Posted: July 27, 2004

Triathlon: U.S. Age Groupers Take the Long Way Home

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 13, 2004) – Celebrating the Independence Day weekend in style, if not in their own country, U.S. age groupers brought home 15 medals from the International Triathlon Union Long Distance Triathlon World Championships on July 3 in Sater, Sweden.

The course consisted of a 4K (one-lap) swim, a 120K (three-lap) bike and a 30K (four-lap) run.

Nancy McElwain (Louisville, Ky.) won the women’s 35-39 age group, finishing in 7 hours, 30 minutes, 14 seconds. Vanessa Cooney, who serves overseas in the military, won the women's 50-54 age group in 8:14:26. Anne Viviani (Arlington, Va.) won the women’s 55-59 age group in 8:48:27.

Odd Sangesland (Plainview, N.Y.) was the only finisher in the men’s 75-plus age group. He finished in 12:05:43.

Silver medals went to Kathy Torgersen (Palo Alto, Calif.) in the women’s 55-59 age group; Patrick High (Sebring, Fla.) in the men’s 40-44 age group; Jay Tobin (Fallston, Md.) in the men’s 55-59 age group; Walter Pheeney (Farmington Hills, Mich.) in the men’s 60-64 age group; Ron Ottaway (Springfield, Ill.) in the men’s 65-69 age group and Edwin Alexander (Stilwell, Kan.) in the men’s 70-74 age group.

Bronze medals were awarded to Julie Hoppe (San Ramon, Calif.) in the women’s 20-24 age group; Robin Ydremark (Mountain View, Calif.) in the women’s 40-44 age group; Jeri Howland (Corte Madera, Calif.) in the women’s 45-46 age group; Prichard Keely (Colorado Springs, Colo.) in the men’s 20-24 age group; Stephan Reed (Concord, N.H.) in the men’s 45-49 age group and Robert Byard (San Antonio, Texas) in the men’s 60-64 age group.

In the elite men’s race, Paul Fritzsche of Boulder placed seventh in a time of 5:56:43. Torbjörn Sindballe of Denmark won the men’s race in 5:46:14. Dave Julian (Tempe, Ariz.) of the United States finished 38th.

Tamara Kozulina of Ukraine won the women’s elite race in 6:41:29. Alison Hayden (Colorado Springs, Colo.) was the top U.S. women’s finisher in 22nd.

For full results and more information, go to www.sater-triathlon.com or www.triathlon.org.

ITU World Cup in Edmonton

U.S. elite triathlete Susan Williams (Littleton, Colo.), a member of the 2004 Olympic triathlon team, placed eighth Sunday at the ITU World Cup race in Edmonton, Canada.

Williams rode with the lead pack on the bike, but fell behind on the run as the weather worsened and rain and hail started to fall on the athletes.

Australian Olympian Loretta Harrop won the race in 1 hour, 58 minutes, 11 seconds.

The severe weather conditions forced the cancellation of the men’s race.

For complete information, go to www.triathlon.org.

The next major race on the ITU calendar is the World Cup race on Sunday (July 18) in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. There are eight U.S. men on the start list: Olympian Victor Plata (San Luis Obispo, Calif.), Joe Umphenour (Bellevue, Wash.), Mark Fretta (Portland, Ore.), Andy Kelsey (Cupertino, Calif.), Seth Wealing (Fowler, Ind.), Michael Smedley (Buchanan, Mich.), Christoph O’Donnell (Cambridge, Mass.) and Manuel Huerta (Miami, Fla.).

From USATriathlon.org.