Huge
Success For The First Ever Winter Triathlon Team Relay
World Championship In Brusson Italy.
The
weather in the Valle d'Ayas changed dramatically today
for the first ever ITU Team Relay Winter Triathlon
World Championships. The sun vanished and snow flakes
lingered in a freezing breeze. The snow looked perfect,
and excitement filled the air as the teams prepared
for the start.
The relay formula had been chosen based on that used
in other winter sports and it created a great deal
of interest with the athletes and spectators alike.
Teams were made up of three men or women who would
alternately do one of the three laps of the run, bike
and ski course, tagging the next team-member at the
end of their lap. Country honor was very much the
purpose of the day.
23
teams were on the start line at 10:30 sharp as the
first runner from each team sprinted towards the curve
of the stadium track. A fast pace was set early on
the 2.3 km run by Iwan Schuwey (Swiss team), Nicolas
Lebrun (French team), Alessandro De Gasperi (Italian
team) Marc Ruhe (Liechtenstein team), and Juan Carlo
Apilluelo (Spanish team).
Colder
temperatures and the short distance provided the setting
for a very fast and dramatic mountain bike split,
with the cross-country ski leg the decisive part.
One after the other the three teammates exchanged
in front of hundreds of spectators. Cross-country
ski racers who had just finished their own competition
were thrilled with the speed and versatility of the
Winter Triathletes.
The
major contenders in the men's event were teams from
Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany, Norway, and Spain,
each with their own intriguing tactics to avoid losing
precious seconds in the transition. Everyone pushed
beyond the soreness in their legs from the individual
race the day before. Bells, horns whistles, and hurrahs
supported everyone.
The
outcome of the men's event became clear with the last
exchange when Christophe Mauch of the Swiss team took
over for the final lap after Ywan Schuwey had put
in an incredible ski lap and Othmar Brugger boosted
the team's chances with the fastest bike lap. Christoph
skied an excellent final lap and proudly carried the
Swiss flag to the finish line.
The
second place was decided by a sprint when Benjamin
Sonntag of the German team and Roger Holme of the
Norwegian turned the last curve in the stadium together.
However, Roger slowed just before the finish-line
as Benjamin's burst in speed gave the silver medal
to Germany. Norway, with its first strong performance
in the ITU Winter World Championships, took home the
bronze medal.
The
women's race was dominated from start to finish by
the German team made up of Sigrid Lang, Gabi Pauli
and Jutta Schubert, despite a strong performance in
the run leg by Italy, Spain and Germany-2
Gunter
Pauli, coach of the German team expressed great satisfaction
with his team, "We had an athlete on each podium
yesterday, and to win the Women's and Junior Team
Relay is very good for the sport in Germany."
The
podium awards, although formal, carried lots of emotion
and friendly ambiance, especially when all of the
teams joined together on the podium.
At
the closing ceremony of the 6th Brusson ITU World
Championships. Oliver Presser, the Chairman of the
Oberstaufen Organizing Committee, host of the 2003
ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships, took the
ITU banner from Mayor Gerandin of Brusson. Oliver
had driven hours in wintry weather to be present for
this traditional symbolic gesture of passing the hosting
duties to next year's event. He also accepted the
challenge to produce the "best ever" ITU
Winter Triathlon World Championship next year in Oberstaufen.
In
a short speech the Mayor of Brusson expressed his
appreciation to the athletes and the Organising Team.
"It is a pleasure and honor for Brusson to have
hosted this successful event."
During
a debriefing meeting after the festivities Michel
Gignoux, ITU Technical Director in Europe congratulated
the Organising Committee's Team Directors and the
Italian Triathlon Federation for the performance of
their athletes and for the excellent work they had
done to expand the development of Winter Triathlon.
A
large group of athletes from Europe have already made
plans to compete at the finale to the ITU Winter Triathlon
World Cup Series in Canmore, Alberta, Canada on 16
March, 2002. Canmore Organising Committee Chairman
Bill Murray promises that this first ever North American
stop on the Winter series will be a splendid end to
a great season. Canmore was the venue for the cross-country
ski competition during the Calgary Winter Olympic
Games, so the citizens of this beautiful Rocky Mountain
Resort are no strangers to World Class competitors
coming to town..
From
Brusson: Michel Gignoux ITU Technical Director Europe.
