OLYMPIC SPORT PREVIEW: GOLD IN SIGHTS OF IRON MEN, WOMEN TRIATHLON MAKES OLYMPIC DEBUT.Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer When Julie Moss Julie Moss is an American triathlete. Her claim to fame came during the 1982 Hawaii Ironman Triathlon, in which she competed as part of her research for her exercise physiology thesis. At approximately two miles before the finish line, she became severely dehydrated. captivated cap·ti·vate tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. a 1982 ``Wide World of Sports'' audience by literally crawling across the finish line, America discovered triathlon. Once considered an offbeat off·beat n. Music An unaccented beat in a measure. adj. Slang Not conforming to an ordinary type or pattern; unconventional: offbeat humor. training exercise for runners, the sport that requires the ability to swim This article is about swimming in animals. For human swimming, see Swimming. Swimming is the ability to move through water's surface while partially or totally submerged in it. , bike and run became a American phenomenon in the `80s. Two decades later, triathlon makes its Olympic debut in Sydney. Triathlon participation in the U.S. skyrocketed in the `80s and USA Triathlon USA Triathlon is the national governing body for the multi-sport disciplines of triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. USA Triathlon is a member federation of the U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Triathlon Union. has 21,000 members, 27 percent of whom are women. That's up from 11 percent nine years ago. And in what is believed to be a first in the Olympics, a woman, Michelle Blessing, will coach the American men and women at Sydney. There is no record of a female coaching men and women in any Olympic event. Although the Olympic competition isn't as intense as the Iron Man series that began the triathlon boom, swimming 1.5 kilometers, biking 40 kilometers and running 10 kilometers is still a major test of endurance. And the shorter distances should prove to be quite a test of brains as well as brawn brawn n. 1. Solid and well-developed muscles, especially of the arms and legs. 2. Muscular strength and power. 3. Chiefly British The meat of a boar. 4. Headcheese. . ``It's all fast. It's like starting a marathon,'' said Jennifer Gutierrez Jennifer Gutierrez (born April 27, 1967) is a triathlete from the United States. She is the cousin of Nelson Cruz. Gutierrez competed at the first Olympic triathlon at the 2000 Summer Olympics. She took thirteenth place with a total time of 2:03:38.48. , a Pepperdine graduate and one of the top women's competitors on the U.S. team. ``The beginning to the end is fast.'' For Gutierrez, getting a good start in the swim portion is paramount to a successful race. ``It's so important to be out of the water first,'' said Gutierrez, a distance swimmer at Pepperdine. ``There's a huge focus on swimming, but they're all pretty equal.'' The strategic portion of the race is when the participants get on the bicycles for the 40-kilometer sprint (24.8 miles). Drafting is a legal technique in Olympic competition, unlike in amateur races. Much as in auto racing, slower riders can draft behind a faster bike to increase their speed. Using the bike directly ahead also saves energy when pedaling at full speed. Finally, the cyclists will dismount and take off their helmets, change into their running shoes and begin the final leg - the 6.2-mile run. ``You have to be strong in each (event) to be successful,'' Gutierrez said. While triathlon took off because of the Iron Man events in Hawaii, Australia is a logical choice to host the first Olympic competition, given the sport's popularity Down Under. Australia led the way with four women's medals at the 1998 Goodwill Games The Goodwill Games were an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. The 1979 invasion of Afghanistan caused the USA and other Western countries to boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in . The Sydney course figures to be one of the more scenic of all the Olympic events. The competitors will swim through Sydney Harbour, exiting the water in front of the famous Sydney Opera House Sydney Opera House Performing-arts centre on the harbour in Sydney, Australia. Its dynamic, imaginative design by Danish architect Jørn Utzon (b. 1918) won a competition in 1957 and brought Utzon international fame. . TRIATHLON Competition Dates: Sept. 16 (women); Sept. 17 (men). Events: Course includes a 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike ride and a 10-kilometer run. History: Triathlon is making its Olympic debut. Favorites: Australia has been dominant in men's and women's events leading to the Games. Women who figure to contend for medals include Michelle Jones, Emma Carney, Jackie Gallagher Jackie Gallagher can refer to:
Hackett competed at the first Olympic triathlon at the 2000 Summer Olympics. . The top Australian men are Greg Bennett, Peter Robertson and Chris Hill. How U.S. will fare: Former Pepperdine swimmer Jennifer Gutierrez was the first American woman to gain an Olympic spot and was seventh in the recent Sydney World Cup on the same course as the Olympic event. The biggest American surprise is former swimmer Sheila Taormina, a 1996 Olympic gold medalist in the 200-meter freestyle relay. Taormina won the U.S. Olympic Trials despite being ranked 57th in the world. Hunter Kemper is the top American men's hopeful after finishing seventh in the 2000 world championships. Did you know: An event in the 1904 Olympic Games was known as triathlon. Competitors participated in the long jump, shot put and 100-yard dash. CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: Jennifer Gutierrez, from Pepperdine, waves to the crowd as she crosses the finish line at the USA Olympic Triathlon team trials May 27 in Texas. Bill Janscha/Associated Press Box: TRIATHLON (See text) |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion