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Colorado Springs, Colorado (July 28, 2006) - The United States is sending 146 athletes to compete in the 2006 International Triathlon Union Duathlon World Championships on Sunday in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada.
Among the athletes taking on the 10k run, 40k bike, 5k run course are 124 age groupers (78 men, 46 women), three female elites, five male elites, six female juniors, and seven male juniors.
U.S. age groupers – looking to improve on last year’s haul of 11 total medals – have a strong contingent competing. Set to defend her title in the female 70-74 group is Pat Fossum (Montgomery, Ala.). Though Fossum is the only returning gold medalist from 2005, several silver medalists are back, including female 30-34 age group competitor Suzanne Huelster (Riverton, N.J.), who was the top U.S. finisher last year and finished 5th overall. Barb Morgan (Tioga, Pa.) (female 60-64), Steven Pyle (Riverside, Conn.) (male 45-49), and Edwin Bixenstine (Kent, Ohio) (male 75-79) each grabbed silvers in their respective age groups in 2005. Bixenstine will compete in the 80-84 age group this year.
Also competing are 2006 Female Age Group National Champion Kiera Karas (Columbus, Ohio) (30-34), 2005 Long Course World Champion Anne Mitchell (Bala Cynwyd, Pa.) (50-54), and 2006 Long Course World Champion Sharon Roggenbuck (Hillsborough, N.C.) (65-69).
On the elite side, Kathy Kasischke (San Diego, Calif.) finished second at the 2006 Elite Nationals in Mason, Ohio this summer, while Christine Knight (Louisville, Colo.) makes the move from the age group competition, where she won a bronze in the 35-39 category at last year’s worlds.
For the men, 2006 Elite National Champion Tom Jeffrey (Richmond, Va.) will look to grab a world title, after finishing 10th at the Long Course Worlds earlier this summer, while national runner-up Kevin Danahy (Rehoboth, Del.) is also on the start list.
The World Championships also feature a junior elite race, where several young Americans are looking to make their marks. The last two female national champions are in the race: 2006 winner Caki Buckthal (W. Amarillo, Texas) and 2005 champ Yasmine White (Arcata, Calif.). White was the USAT 2005 Junior Female Duathlete of the Year. On the junior boys side, the 2006 Junior Elite National Champion Adam Alter (W. Lafayette, Ind.) will join with Steven Duplinsky (Bethesda, Md.), the 2005 ITU Triathlon World Champion, and Aaron Bachman (Saline, Mich.). Both Duplinsky and Bachman are members of the USAT Junior Triathlon squad.
Complete event details can be found at TriTourWorld.com
USA Triathlon is the national governing body for triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. USAT sanctions 1,800 races and connects with more than 60,000 members each year, making it the largest multi-sport organization in the world.
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