Posted: October 8, 2005

Triathlon: U.S. Age Groupers Dominate ITU World Championships

HONOLULU, Hawaii (Oct. 9, 2005) - There was power in numbers on Sunday at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) JAL Age Group Triathlon World Championships, as the United States took 47 age group medals and another 13 from its physically challenged team.

An extra-large U.S. team of more than 600 hauled in 24 gold medals, 18 silver and 18 bronze.

Team USA also did well in the overall standings, although Diogo Sclebin C. Martins of Brazil won the men's overall title, just 11 seconds ahead of Marc Bonnet Eymard (Winter Garden, Fla.) in second. Jim Vance (San Diego, Calif.) was third. Bonnet Eymard won the men's 30-34 age group and Vance won the 25-29 group.

Vance said doing the JAL Honolulu Triathlon in April, when he also won his age group, helped his race.

"In April, I cramped up on the run," he said. "This time I backed off a little on the bike and made sure I hydrated so that didn't happen."

Margaret Shapiro (Annandale, Va.) was the women's overall winner followed by U.S. teammate Justine Whipple (Annapolis, Md.) and Australia's Alison Coyle.

Shapiro appreciated racing in Honolulu.

"It's so beautiful here," she said, adding that the bike and run were the best parts of her race.

U.S. athletes swept the medals in several age groups: women 50-54, men 60-64, women 65-69, women 70-74, and men 75-79. It also had the only two finishers in the women's 75-79 age group - Madonna Buder (Spokane, Wash.) and Peggy Gudbrandsen (Lake Forest, Ill.) - and the sole finishers in the men's 80-84 and 85-89 age groups - Bill Schweizer (Owego, N.Y.) and Charles Futrell (The Villages, Fla.).

Wheelchair athlete Akian Aleong (Mission Viejo, Calif.) was the top U.S. finisher in the AWAD (Athletes with a Disability) division, placing first in his group in 2 hours, 18 minutes, 11 seconds.

A rough ocean swim challenged some competitors, although Aleong didn't have problems.

"The ocean was just beautiful," he said. "It was crystal clear."

History was made in the AWAD division as blind triathlete Nancy Stevens (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) and her guide Nancy Reinisch became the first all-woman team to compete at the world championships.

"The whole thing was awesome," said Stevens, who admitted she got tired on the run.

"The ocean took it out of us on the swim," Reinisch said.

Athletes completed the intermediate distance: 1.5k swim; 40k bike and 10k run around Honolulu's Kapiolani Park. Temperatures started the day in the mid 70s with a cloud cover. But later in the morning, the sun and 80-degree heat took its toll on some athletes. Medical staff from all countries pitched in to help those who were injured or overheated.

One athlete who didn't need their help was Patricia Buchanan (Langley, Wash.) is undergoing a chemotherapy regimen for breast cancer, but finished the race in the women's 55-59 age group with energy to spare.

"It was the best race I've ever had," she said. "I stopped to smell the flowers."

Complete results are available from Triathlon.org.

2005 ITU JAL Age Group Triathlon World Championships - Oct. 9, 2005; Honolulu, Hawaii (1.5k swim; 40k bike; 10k run)

U.S medalists

Men 18-19 2. Kalen Darling (Honolulu, Hawaii) 2:06:37 3. Eric Losak (San Clemente, Calif.) 2:08:26 Women 20-24 1. Justine Whipple (Annapolis, Md.) 2:10:11 Men 20-24 2. Andrew Starykowicz (Long Grove, Ill.) 1:58:18 3. Eric Limkemann (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 1:58:27 Women 25-29 1. Margaret Shapiro (Annandale, Va.) 2:07:10 3. Jessica Jones (Bellaire, Texas) 3 2:11:35 Men 25-29 1. Jim Vance (San Diego, Calif.) 1:56:13 Women 30-34 1. Wendy Mader (Fort Collins, Colo.) 2:12:42 2. Caroline Walden (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) USA 2:15:09 Men 30-34 1. Marc Bonnet Eymard (Winter Garden, Fla.) 1:55:48 Women 35-39 1. Julianna Batizy Morley (Centennial, Colo.) 2:12:57 Men 35-39 2. William Reeves (Durham, N.H.) 1:59:39 3. Mark Wachendorf (McHenry, Ill.) 1:59:49 Women 40-44 1. Linda Robb (Juno Beach, Fla.) 2:12:36 2. Holly Nybo (Portola Valley, Calif.) 2:13:10 Men 40-44 1. Peter Kain (Cupertino, Calif.) 2:01:13 Women 45-49 2. Donna Smyers (Adamant, Vt.) 2:19:56 3. Elizabeth Bulman (San Diego, Calif.) 2:19:56 Men 45-49 3. Michael Meteyer (Madison, Wis.) 2:03:41 Women 50-54 1. Laurie Samuelson (North Palm Beach, Fla.) 2:25:58 2. Jo Garuccio (Sandy, Utah) 2:30:00 3. Vickie Alexander (San Diego, Calif.) 2:30:53 Men 50-54 2. Jim Bruskewitz (Madison, Wis.) 2:07:20 3. Johnny Davis (Boulder, Colo.) 2:07:23 Women 55-59 1. Sandi Wiebe (Vancouver, Wash.) 2:31:58 Women 60-64 1. Ann Erickson (The Woodlands, Texas) 2:36:11 2. Paula Larsen (Horicon, Wis.) 2:39:07 Men 60 - 64 1. David Roadhouse (Wilmette, Ill.) 2:19:58 2. Robert Plant (Woodside, Calif.) 2:24:29 3. Tom Dutton (Livonia, N.Y.) 2:24:52

Women 65-69 1. Jan Miller (Tucson, Ariz.) 2:46:34 2. Susan Bradley Cox (Lexington, Ky.) 2:54:02 3. Carol Deman (Omaha, Neb.) 2:54:59 Men 65-69 3. Don Ardell (Saint Petersburg, Fla.) 2:31:12 Women 70-74 1. Pat Fossum (Montgomery, Ala.) 3:22:44 2. Diane Stuart (West Hartford, Conn.) 3:32:33 3. Eleanor Kitagawa (Honolulu, Hawaii) 3:41:37 Men 70-74 2. Roger Brockenbrough (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 2:48:02 3. Wayne McSheehy (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.) 2:48:10 Women 75-79 1. Madonna Buder (Spokane, Wash.) 3:12:58 2. Peggy Gudbrandsen (Lake Forest, Ill.) 4:55:30 Men 75-79 1. Dick Robinson (Bonita, Calif.) 3:06:36 2. Ken Nash (San Jose, Calif.) 3:12:52 3. Winston Allen (Saint Augustine, Fla.) 3:14:58 Men 80-84 1. Bill Schweizer (Owego, N.Y.) 3:55:24 Men 85-89 1. Charles Futrell (The Villages, Fla.) 5:08:02 Athletes with a Disability Male Below Knee Amputee 1. Paul Martin (Broomfield, Colo.) 2:21:31 2. Jeffery Glassbrenner (Little Rock, Ark.) 2:42:27 3. Matt Henderson (San Clemente, Calif.) 3:06:51 Female Below Knee Amputee 1. Amy Winters (Meadville, Pa.) 2:59:37 2. Kelly Bruno (Durham, N.C.) 3:20:46 Male Above Knee Amputee 1. David McGranahan (Sylvania, Ohio) 3:09:55 3. Matt Perkins (Boise, Idaho) 3:24:56 Male Wheelchair/Handcycle 1. Akian Aleong (Mission Viejo, Calif.) 2:18:11 3. Carlos Moleda (Virginia Beach, Va.) 2:35:28 Male Les Autres (other) 3. Ryan Levinson (San Diego, Calif.) 2:44:57 Female Visually Impaired 1. Nancy Stevens (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) 3:19:15 Male Below Elbow 1. Tommy Knapp (Laguna Beach, Calif.) 2:32:39 2. Jon Beeson (Santa Barbara, Calif.) 2:52:05