Posted: October 26, 2004

Triathlon: Tri doc Kühner tops at three races

GRÖMITZ, Germany (October 24, 2004) – Germany’s Baltic Sea star, Lucia Kühner (GER), is a wave of success this season, racing to top finishes at her three most recent events, including the Balearman Mallorca Triathlon, City Lauf/Run Lübeck and Wald-und-Wellenlauf.

All year long, Germans train at Spain’s coastal destination, Mallorca, but in September the training ground became a proving ground at the middle-distance Balearman Mallorca Triathlon. The triathlete-doctor took flight on September 18th, racing to a 4:57.16 fourth place overall.

The 11 a.m. start made for hot, windy conditions after the warm, two-loop swim. The multi-loop cycle and run courses were predominantly flat, but as the day went on, the road heated up and athletes felt it. The doc, however, picked up the pace, passing the fourth-place runner. “I had company on the third run loop and that helped,” she said. “I almost thought I could catch the next girl. I wished it was a full marathon.”

“My riding just killed me; I need more time on the saddle. My run was good, and fun, though.”

A few weeks later, on a cold but sunny October morning, Kühner raced the City Lauf Lübeck (11,3 km), near her hometown of Grömitz. The doc ran strong throughout the two-loop, mostly flat route in the old, picturesque town of Lübeck, but she needed an extra 500 meters to make up 22 seconds on the second-place woman.

“I ran with two buddies from my running group and saw lots of friends and some local sponsors along the course,” she said. “It’s so nice to run at home once in a while. And by the way, I won the internal competition by two minutes!”

This past weekend Kühner raced the flat, cross-country, forest-trail, 10 km Wald-und-Wellenlauf run in Kellenhusen, also near her hometown on the Baltic Sea coastline. Riding high with confidence, Kühner started out fast, staying always together with the lead woman, but eventually slid back a bit, ultimately unable to regain ground and settling for second place overall.

Lucia is proud to use and represent her sponsors’ products and services, and encourages other athletes to try them, too: Profile Design www.profile-design.com; Polar www.polar.fi / www.aktivshop-flemming.de; Rudy Project www.rudyprojectusa.com; Power Bar www.powerbar.com; Orca USA www.teamorca.com; Hannes Hawaii Tours www.Hannes-Hawaii-Tours.de

From: Hammy Handwerker
slhcomm@hotmail.com