 USAT Collegiate National Champion, 2006 FISU Worlds Team Member
Lauren Goldstein-Kral (Shaker Heights, Ohio) – 2007 USAT Junior Elite Athlete of the Year, 2007-2008 USAT Junior Worlds Team Member
Jennifer Spieldenner (Findlay, Ohio) – 2005 USAT Junior National Champion, 2006 and 2007 USAT U23 Worlds Team Member
Justine Whipple (Duxbury, Mass.) – 2007 USAT U23 National Champion, 2006 and 2007 Collegiate National Champion, 2007 and 2008 U23 Worlds Team Member, 2007 and 2008 U.S. Armed Forces National Champion
Most of us get into Istanbul on Wednesday at which point we get on a ferry to take us across this Sea of Marmara to the city of Erdek, Turkey. Erdek is a popular tourist destination for Turkish citizens and is located on a peninsula in the southern part of the Sea of Marmara.
After the race in Erdek, Steve, Ethan and I are continuing on to Hamburg to race in the Hamburg World Cup the following weekend. The Hamburg World Cup is a pretty big event in Germany as more than 300,000 people usually line the streets on race day. Last year I raced here when it was the U23 World Championship.
Javier Gomez leading the run in last year’s Triathlon World Championship in Hamburg
The following weekend Steve and I are continuing on yet again to race in the Tiszaujvaros World Cup in Hungary. I’m not quite sure what to expect here but I do know that the event is a very big deal in the small town of Tiszaujvaros. Looks like a fun race to me.
New USOC Website
The United States Olympic Committee just launched a new website in conjunction with all of the national governing bodies of Olympic sports here in the United States in the hopes of delivering up to date news and content on all things related to Team USA and the Olympics. The main USOC site is www.TeamUSA.org and the site specific to triathlon is triathlon.TeamUSA.org.
It looks like they have done a very good job with it. In fact I think I just saw more triathlon related content in one sitting than I ever thought possible. Here are a few things I found (including an article that mentions me!):
- Matt Reed secures Olympic spot with 5th place finish at World Champs
- An article on Sarah Haskins’ silver medal at World Champs
- Jasmine Oeinck – 2nd at U23 World Champs
- Pictures of Americans at Junior Worlds
- An article on next weekend’s World University Championship
Alcatraz Pics
I got interviewed before the race by IMG – they produce the race coverage that will air on NBC later in the year. My question for the interviewer beforehand: Are you sure you want to interview me?! With a tenth place finish I might have some air time in the race coverage – they especially liked it when I said I don’t do so well in cold water.
The infamous sand stairs. These come at mile 5 of the run but they’re not as bad as people say they are.
Post race dinner!
And dessert – a Ghirardelli Ice Cream Sundae. I would have gotten my own by my friend Kristin (left) wouldn’t let me.
Escape From Alcatraz
Wow, what an awesome race. The course was spectacular with the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge in the backdrop (although I didn’t get to enjoy it too much during the race!). I had a solid day with a tenth place finish – it’s nice to have my name up amongst some great athletes in the top ten.
More to come on this including some pictures.
Escape from Alcatraz
I’m racing in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco this weekend. I haven’t raced in about 6 weeks so this is a much needed break from training! I don’t know too much about the course as this is the first time I have raced at Alcatraz, but I do know there are lots of HILLS which is awesome for me. Running hills is almost all I do down here in Gainesville. So, barring some unfortunate error in judgment on my part during the race I should be able to have a good race!
