|
KITZBÜHEL – A strong team of top Canadian triathletes head to Austria this weekend for the 2007 Kitzbühel BG Triathlon World Cup on Sunday. The Canadian team is headed by recent Pan American Games silver and bronze medalists Brent McMahon and Lauren Groves, respectively. This world cup marks the first time the BG Triathlon World Cup series has stopped in the skiing-mecca of Austria.
There is only one other Canadian man on the start list, 2000 Olympic gold medalist Simon Whitfield. Whitfield will wear race-number one on Sunday and already has one world cup win under his belt this year, winning on home soil at the Vancouver BG Triathlon World Cup. After a few weeks off to enjoy the birth of his first child, Whitfield is back on track looking for yet another world cup win to add to his already impressive resume. Whitfield has the most world cup wins by any active man on the world cup circuit with eight.
In the women’s field, top ranked Canadian and reigning Junior World Champion Kirsten Sweetland leads the charge with one world cup gold, and silver, already this season. The rising 18 year old is currently ranked third in the world.
Canadians competing in the 2007 Kitzbühel BG Triathlon World Cup are:
Simon Whitfield (Victoria, BC) – 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist, 2002 Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist, 2004 Olympian, current world #5
Brent McMahon (Victoria, BC) – 2004 Olympian, 2007 Pan American Games silver medalist, current world #41
Kirsten Sweetland (Victoria, BC) – 2006 Junior World Champion, 2007 Richards Bay World Cup winner, current world #3
Lauren Groves (Vancouver, BC) – finished 2006 ranked #7 in the world, 2006 Canadian National Champion, highest ranked Canadian woman in 2006, 2007 Pan Am Games bronze medalist, current world #22
Carolyn Murray (Edmonton, AB) – finished 2006 as 3rd highest ranked Canadian woman,
Alicia Kaye (Smithers, BC)
Both Whitfield and Sweetland are considered pre-race favourites but with full start lists in both the men’s and women’s field, there a number of top contenders that can challenge for a medal.
In the men’s field, 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medalist and five-time world cup winner Brad Kahlefeldt of Australia, and winner of the 2006 Beijing world cup on the Olympic course, Frederic Belaubre of France are ones to watch.
On the women’s side, 2004 Athens Games gold medalist and local Austrian Kate Allen is set to try and give the home crowd something to cheer about. Also on the start line are past world cup winners, Joelle Franzmann and Christiane Pilz of Germany and number two ranked in the world Annabel Luxford of Australia.
Full race results and race report will be available immediately after the event (early Sunday in Canada)
For more information visit: Triathlon.org.
**Note that Kitzbühel is 6 hours ahead of Toronto.
Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest
| 
Know someone else who's interested in running and triathlon?