Beijing Olympians to compete at USA Triathlon Nationals

USA Triathlon is pleased to announce that all six athletes who competed for the U.S. at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games last month, will be racing at Henry Hagg Lake just outside Portland at the USAT Elite National Championship on Saturday, Sept. 20.

The elite championship will take place on the same day as the 2008 Age Group National Championship that will feature close to 1,400 amateur triathletes from across the country. It’s the second-straight year the amateur event has been held at the Hagg Lake venue.

“We are thrilled to be hosting triathletes from throughout the country and are especially excited this year to have some of the world’s top professionals competing in the Elite National Championship at Hagg Lake,” said Drew Mahalic, CEO of the Oregon Sports Authority. “We invite Oregonians to come out and join the festivities by participating, volunteering and watching.”

The amateurs, ranging from age 18 to 88, will be on the start line in the morning after qualifying at regional events throughout the past year. This select group of U.S. athletes will compete in a 1.5k swim, 40k bike, and 10k run with a goal of qualifying for the 2009 International Triathlon Union Age Group World Championship on the Gold Coast of Australia. The top 16 in each age group will earn a spot on Team USA.

The men’s and women’s elite races, featuring close to 100 of the top professionals in the U.S., will take place in the afternoon. These races are the same distance as the amateurs, but feature a spectator-friendly, multiple-loop course in a draft-legal format.

In addition to attending the races on Saturday, media and general public are invited to attend all of Friday’s activities at the Lake, including the amateur athlete check-in and registration and the Vendor Expo with product demos, contests, and giveaways. Friday will be highlighted by autograph sessions with the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, including Hunter Kemper, Laura Bennett, Jarrod Shoemaker, Sarah Haskins, Matt Reed, and Julie Swail Ertel.

Following is the autograph session schedule for Friday, Sept. 19 at the Lake:
Noon to 1pm – Matt Reed and Laura Bennett
1pm to 2pm – Sarah Haskins and Jarrod Shoemaker
(break for the 2pm elite meeting to be held at the lake)
3pm to 4pm – Julie Ertel and Hunter Kemper

Shuttles from parking lots outside the park will take athletes and spectators to and from the race venue at Boat Ramp C on Saturday.

Media interested in arranging interviews with any of the amateur or professional athletes, or with event organizers, in advance of the events should contact communications@usatriathlon.org or respond to this email.

Triathlon is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and is a great way for people of all ages to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Following the weekend events, the USA Triathlon Art & Science of Triathlon International Coaching Symposium supported by Training Peaks will be held in Portland from September 21-23. More details are below.

Schedule of Events:
(all take place at Boat Ramp C at Henry Hagg Lake)

Friday, September 19
12-7 p.m. Packet Pick-up and Expo
2-7 p.m. Bike Check-In

Saturday, September 20
5:00-7:30 a.m. — Pre-race Parking Shuttles begin
5:30-7:30 a.m. — Transition Area Open
7:15 a.m. — Age Group National Championship
11-12 p.m. — Annual USAT Membership Meeting (Expo Tent)
12-4 p.m. — Expo Festivities (vendor demos, contests and giveaways)
12:15 p.m. — Elite Women’s National Championship
2:15 p.m. — Elite Men’s National Championship
4:30-6:30 p.m. — Awards Ceremony and Dinner
6-7:30 p.m. — Post-race Parking Shuttles

Find out more about the event: http://triathlon.teamusa.org/event/event/47

The event, which will be held September 21-23 at the Embassy Suites Hotel – Portland Washington Square will feature a dynamic lineup of national and international triathlon experts discussing the latest in triathlon research, trends and coaching.

The presenters and topics at the Symposium include: Bob Seebohar – metabolic testing, Inigo Mujika – peaking and tapering, Bobby McGee – mental skills and running, Randy Wilber – training of the elite endurance athlete: physiology “checklist,” Nicholas Romanov – running, and many more.

Keynote speakers include Dean Karnazes, John Naber, Antarctic Mike and Jim Ryun.

“USAT is proud to offer the 2008 Art and Science of Triathlon International Coaching Symposium as an excellent opportunity to bring together the best speakers and researchers from around the world to discuss the latest in research, training and coaching for triathlon,” said Linda Cleveland, USAT coach development manager. “The keynote speakers and lecturers will provide motivation and information everyone attending can use in their coaching, training, racing and everyday lives.”

Find out more: http://triathlon.usoc.org/event/event/323