any idea on how to watch the Pan Ams?

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Eric Reid AeroFit | Instagram Portfolio
Aerodynamic Retul Bike Fitting

“You are experiencing the criminal coverup of a foreign backed fascist hostile takeover of a mafia shakedown of an authoritarian religious slow motion coup. Persuade people to vote for Democracy.”

I have been trying to find a feed and have been completely flummoxed, notwithstanding I was assured by the CBC that there was going to be a feed. Grr.

US team tactics really came back to bite them - Haskins was in the lead swim pack with Duffy and Oliveira, those three could have really done some damage on the bike but Haskins waited in transition for the main pack of swimmers which had Chelsea Burns in it but not Erin Jones. Haskins then pulled everyone back together.

Would have been interesting to see what would have happened with Haskins having a go with the other two on the bike.

Not a great course for spectating, basically had everybody fenced away so kind of too bad for the athletes to only see spectators at the transition area.

link to live feed?

It's over, I was at the race venue.

Exactly. I'm not a big fan of this. It was not like the USA did bring an incredible runner like Summer Cook.
For sure, it's not normal that Haskins can be that dominant on the bike.
To me, it was like a test to see if Haskins could be the perfect domestique for Gwen Jorgensen.

They just hijack the race. Duffy should have won it.

Team tactics would have been Sarah sitting in or Sarah having a go and then other girls sitting in. Like UK men at euros

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Eric Reid AeroFit | Instagram Portfolio
Aerodynamic Retul Bike Fitting

“You are experiencing the criminal coverup of a foreign backed fascist hostile takeover of a mafia shakedown of an authoritarian religious slow motion coup. Persuade people to vote for Democracy.”

I know, but to get the help of a domestique, you need to deserve it.

I'll tell you what would have happened, we would have gotten a podium, maybe even the win. Now that might have not been important to get a win, and just some practice for a super domestic.

Another perhaps pivotal moment in the race was when the front pack of 5 left the water after the first 1000m loop - the woman in 4th slowed to empty the water from her goggles and a small gap opened up and she the the 5th place woman, Rivas of Mex I think, got dropped - Rivas may have been able to add a little to the front pack - she looked injured on the run.

I was shocked to see Haskins giving up 1.5 mins in T1 - regardless, if her role was to ensure her 2 team mates made the front pack for T2, then she should have ensured Jones was in the main pack before driving the pace.

Extending that tactical logic, Haskins should have gone back and dragged Jones to the main pack.

I was cheering on Duffy to get that final podium spot after all her hard work - glad she got the bronze - it would have been a different race if Haskins and Duffy had worked together and stayed out front, Duffy may have got the gold.

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Advocating for research & treatment for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
http://www.meaction.net/about/what-is-me/

"Suck it up, Buttercup"
(me, to myself, every day)

Would have been interesting! I assume she can out run Pam O, probably Flora as well? I guess it doesn't really matter since the U.S. should be a lock for 3 women.

Is there any way we send a domestique? Someone like Haskins would need more points to even get into the Olympics, right?

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

The spots belong to the country not any individual. I don't know if you have to have any points but even if you do I am sure Haskins could get the minimal amount to qualify.

I'm sure she could get the minimum required to get in, but I wonder how much time/ effort that would take.

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

I believe Haskins is focused on racing an ironman this fall too, so it is interesting that USAT is still using her as a domestique.

If the US is in the same position next year with 3 athletes in the top 5 of the ITU rankings with all being fit and healthy, I wouldn't want to be the one delivering the message to possibly either Katie or Sarah (established Olympic athlete with a 4th place finish) that one of them isnt going to Rio. I get that the focus will be on gold, but I don't think it should necessarily be at the expense of leaving a possible medal contender at home. If there were two athletes in the top 5 and the third as a middle of the packer at best, then I wouldn't be as fussed about it.

Just my $0.02.

Minimum eligibility is top 140 on the ITU points list. However, a win at a Continental Championship(PanAms) secures eligibility.

Furthermore, USAT has outlined their criteria such that 2 spots can be won by the best 2 athletes in the top 8 in the Rio Test Event, and the last spot won at a TBD race in 2016.
Thus, USAT doesn't appear to have left themselves the opportunity to send a domestique if all 2 spots are to be filled based on specific race results. I don't see any of the top women wanting to win their way to the olympics for the sole purpose of being a domestique. I'm not saying working as a team is out of the question though.

We are still far enough away that all plans should be considered. I think the "interesting" scenario is if GJ flats at Rio, US has 2 women top 8 so GJ is down to the last slot. I think that is why they have left it ambiguous, just in case something strange happens. Something tells me if GJ doesn't qualify in Rio the final slot criteria will be "does your name rhyme with Hen Horgenson?"

The European Triathlon championships were held in Geneva on Saturday. The women's race was won in imposing fashion by Nicola Spirig, good to see Lucy Hall getting her best ever result with 5th.

In the men's, Javier Gomez had a relatively poor swim but then flatted almost immediately and was never able to catch the front pack. He DNF-ed.

The race was won by David Hauss of France with Reiderer second. There has been a bit of comment here about Richard Varga training with the Brownlees. He came fourth in Geneva, with the fifth fastest run, which is possibly his career best result. It seems he is is beginning to reap the benefits of chasing them across the Yorkshire Dales

Great interview with Sutto, oddly he points out that Lukas is the only hope for a US men's medal in Rio... He's done it on the women's side with snowsil and Spirig both gold but it'll be interesting to see what he can produce with the interesting case of Lukas in Rio.

http://www.pontoontri.com/...15/7/13/brett-sutton

Sutton PR as usual.

First, I would be surprised to see Lukas at Rio.
I can add, I would be surprised to see him in a WTS this season.

So best hope for a medal in Rio, give me a break!

Lukas is no more a dominant runner.

Kevin McDowell may think differently.

I'd say he's the only slim hope.

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Advocating for research & treatment for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
http://www.meaction.net/about/what-is-me/

"Suck it up, Buttercup"
(me, to myself, every day)

Seriously, the US womens team will be so hard to get on, I bet this is actual the reason for the vague third spot qualification. Ignoring Gwen's obvious talent, she is also the US's most well known triathlete, it will be hard not to have her on the team. Also, to repeat the US womens team is going to be crazy hard to get a spot.

how is LV supposed to make the US team for rio when he has raced once in over a year, isn't in the top 140, doesn't have the support of USAT anymore to get him into WTS races and, even if he did, is at best a C level athlete at this point?

with spirig booking her ticket to rio, is there a running list of all athletes who have qualified for rio so far?

Technically no single athlete books his or her own ticket to Rio. They earn spots for their federation through winning continental champs, top 3 at Rio test event, and then rankings. Theoretically, the Swiss NF could decide to give the slot from Euro Games to another Swiss female athlete in ITU top 140 (not sure if there are any). Some countries have already made selections on individual athletes (Hewitt from NZL comes to mind), but very few slots have actually been allocated to any countries yet. In my example, NZL can forecast and know they'll at least have one slot, probably 2-3, so they can have Hewitt know she's got it, but if somehow all NZL females just plummeted in the rankings (which I'm not sure is mathematically possible), she wouldn't actually get to go.

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IG: idking90

While this synopsis is technically accurate, aside from injury or illness, is there any real scenario where Switzerland doesn't send the defending Gold Medallist back to Rio? There isn't another swiss gal in the WTS top 20.

No Spirig was officially selected by the Swiss Olympic Comity about 2 weeks ago (I read it in the newspaper) as the very first Swiss athlete (in any sport). Yeah she is kind of a big deal over here.

So now she is free to do Kona this year and won't have any obligations till Rio.
I think her plan to do Kona this year (aiming for a top 3) and the Rio and Kona double next year is still rumours (Sutton hinted at it a few times and I heard it from other Swiss team athletes) and will depend on her negotiations with WTC for a wildcard (she is 60th in the KPR with 2400 points at the moment). But they would be quite stupid not to give it to her in my eyes (especially in 2016 if she defends her titel) and we all know that there is room on the pier for one more bike...