Posted: March 1, 2005

Triathlon: Oscar Galindez looks for second win at Mar del Plata

SANTOS, Brazil (01 March 2005) Current champion and course record holder Oscar Galindez (BRA/ARG) will defend his title this coming Sunday at the Half-ISS Triathlon (1.9 km S/90 km B/21.1 km R), in Mar del Plata, Argentina. He'll use the race to prepare for the Brasil Telecom Ironman in late May, his main objective for the Southern Hemisphere season, and for October's Ironman Triathlon World Championships, in Hawaii, the most important race of its kind.

After spending time training in Cordoba, Argentina, his native city, the 33-year-old professional triathlete is feeling lively and ready for the half-Ironman. "This is a good, hard challenge and the weather factor is decisive. It's very windy, a difficulty for everyone," explains Galindez, commenting that the race serves as training and specific benchmarking for bigger goals. "Every half-Ironman is important, because it challenges you to improve," says the professional triathlete sponsored by Reebok, Memorial, Oakley, Profile Design, Ironman Wetsuit, Litespeed-Ciclovece, Zipp and OG sportswear.

He's had two important races so far this year. In January, Galindez was third at Half-Ironman Pucon, where he twice previously won. This past Sunday, he was runner-up at the Santos International Triathlon, managing one of his best outings of the 12 times he's raced there, among them six wins, four second places and a fifth place.

Ironman Brazil is one of those bigger goals for Galindez, the 2003 champion and last year's runner-up. After that, the focus will be on his fourth outing at Ironman Hawaii, and he'll also include some, non-drafting, Olympic-distance racing to train the speed and power which he'll need throughout the season and at Hawaii. Galindez will be back soon in Santos to battle the first stage of the Trofeu Brasil (Brazilian Triathlon Cup), where he's already a five-time champion. Last year, Galindez did not participate in the Trofeu circuit, however he did race and win one stage with a two-minute lead comfortable enough to stop and kiss his wife, Lisa, and two children, Thomas and Sofia, en route to the finish line.

Galindez has been racing triathlon since 1983 and among other titles he's a two-time bronze medallist at the Pan Am Games, Pan-American and South American champion, and Sydney 2000 Olympian.