TRIATHLON: U.S. Athletes Set for Saturday’s ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships With 2011 winter triathlon national champion Emma Garrard leading the way, a group of 10 Americans is set to compete Saturday at the ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships in Jamijarvi, Finland.
Photo Courtesy: www.usatriathlon.org - Winter triathlon national champion Emma Garrard.
With 2011 winter triathlon national champion Emma Garrard leading the way, a group of 10 Americans is set to compete Saturday at the ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships in Jamijarvi, Finland.
Garrard (Park City, Utah) is one of four U.S. elites scheduled to race this weekend in the 6-kilometer run, 11.4-kilometer mountain bike and 10-kilometer cross-country ski event. She was the women’s elite winner at the Jan. 15 USA Triathlon Winter Triathlon National Championship in Midway, Utah, and has posted top-10 finishes at the past two ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships. Garrard finished fifth at last weekend’s Winter Triathlon European Championships in Ostersund, Sweden.
Najeeby Quinn (Anchorage, Alaska) will make her world championship debut after finishing fourth at nationals. She is the sister of 2010 winter triathlon world champion Rebecca Dussault (Gunnison, Colo.), who is not competing after recently having a child.
Veterans Brian Smith (Gunnison, Colo.) and Mike Kloser (Vail, Colo.) will represent the U.S. in the men’s elite race after finishing second and fourth, respectively, at nationals. Smith owns back-to-back 12th-place finishes at the world championship, while Kloser is competing in his fifth world championship with a top finish of 15th in 2009.
Kloser’s son, Christian Kloser (Vail, Colo.) will compete in the junior men’s event for the second straight year. He was eighth overall as an 18-year-old at winter nationals earlier this year.
Five U.S. age-groupers are also slated to chase world titles in Finland: Bill Billingsley (55-59, Sandy, Utah), Darcy Foley (30-34, Sturbridge, Mass.), Nicole Freedman (35-39, Boston, Mass.), Anna Milkowski (35-39, Andover, Mass.) and Bruce Rahmig (40-44, Denver, Colo.)
About USA Triathlon
Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon – one of the fastest growing sports in the world – as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. USA Triathlon sanctions 3,500 races and connects with more than 135,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches, and race directors on the grassroots level, USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including ITU World Championships, Pan American Games and the Summer Olympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the International Triathlon Union and the United States Olympic Committee.
