Jasper Blake is Canada’s only elite representative at the Long Distance World Championships Sunday in Canberra, Australia
It’s the first ever ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championship in Australia; it’s the first ever World Championships in Canberra, of any kind in any sport, and it’s just days away, set for Sunday November 19th.
Already the galaxy of international competitors taking on the 2006 ITU Canberra LD Triathlon World Championship have begun arriving in the Australian capital, spearheaded by ‘super’ Swede and an early race favourite, Jonas Colting, now completing his final training in Canberra and about to be joined by an ever increasing band of the world’s fittest athletes. Colting will be looking for his first gold medal in this prestigious event – he won silver in 2004 and bronze in 2001.
There are 600 plus athletes on the way to join him from 27 countries, and there’s team Canada, comprising of 48 competitors, including Canada’s one elite racer Jasper Blake. The 32-year-old from Victoria won his first Ironman Championship in his home country in August after finishing second at Ironman Canada in 2002 and fourth in 2000 and 2004. Blake thinks this race will be similar to an Ironman. “I like the shorter distance races; they pose a different challenge as you can flirt with a bit more speed. The reality is that the pace won’t be much different than an Ironman, it is still a 6 hour event but I think there is an opportunity to run fast and I think a fast run will win it if you’re in the right position.”
Blake has competed in all sorts of races, at different distances this year – including the Winter Triathlon Championships in Sjusjoen, Norway (Blake finished 24th). However, this is the one he wants. “My goal for this race is to get on the podium. I’ve always wanted to contend at a World Championship event and this seems like a good stepping stone for Hawaii."
Peter Reid is the only Canadian to stand on the podium at the LD World Championships. Reid won a bronze medal in 1995 – the first ever LD world championships took place in 1994.
However, Blake says the reason for so few podiums from our athletes is that Canadians have never put an emphasis on this race. “For me it is a chance at a World Championship so I hope to change our current history.”
The Australian team will have 230 athletes competing in yet another huge event in Australia in 2006 – the Aussies also hosted the Commonwealth Games in March with Brad Kahlefeldt (AUS) and Emma Snowsill (AUS) winning gold medals – the first gold medals for the Australians ever in triathlon at the Commonwealth games.
Ahead for athletes entered in the LD Triathlon World Championship lies a challenging course, comprising the 4km Swim, the 120km Ride and the 30km run. The distance is known in triathlon as the O3 race distance, or three times the Olympic distance that saw Triathlon debut as an Olympic sport in 2000 in Sydney. Six years later, Australia once again celebrates the running of a major race – the last major championship in ’06.
Ironically the new world champions on Sunday will stand atop those very same podiums from Sydney, as they are now resident in Canberra.
Source: Triathlon Canada, the National Federation for the Sport of Triathlon and Duathlon in Canada.
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