Olympians abound
in triathlon

Sixteen of the 60 participants in
the men’s race qualified for last
summer’s Games in Athens

Hunter Kemper feels a certain sense of freedom entering today's opener of the World Cup triathlon season.

With an Olympic berth on the line, Kemper played it safe in finishing second in last year's Honolulu Triathlon.

There won't be quite as much at stake when he hits the water this morning at the start of the JAL Honolulu International Triathlon Union World Cup in Waikiki, giving Kemper greater liberty to test himself in his first race of the year.

"Last year I felt like I didn't want to take too many chances," Kemper said. "I wanted to make sure I didn't mess things up by going out too hard. This year, I can do that if I want to try to be aggressive in the bike. If somehow I blow up and get out of the top 10, well, no big deal. There's not as much riding on it as last year."

Although the Olympics are a distant goal this time around, the field of elite level triathletes representing 14 countries will be vying for $80,000 in prize money and a head start in the World Cup season.

The women's race starts at 9 a.m., with the men's race to follow at about 11:30. The races consist of a 1-mile swim off Queen's Beach, a 25-mile bike ride around Diamond Head, and a 6-mile run through Waikiki ending in Kapiolani Park.

The JAL Honolulu Triathlon for age-group racers will be held tomorrow starting at 6 a.m.

Among the 60 participants in the men's race are 16 who qualified for last summer's Olympic Games in Athens, including silver medalist Bevan Docherty of New Zealand.

Canada's Simon Whitfield, last year's Honolulu Triathlon champion, was originally scheduled to defend his title, but recently pulled out of the event.

Kemper, the 2003 Pan Am Games gold medalist and a two-time Olympian, returns to Honolulu after placing second in last year's race. But winning was secondary to securing the Olympic berth, which he accomplished as the first American finisher.

He went on to finish ninth in Athens and enters this season ranked first by USA Triathlon and sixth by the ITU.

"It's a whole new year," Kemper said. "You always want to race up to your best potential and hopefully get on the podium. But you never know what will happen."

Headlining the women's race will be defending champion Barb Lindquist of the U.S., who tops both the current USAT and ITU rankings.

She will be joined by Athens medalists Kate Allen of Austria (gold), Loretta Harrop of Australia (silver) and American Susan Williams (bronze).

Nine Olympians are included among the 37 women on the start list for the race.

How the competitors handle the climb up Diamond Head during the bike portion will go a long way in determining who steps up on the awards podium following the race.

Following the swim, the participants make five loops around Diamond Head on their bikes, then run four laps along Kalakaua Avenue.

"It's a great course," Lindquist said. "The bike is really hard, especially with the winds. If it wasn't a windy course, it wouldn't be half as hard."

While many will look to work out the kinks in the early-season race, Lindquist has already posted first- and third-place finishes in Australia this year and a strong start today could lead to another high finish.

"I come from a swimming background, so I'm going to swim as hard as I can and whoever's there out of the water, I'll definitely want to work with them on the bike," she said. "Then hopefully I can hang on in the run."

Kemper will take the opposite approach into the men's race, looking to stay close in the first two disciplines before making a push in the run.

"I just want to be in the mix. I'll bide my time and see what happens at the end," he said.

The Honolulu event is the only World Cup race held in the U.S. this year, giving the 17 American entrants a bit more motivation.

"It would be nice to win it because it is on U.S. soil," Kemper said. "But it's also hard because it's the first one of the year."

Looking ahead: Today's elite-level event is one of the five races comprising the 2005 Elite Cup Challenge.

The Honolulu race is the first event in the series dubbed "The Haul to the Great Wall," as the athletes take their first steps toward the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The intermediate distance races were selected by USA Triathlon. The overall series champions receive $5,000.

The other events in the series are the Tempe International Classic Triathlon (May 22), the Ford New York City Triathlon (July 10), Baker's Healthy Start Foundation Triathlon (Aug. 7) and the Boston Triathlon (Sept. 4).