So today I was watching Xterra NZ. Seth Wealing finished 4th after taking a wrong turn/getting lost on the mountain bike. He got 3rd or something at last year’s World Champs. Anyway, he comes in 4th and gets interviewed over the finish line. When asked what happened to him on the bike, his reply is something along the lines of “Rotorua is such a beautiful place, I decided to take a detour to admire some of the scenery”…and this is said in a happy tone, without a trace of bitterness at all. He flew into NZ especially for this race and flies out tomorrow or something. If that’s not laid back and a cool attitude to take when things don’t go your way, then I don’t know what is!
Seth is one cool dude… Being based in Indiana, I had several chances to race against him as he is from around the Lafayette area… Never could beat him during a tri, but I did get him in a 10k back around 95’, of course he was only around 16 or 17 at the time… I still had to run a sub 35 to beat him… by ITU standards that’s almost walking. I’m sure he can run 31 or better now…
“Rotorua is such a beautiful place, I decided to take a detour to admire some of the scenery”…and this is said in a happy tone, without a trace of bitterness at all.
I think he would have had plenty of time during the remainder of the race to come to that state of mind. But good for him, being angry isn’t going to change the result and it was his mistake.
Rotorua really is spectacular!
So I understand, maybe one day…
I have had the pleasure of spending a fair bit of time with Seth at Interbike in Vegas (Sponsored by Blue Competition). He stuck me as a well balanced individual with a bright future beyond his Pro days.
Hahahaaa
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Rotorua really is spectacular! <<
True! And rumor has it that there will be an ironman-distance race there in either 2008 or 2009.
clm