Olympic Triathlon Preview - Our picks!
Sunday, 17 August 2008 10:31
The Olympic Triathlon is one of the most highly anticipated races of the Games. There are no clear form finders or recent events as the both the last ITU lead up race and the World Championships were raced by depleted fields. Early season form would have been lost by now and any tickets that an athlete might have on themselves would be tempered given the random nature of this event in the past. But that won't stop us from casting our eye over this event and having a go at picking the winners.
Women's Race
- Emma Snowsill - 'Snowy' is ready for the biggest race of he career. She has shunned the media to focus purely on winning gold in Beijing. Her recent form at the Life Time Fitness race showed a girl ready to fly. She is well coached (Craig Walton) and has done everything so well in this build up.
- Vanessa Fernandes - You can't look past Fernandes for the great season she has had. Fernandes is an enigmatic racer and is either hot or cold. She has been hot of form recently but needs conditions to be perfect for her to be at her best.
- Emma Moffatt - Are we being biased here? Maybe but we think her form and preparation have been great. She is a very consistent performer and will not be phased by the big occasion.
Men's Race
- Javier Gomez - To put it simply this guy is red hot. He has been the standout this season and is the fastest runner in the field. Olympic Triathlon racing is all about the run and this one will suit the Spanish flyer.
- Simon Whitfield - Whitfield went out to the Worlds at Vancouver for the win in his home country and missed out. He wants to make amends with a gold medal there's no doubt. We think this event will all come down to the run and Whitfield is lightning and loves it when it is down to the 10 km hammer for the win.
- Brad Kahlefedlt - Before his illness (pneumonia) Brad was the best runner in the world of triathlon. You could almost set your watch by him being able to run down any of the best runners in the world. His win at the Commonwealth Games was a clear example of that with Kahlefedlt running away from the squads of both New Zealand and U.K.
Outsiders - Tim Don, Courtney Atkinson, Ivan Rana.
To get the inside running on the Aussie team click onto when we talked to Head Coach Bill Davoren about the form of the team going into this big race.
