Posted: May 28, 2005

Duathlon: Watson Looks to Defend World Title

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 27, 2005) – Defending world champion Greg Watson will lead a U.S. team of 10 elites and 74 age groupers in Barcis, Italy for the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Long Distance Duathlon World Championships on Sunday.

Athletes will have to complete a run of 16.5K (three laps of 5.5K), an 80K bike (two laps of 40K) and an 11K run (two laps of 5.5K).

Watson (Chadds Ford, Pa.) won the men's elite race last year, but he will have plenty of competition from a field 51, including the other U.S. elites: LeRoy Popowski (Albuquerque, N.M.), Tim Luchinske (Lafayette, Colo.), Tom Jeffrey (Richmond, Va.) and Greg Krause (Denver, Colo.).

International duathletes to watch for include former world champion Benny Vansteelant of Belgium and his teammate Nico Huyberechts, who finished second in 2004. Sergio Rodriguez of Spain, who finished third in 2004, is also on the start list.

The U.S. women's elite team will consist of Andrea Ratkovic (Norman, Okla.), Cecily Tynan-Watson (Chadds Ford, Pa.), Kathy Kasischke (San Diego, Calif.), Anissa Seguin (Valencia, Calif.) and Marjan Huizing (Montgomery Village, Md.). Seguin finished sixth in the 2004 race.

The women's elite field of 29 will include all three 2004 medalists: Germany's Ulrike Schwalbe, Netherlands' Yvonne Van Vlerken and Hungary's Erika Csomor. Also watch for Britain's Annie Emmerson.

In the age group ranks, Nina Wurzburger (Athens, Ga.), who won the women's 25-29 age group in 2004, will compete in the 30-34 age group this year, where she will face U.S. teammate Renne Richards (Oshkosh, Wis.), who won the 30-34 age group in 2004.

For more information, go to www.usatriathlon.com, www.triathlon.org or www.valcellinatriathlon.com.