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Photo: Triathlon Canada
Triathlon Canada announced today that Simon Whitfield, Paul Tichelaar, Lauren Groves, Kathy Tremblay and Samantha McGlone will represent Canada at the 2006 Elite World Championships.
Triathlon Canada’s elite team heading to the World Championships in Lausanne is smaller than in previous years due in large part to more difficult qualifying criteria. The criteria was straight forward – finish in the top-8 in one of the 3 designated qualifying races (Mazatlan, Edmonton or Corner Brook) or a top-16 finish at last year’s World Championships.
Whitfield and McGlone earned their spots based on top-16 performances at last year’s World Championships (Whitfield 6th, McGlone 9th). Groves, Tremblay and Tichelaar qualified through this season’s 3 designated World Cup events - Groves 6th in Mazatlan, Tremblay 3rd in Mazatlan & Tichelaar 7th in Edmonton.
Triathlon Canada’s High Performance Director, Tom Patrick, says we will have our most competitive team at the World Championships in some time. “It’s a definite possibility that all 5 of these elite athletes could finish in the top-16.
Triathlon Canada’s Executive Director, Alan Trivett, says this group has the makings of a very strong team, “Our standards were more difficult this year than in years past and because of it we have fewer individuals going to Lausanne. “I think any of the five athletes has a good chance at finishing in the top-16, and a podium performance is a realistic goal.”
The last time a Canadian finished in the top-3 in a World Championship was back in 2000 when Carol Montgomery won the silver medal. As for the men, in the 17-year history, no Canadian male has ever finished on the podium.
This fivesome has had some outstanding results in the first half of the 2006 season. All 5 individuals have finished in the top-8 in at least one World Cup race this season, with 4 of the 5 finishing in the top-4.
Simon Whitfield, second last week at the Corner Brook World Cup, is firing on all cylinders at the right time of the year. Whitfield won a gold medal at the inaugural Sydney Olympics in 2000; he also struck gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. The one Major title to elude Simon is the World Championships – Whitfield was 6th last year in Gamagori, Japan. On July 2nd in Brampton, Whitfield, from Victoria, won his 6th Olympic Distance National Championship – unprecedented in Canadian triathlon history.
Patrick was asked of the 20 athletes (juniors, U23s and elites) going to Lausanne who has the best shot at a gold medal. “Simon is the most experienced triathlete in this country, he’s coming off a great performance in Corner Brook and without a doubt I think he can win his first World Championship in Switzerland.”
Edmonton’s Paul Tichelaar is having a breakout season with 3 outstanding results so far in 2006. Tichelaar was 8th in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, 1st at the Pan American Championships in Brazil and 7th at the Edmonton World Cup. Tichelaar competed in the World Championships last year as an U-23 finishing in 16th place; this will be Paul’s first World Championship as an elite racer.
Lauren Groves, from Vancouver, leads the way for the Canadian Women’s team. Lauren has finished in the top 8 in all 5 World Cup races this season – 4th in Richard’s Bay, 5th in Ishigaki, 6th in Mazatlan, and 7th twice - in Edmonton and Corner Brook. Groves also won her first ever National Championship in early July. Lauren, currently third in the World Cup Rankings, is the highest ranked Canadian for either men or women. Groves, who has been incredibly consistent in 2006, will enter the World Championships looking for her first podium performance in a major event.
Not to be outdone is Montreal native Kathy Tremblay. The turning point for Kathy was in early May at the Mazatlan World Cup when she shocked the field and garnered her first ever podium while finishing third – the best world cup result by a Canadian female in 2006. From there, Kathy went on to win the Pan American Championships in Brasilia and she finished second, to Lauren Groves, in the National Championship in Brampton.
Tremblay was the best Canadian performer at the 2005 World Championships when she was 5th in the U-23 category; this experience should give her confidence in Lausanne.
And finally Samantha McGlone, like Simon Whitfield, is getting hot at the right time. McGlone finished 4th last weekend in Corner Brook – her best World Cup result in more than 2 years. McGlone, the 2005 National Champion, had a disappointing finish at the National Championships this year as she crossed the line in 8th place. McGlone, from Otterburn Park, Quebec, is no stranger to major international competition as she was a member of the Olympic team in 2004.
According to Patrick, the Canadian women will be in tough in Lausanne. “Vanessa Fernandes and Emma Snowsill have dominated every race they have entered for the past 18 months. These two will battle for the gold medal and the rest of the field will fight for the bronze.”
Kyle Jones, of Oakville, also met the qualifying standards for the elites – he finished 7th last weekend in Corner Brook, however, Jones will race in Lausanne in the U-23 Category.
Patrick said it was an easy decision to put Kyle in the U23s. “Our philosophy is simple – you master each step along the way. You don’t want to jump a level ahead and possibly miss a key learning point.”
With 3 major races on the horizon in Lausanne, Patrick summarized things in a positive manner. “I believe we have the ability to win the juniors with Kirsten Sweetland, win the Under 23s with Kyle Jones and the win the elites with Simon Whitfield.”
The Junior and U-23 selections will be announced later.
Men’s Elite Team
Simon Whitfield
Paul Tichelaar
Women’s Elite Team
Lauren Groves
Kathy Tremblay
Samantha McGlone
Source: Triathlon Canada
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