Posted: February 11, 2005

Triathlon: USAT Announces 2004 Elite Athletes of the Year

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb, 10, 2005) – Olympians Susan Williams and Hunter Kemper have been named USA Triathlon's elite triathletes of the year for 2004.

Williams (Denver, Colo.) became the first U.S. triathlete to win an Olympic medal when she took the bronze on Aug. 25 in Athens, Greece. She also finished on the podium in four other international races in 2004, including victories in Hong Kong and Honduras.

Kemper (Longwood, Fla.) had the best U.S. finish for the U.S. men at the Olympics when he placed ninth. He also had the fastest run of any of the men. He finished in the top three in five international races in 2004.

It is Williams' first Athlete of the Year Award. Kemper won it in 1999, 2000 and 2003.

In a repeat of 2003, Desiree Ficker (Potomac, Md.) and Greg Watson (Chadds Ford, Pa.) were named the elite duathletes of the year for 2004.

Ficker won Powerman Alabama and the ITU Duathlon World Cup race in Mason, Ohio. She finished fifth at the ITU World Cup Duathlon Finals in Italy.

Watson won the ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championships in Fredericia, Denmark, Powerman Alabama and the Dannon Duathlon in Arizona. He was second at the ITU Duathlon World Cup race in Mason, Ohio and the third U.S. finisher at the U.S. Duathlon National Championships.

He has won the Elite Duathlete of the Year Award every year since 2000.

Finally, Rebeccah Wassner and Greg Krause have been named the elite rookie triathletes of the year.

Wassner (New York, N.Y.) got her elite/pro card in February of 2004 and by June she had finished third at the ITU Continental Cup race in New York, N.Y. She also finished third at the Accenture Chicago Triathlon, fourth at Boulder (Colo.) Peak and ninth at her first elite/pro race at St. Anthony's in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Krause (Denver, Colo.) was the second U.S. finisher at the Xterra U.S. National Championships. He also finished sixth overall at the Memphis in May Triathlon and eighth overall at the Wildflower Triathlon.

USA Triathlon is the national governing body for triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. For more information on this and other stories related to USA Triathlon, please contact communications and media relations manager B.J. Evans at 719-597-9090, ext. 105 or at BJ@USATriathlon.org. USA Triathlon’s web site is www.usatriathlon.org.