The first Americans will earn spots on the 2008 Olympic team this weekend at the ITU World Cup in Beijing. So, who are the first two team members?
Men: Hunter Kemper, Andy Potts, Matty Reed, Doug Friman, Brian Fleischmann, Jarrod Shoemaker
Women: Laura Bennett, Sarah Haskins, Julie Swail-Ertel, Becky Lavelle, Sara McClarty, Sarah Groff
Men: Hunter Kemper, Andy Potts, Matty Reed,\
I would love to see these 3 guys make it, but with a coach with his eye on the gold. All 3 can make the lead group in the swim, and I would like to see some real bike tatics for the US put in place. Matt likes to solo off the frint of ITU peletons, and it works maybe 1 out of 4 times with no help. I would like to see agresive riding by someone on the team, while the others lay back and take advantage of others chasing. I would like to see counter attacking when caught, and a real team sacrafice to get one of them to a podium possibility. They can all run well, but are not the best runners in the race, so they need some advantage that the others do not have. They have to look at it like a team victory, not individual. IF they don’t, then I fear we will again be looking at maybe a top 10 for out best place. OF course this has to come from USAT and the coaching staff, and the financial incentives for the team to work together.
The women are a little more lopsided, but that can be better scenario for a team effort. Get you best runner, probably Laura, to the lead with no pulling on the bike on her part. We have some great swimmers that could sacrafice themselves on the bike for her, and she has shown that she can run with the best on given days. I would however, go for a small break for her, just to get a head start on Vanessa and Emma, those are very dangerous runners to have to start with…
Of course I’m just dreaming here, they will send all our team members there with no plan or incentive, and we will get a bunch of uninteresting places in the big games.
I’m rooting for Jarrod Shoemaker.
Both are tough to call.
Andy and Matt Reed have been having solid seasons while Hunter’s been injured a bit. Matty needs to stay with the leaders on the swim and maybe get into a break on the bike in order to stay ahead on the run. I’d bet on Andy to grab the first slot this weekend.
Sarah and Julie are having pretty decent years, but my $$ is on Laura for the women’s race. She’s been strong all season, and she seems to be peaking at the right times with a great race at Hyvee and another at worlds where she pretty much floated the run to save it for Beijing (didn’t completely shut it down, but watch the tape and see how fresh she was at the finish). Greg has been training her and her run is really becoming a weapon. Just a shame that AUS won’t give Greg the opportunity to qualify for the Olympics so they could go race together.
Can’t wait to see it though. Should be interesting.
Just a shame that AUS won’t give Greg the opportunity to qualify for the Olympics so they could go race together.
Huh, I hadn’t heard about that. What’s the story there?
From what I hear, its a completely political thing with the federation because Greg resides and trains in N. America now. It’s one of the reason’s Greg isn’t racing world cup races anymore, and had a helluva time even getting a slot into the Hyvee race. Basically sayiing that they’re grooming ‘up and comers’ and won’t give him a slot to race. Tough to qualify if you can’t get into the qualifying races…
It really sucks because not that he’s healthy he can run with the best in the sport…even though he says he’s an old man and can’t hack it anymore 
Great to see him kicking ass in all the non-drafting races though and making some $$…he has to catch up to Laura’s total for the year so everyone stops givin him shit
Such a shame. Great athlete with a real shot to do well at the Olympics and a helluva nice guy to boot.
Link to the start list?
Monty,
Why would any of the US athletes work together for a podium? I thought that the best placed American gets the 1st US slot, am i wrong? In that case, wouldnt the other American athletes be the last people with whom you would want to work?
Jay
Second the Shoemaker call. Go east coast!! Most fluid runner I’ve ever seen.
I think Monty is referring to how he hopes it would pan out in Beijing not at the trials.
Potts and Bennett
clm
.
Kemper and Haskins.
Aha! That makes more sense although i would have a hard time being one of the 3 to make it and then working to get someone else a medal. I understand that the chances for any US athlete to get a medal are slim but still, if im feeling good on the day, i would want to be able to give it a go. I guess im selfish that way, what would you do?
Monty’s talking about what he’d like to see at the Olympic race itself…
So Bennett didn’t earn a spot for the Hy-Vee win?
I’ll go with Kemper on the mens side - he looks like he is back at the top with his 30:14 run at Longmont, almost 2 min faster than anyone else, including Potts.
Bennett on the womans side.
Hy-Vee was not a qualifier this year. Beijing is the first one. Honolulu next year is the 2nd. Hy-Vee will be the event that is used to select the third based on a combination of finishes and a scoring system of some sort.
Word from one of the other US athletes is that even with the injuries earlier this year, Hunter is swimming really well and running really well.
I’d like to see Kemper, Potts, and Friman.
It’s kind of bike racing mentality meets triathlon. People have been talking about this since draft legal started but I’m not sure it’s been excuted like this successfully. I could see it working for Hunter if the other two worked for him. If he could get in a break with a few guys he can outrun and have his teammates try to control the field and off the bike Kemper runs a 30 min 10k things could look good for the US.
I got mixed up because i understood the Canadians could get a spot if they were top 5 there… I just thought it was an ITU thing, not a CDN thing, hence the confusion… Different rules for different countries… got it!