Let the Games Begin!
SITTING PRETTY
Laura Bennett, 32, North Palm Beach, Florida; Boulder, Colorado
Four-time ITU world championship medalist; four-time ITU World Cup winner
ITU world ranking: 2005 (4), 2006 (4), 2007 (7)
Bennett was ranked No.3 in the world in 2004 but lost what seemed like a sure- thing Olympic slot to tougher biker Susan Williams on the brutally steep, Athenian-style Trials hills. Through her tears, Bennett was a beacon of sportsmanship and determination. With the guidance of husband-coach Greg Bennett of Australia, Bennett rose to the undisputed third-best woman triathlete in Olympic racing in 2007, just behind Hall of Famers Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal and Aussie Emma Snowsill. Last year, Bennett took the $200,000 first prize at Hy-Vee, a solid third at Worlds in Hamburg, Germany, and a bronze at Beijing to nail the Olympic slot. Great tactically, world’s fastest in transitions, and a finishing sprint that puts the fear of God into the likes of Snowsill and Fernandes, she is odds-on favorite for an Olympic medal.
STILL VYING FOR SLOTS
Sarah Haskins, 27, Colorado Springs, Colorado
2007 Toyota U.S. Open champion, two 2007 World Cup podiums, 2006 USAT elite national champion
ITU world ranking: 2005 (31), 2006 (16), 2007 (8)
The former high school swimmer and college cross-country runner at the University of Tulsa used to face a dilemma: “In swimming, I was smaller than all the big stars,” says Haskins, “and in running, everybody thought I was too big.” Good but not great in both disciplines, the 5-foot 7-inch, 130-pounder from St. Louis, Missouri, found greatness in triathlon, scoring the 2004 Under-23 national title, the 2006 USAT elite Nationals title and two World Cup podiums in 2007. Proving she can run with all but Fernandes and Snowsill in World Cups with reliable 35- and 36-minute 10kms, the hard-working Haskins elicited high praise from renowned biker Matt Reed: “She is one of the strongest women cyclists I’ve ever seen.” Haskins has the swim chops to leave the water with the breakaway bike pack and the strength to stay there. This could give her an edge over Julie Ertel, whose Olympic water polo silver left her strong but lacking breakaway speed in the water.
Recent form: Haskins slammed the field at the Miami International Olympic-distance race March 16 and her 1:58:12 time—two minutes faster than red-hot Pip Taylor of Australia and four minutes faster than Jasmine Oeinck –seems to indicate she is peaking perfectly for Tuscaloosa.
Odds: 5-2
Julie Ertel, 35, Irvine, California
2007 Pan Am gold medalist, 2007 USAT elite nationals champion, 2007 Cancun World Cup champion
ITU world ranking: 2005 (13), 2006 (29), 2007 (14)
This 2000 Olympic water polo silver medalist is following in the footsteps of two- and possibly three-sport Olympian Sheila Taormina as exemplars who have risen highest in triathlon as a second sport. As Julie Swail, she won the 2002 ITU amateur world championship. She has risen steadily, taking a World Cup silver at Corner Brook in 2005, and, newly married in 2007, Ertel won golds at the Pan Am Games, USAT elite Nationals and her first World Cup in Cancun. Following the template of college swimmer Laura Bennett, Ertel has carved her frame into a triathlete’s body and now boasts a reliable 36-flat 10km run—just a notch behind Haskins. Operating apart from the USAT resident team, Ertel has done it all while working and coaching.
Recent form: Ertel has been lying low and packing all her dynamite for Tuscaloosa. After five years of development from water polo medal winner to triathlete, Ertel has become a proven clutch performer with the capability of outrunning everyone in the field.
Odds: 3-1
Joanna Zeiger, 37, Boulder, Colorado
Fourth at 2000 Olympics, third at 2001 ITU Worlds, 1999 USAT elite national champion, second at 2005 Life Time Fitness
ITU world ranking: 2005 (32), 2007 (60)
It is a not inconsiderable miracle that the hard-working, high-mileage Ph.D. genetic epidemiologist can still ply her beloved sport at such a high level. From 2003 to 2005, Zeiger struggled mightily with back and leg problems that would have left a lesser samurai begging for a wheelchair and a permanent seat on the couch. With a brilliant fourth at the first Olympic triathlon (and she must have dreamt that she really earned a medal when 2000 Olympic gold medalist Brigitte McMahon was popped for EPO five years later), a bronze at the 2001 ITU world championship, a win at Chicago and second at 2005 Life Time Fitness, plus two Ironman wins, Zeiger still has one of the greatest motors in triathlon history—if she is healthy. Happily, Zeiger is firing on all cylinders and says her speed intervals (8x800 meters at 2:45 with 35 seconds rest) are better than her heyday in 2000. Watch out.
Recent form: A disappointing fifth behind Nina Kraft at Miami International March 16.
Odds: 15-1
Becky Lavelle, 33, Los Gatos, California
Second at 2002 Life Time Fitness, third at 2003 Pan Am Games, 2006 Wildflower champion
ITU world ranking: 2005 (19), 2006 (73), 2007 (63)
After her recovery from back and leg trouble in 2004, Lavelle has proved many times she is one of the best non-drafting triathletes on the planet. If—and only if—the small field at Tuscaloosa spreads out on the bike and draft packs can’t negate Lavelle’s bike strength, she can upset the field. While she seems to have a mental block on the run, Lavelle’s strong bike has proved she can win at places like St. Anthony’s and Wildflower and have enough left to come in with a mid-36-minute 10km run.
Recent Form: Took third against a small but elite field at Aflac Iron Girl Lake Las Vegas Triathlon, where she led early and finished ahead of Sam McGlone. High in inspiration, dedicating her Olympic quest to her twin sister, Jenny, a victim of postpartum psychosis last December.
Odds: 20-1
Sarah Groff, 26, Boulder, Colorado
Fifth at 2007 Edmonton World Cup, 2007 Geneva Pan Am Cup champion, second at 2007 Longmont Pan American Cup
ITU world ranking: 2007 (27)
Here are some reasons Groff has a chance. Number one: She is coached by Siri Lindley, Susan Williams’ 2004 miracle worker. Two: guts—she biked into a homeless woman crossing the road in Des Moines, picked herself up and finished despite a broken collarbone. The other reason: She ran in the top six at Edmonton World Cup, whipping Sara McLarty, Ertel and Zeiger, as well as New Zealand hot shot Debbie Tanner.
Recent form: Lying low until Tuscaloosa.
Odds: 24-1
Jasmine Oeinck, 22, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Second at 2007 ITU U-23 Worlds, 2006 Honolulu Triathlon champion
ITU world ranking: 2006 (73), 2007 (56)
Can the U-23 Worlds silver medalist follow in footsteps of new Aussie stars Emma Moffatt and Erin Densham? Forget the stats. All you need to know is the perpetually smiling and self-effacing gal from Littleton, Colorado, had the guts to make a solo bike breakaway in a driving rain at the Hamburg Under-23 world championship and held on to take the silver medal—the only medal ever won by an American women in the U-23 category. Then you need to know that other U-23 medallists like Densham, Moffatt and Fernandes have graduated to World Cup podiums. She’s a long shot with a puncher’s chance.
Recent form: Finished third at Miami International, four minutes behind winner Sarah Haskins - but ahead of Joanna Zeiger.
Odds: 33-1
Sara McLarty, 25, DeLand, Florida
2006 Aquathlon world champion, third at 2006 Escape From Alcatraz, sixth at 2007 Vancouver World Cup
ITU world ranking: 2006 (67), 2007 (35)
This former NCAA and Olympic Trials swimmer from Florida has put her heart and soul into triathlon. On behalf of her U.S. teammates, McLarty’s swim-bike strength led American women to gold and silver at the Pan Am Games, and she has provided bike power to several World Cup breakaways. When faced with a non-drafting strength course with a brutal bike and run, she scored a breakthrough third overall against an international-quality field at the 2006 Escape From Alcatraz. At the 2007 Edmonton World Cup, she scored a promising sixth overall and second American woman with an improving 38:25 10km run. If she follows in the path of former swimmers like Bennett and Ertel who pared down their swimmer’s bodies, McLarty will make a name for herself in triathlon.
Recent form: Coming in well rested. A year from now, she might contend for the win. But this time out, McLarty will be crucial to swimmer-biker break hopefuls like Lavelle and Zeiger.
Odds: 40-1
Mary Beth Ellis, 30, Thornton, Colorado
First at 2006 Kelowna Continental Cup, 20th at 2007 Richards Bay World Cup
ITU world ranking: 2007 (90)
This Northwestern grad seemed on her way to an elite marathon career with a 2:41 and third overall at the 2001 Philadelphia Marathon. But osteoarthritis in her hip led to an endless series of injuries and a switch from long-distance running to short-course triathlon in 2005. Placed first overall amateur and second overall including the pros at Boulder Peak in 2005. Can run long but not as fast at 10 kilometers as she needs to make the team.
Odds: 55-1
Amanda Stevens, 31, Colorado Springs, Colorado
16th overall, second American at 2007 Eilat World Cup, 2006 Memphis in May champion, second overall 2002 ITU age-group Worlds
ITU rank: 2007 (76)
Stevens was an NCAA All-American swimmer at Texas Christian University in 1994 and 1995.
Odds: 66-1
Margaret Shapiro, 31, Herndon, Virginia
2007 ITU Rincon Pan American Cup champion, five podium finishes at ITU Continental Cup races in first two years as elite, first overall at 2005 ITU age-group Worlds, 2006 Best of the U.S. National Amateur champion
ITU rank: 2007 (70)
An All-East cross country runner at Georgetown from 1994 to1998, Shapiro is a hard-working mother of two and helps run a running shoe store. She was a member of the 2007 USAT Elite Development Squad.
Odds: 70-1
Rebeccah Wassner, 32, New York City
2007 Isla Margarita Pan American Cup champion; won Philadelphia Triathlon, ninth at 2006 Edmonton World Cup, third at NYC Triathlon in 2004, 2006, 2007; third at 2004 Chicago Triathlon; 2004 USAT elite rookie of the year
ITU rank: 2006 (61)
Wassner is of an elite triathlon subset—elite triathletes who live and train in New York City.
Odds: 80-1
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