[ TRIATHLON ]
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Laura Reback and fiancé Greg Bennett are two of the favorites in tomorrow's Honolulu Triathlon.
Triathletes sticking
together
The goal is simple: Go to Athens together.
Triathletes Greg Bennett and Laura Reback have a busy couple of months ahead of them. They are engaged to be married in November, but before that, both would like to compete at the Olympics together.
It is a feasible goal considering Bennett, the top-ranked male triathlete in the world, had already qualified in February in his native Australia. Reback is no slouch either as the No. 2 woman in the world.
It took some time for Reback to reach this point. Four years ago, she missed out on a spot on the Olympic team and considered quitting. Reback wasn't sure she wanted to commit herself for another four years. But through Canadian coach Lance Watson's maneuvering, Reback found a renewed passion and partner in the sport.
"We both have the same passions about staying healthy and fit in life, but we both still have a lot to do," said Reback, who is from Florida and swam at Southern Methodist University. "There's things I knew I needed to work on. ... Greg's brought to me a lot of hard work and focus.
"We're both a lot a part of each other's training and racing. We give each other our secrets. It's kind of an advantage."
Reback will see if the advantage works in her favor tomorrow. She could clinch her own spot in the Athens Olympics if she comes in first in the elite division of the USA triathlon Race to Athens. It is the first Olympic qualifying event of any kind in Hawaii.
The elite women's race begins at 12:30 p.m. at Kapiolani Park, with the men's race following at 3 p.m. The 1-mile swim starts at Queens Beach, followed by a 24.8-mile bike ride around Diamond Head and a 6.2-mile run in Waikiki. The age-group race runs a slightly different course and begins at 6 a.m. The top male and female finishers in the elite division automatically punch their ticket for Athens.
While this is Reback's big opportunity to qualify, Bennett too is competing. The Honolulu triathlon is also an International Triathlon Union event, with triathletes able to earn points for the international circuit.
"One of the toughest things is that we have to do a few races separately," Bennett said. "When you love someone dearly, you want to be with them all the time. And that's something we were able to do a lot last year.
"This race is a little different. I'm really here as a supporter of Laura, but at the same time, I've got my race in the afternoon and I'd love to do well."
Reback will need support with a competitive and talented field competing. World No. 1 Barb Lindquist and No. 3 Sheila Taormina are also vying for the automatic U.S. berth. If Taormina wins, it would be her second trip to the Olympics. She earned a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics in the 800-meter freestyle relay.
All three competed at the ITU triathlon World Championship last December in New Zealand, where Reback was second and the first U.S. finisher. Lindquist, an NCAA champion swimmer at Stanford and former national-team swimmer, was fourth, while Taormina came in 13th. Lindquist led the 2000 U.S. trials in Texas after the swim and the bike but had to pull out of the race because of the heat.
"One through three is a wash," USA national teams director Libby Burrell said. "Sheila and Barb have pretty much the same combination. They're great swimmers and bikers, very, very strong bikers on tough courses. They both improved their running so much, so really I have no idea (who will win). It depends so much on the day.
"Laura is a good swimmer. She's a good cyclist. I know she's working hard at her cycling, so it'll be interesting to see how she fares on this type of course. And she's a very good runner."
Also in the mix is Joanna Zeiger, who finished fourth overall in the Sydney Olympics and was the first USA triathlete to cross the finish line. Currently ranked No. 28 in the world, Zeiger has battled injuries the last few years while completing her Ph.D. in epidemiology from John Hopkins University.
On the men's side, Hunter Kemper (No. 11 world) , Doug Friman (No. 32 world) and Joe Umphenour (No. 33) are challenging for the Olympic team spot.
Four more spaces on the Olympic team (two male, two female) will be decided at later events.
