Friman, Swail Prevail in Tempe

TEMPE, Ariz. (May 23, 2004): by BJ Hoeptner, USAT Media Director: U.S. elite triathletes Doug Friman and Julie Swail took their first International Triathlon Union (ITU) victories of the season Sunday at the USA Triathlon Race to Athens – Tempe, an ITU Continental Cup race and part of the Rio Salado Triathlon.

The USA Triathlon Race to Athens series allows athletes to earn valuable ITU ranking points in the United States. Athletes must be ranked in the top 125 to try to qualify for the Olympic Games.

Friman, who grew up in nearby Tucson and still trains there part time, outran New Zealand’s Matt Reed and Australia’s Chris McCormack to win the men’s race in 1 hour, 46 minutes, 57 seconds. Reed was second in 1:47:30 and McCormack was third in 1:47:55.

“I looked at this as a hometown race,” Friman said. “I wanted to do well for myself and for my team.”

Friman competes on a professional triathlon team along with Victor Plata (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) and three others. Friman and Plata, who finished sixth in Tempe, are also battling for the final spot on the U.S. Olympic triathlon team. The spot will be decided on June 13 at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Triathlon, also part of the Race to Athens series, in Bellingham, Wash.

In Tempe, temperatures reached the 90s during the race, leading Friman to doubt he would be able to win.

“I was dead after the bike,” he said. “Matt Reed and Chris McCormack set the pace on the run and I just tried to stay with them.”

However Friman surged ahead on the fourth lap of the run and held on for the win.

Swail (Irvine, Calif.) also still has a chance to make the 2004 Olympic team, but would need an overwhelming victory over U.S. elite triathletes Laura Reback and Susan Williams in Bellingham to make it. However Swail achieved one of her big goals for the season by winning in Tempe.

“One of my big goals for the season was to win an ITU race,” she said. “I’m very happy with how I did, especially on the run.”

Swail came out of the water behind Canada’s Christine Jeffrey and U.S. elite Kelly Handel (Manitou Springs, Colo.). The three road together on the bike for several laps before Swail and Jeffrey dropped Handel.

Swail had the fastest run of the day in 38:43 to hold on to the lead and win in 2:02:31. Handel battled back on the run to finish second in 2:04:11 and Jenny Marine (Bend, Ore.) surged on the run to finish third in 2:05:35.

Other Race Notes

Yolanda Powell of Phoenix won the Rio Salado women’s overall age group race in 2:10:20. Nicole Lindstrom of Tempe was second (2:12:29) and Marcela Miramontes Luev of Hermosillo was third in 2:12:56. Thomas Taylor of Scottsdale, Ariz., won the Rio Salado overall age group men’s race in 1:55:44. Alex Manessis was second in 1:57:32 and Robert McHardy of Phoenix was third in 1:58:56.

Brothers Seth and Logan Wealing, both U.S. elite triathletes, drove to Tempe in their van, then had it stolen, with bikes inside, from the hotel where they were staying. Both ended up competing in the race on borrowed bikes and were trying to use frequent-flier miles to buy airline tickets for the trip back to their training base in Colorado Springs, Colo.

F-Troop, a division of the Goldwing Riders Association, provided support motorcycles for the race.

Tempe ITU Continental Cup Triathlon

May 23, 2004; Tempe, Ariz.

1.5K (two-lap) swim; 40k (six-lap) bike; 10k (four-lap) run

Men

1. Doug Friman (Tucson, Ariz.) 1:46:57;

2. Matt Reed (New Zealand) 1:47:30;

3. Chris McCormack (Australia) 1:47:55;

4. Mark Fretta (Portland, Ore.) 1:48:32;

5. Seth Wealing (Fowler, Ind.) 1:48:58;

6. Victor Plata (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) 1:50:27;

7. Andy Kelsey (Los Altos, Calif.) 1:50:59;

8. Marcel Vifian (Santa Rosa, Calif.) 1:51:41;

9. Matthew Kowalski (Northville, Mich.) 1:52:18;

10. Brian Lavelle (Cupertino, Calif.) 1:52:59

Women

1. Julie Swail (Irvine, Calif.) 2:02:30;

2. Kelly Handel (Manitou Springs, Colo.) 2:04:11;

3. Jenny Marine (Bend, Ore.) 2:05:35;

4. Christine Jeffrey (Canada) 2:06:56;

5. Rebecca Preston (Australia) 2:07:12;

6. Lauren Groves (Canada) 2:07:25;

7. Melissa Begin (New Orleans, La.) 2:08:50;

8. Jessi Stensland (San Diego, Calif.) 2:10:17;

9. Ryan Layhee (Sonora, Calif.) 2:10:19;

10. Sarah Haskins (Boulder, Colo.) 2:12:14