Written by: Jim Gourley Jim Gourley reports on why the U.S. Military Academies are growing their contributions to the sport of triathlon by turning out stellar cadet triathletes. In their combined 425 years of existence, the service academies of the U.S. Armed Forces at West Point, Annapolis and Colorado Springs have produced three American presidents, 104 astronauts,
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This triathlon-friendly Caribbean island makes for a wonderful winter getaway. I never planned on racing a triathlon on Nevis Island, but how could I say no with Winston Crooke’s smile? My wife and I had come to his store looking to rent bikes and were greeted by Crooke—a tall, thin, athletic man with dreadlocks and a surprising British accent (he was raised in the U.K.). “We have a little local triathlon on Saturday if you want to race,” Winston said, pointing to a sign listing the monthly winter races of the FLY (Forever Live Young) Miniseries that lead up to the island’s major triathlon, TriStar Nevis (won in April last year by none other than Chris McCormack). Nevis is the smaller island of the two-island federation of St. Kitts-Nevis, just southeast of Puerto Rico. Its small airport receives some direct flights, but it’s easy and significantly cheaper to fly into St. Kitts on a major airline (American Airlines offers daily flights) and then take one of the frequent boat ferries to Nevis. Nevis offers a variety of lodging options, from a recently renovated five-star Four Seasons resort to private rental homes. The remains of the sugarcane plantations that drove the island’s economy during its early British colonial days are now home to upscale hotels including beachfront Nisbet Plantation and mountainside Golden Rock Inn. The island, which surrounds the often fog-covered mountain peak of an inactive volcano, is only 7 miles long and 5 miles wide, with a major 21-mile road that goes around its perimeter. Driving is on the left side on this former British colony, and though the road is narrow and the rules of traffic a bit improvisational, most island drivers are accustomed to watching the roads carefully for everything from bands of green vervet monkeys to sheep to the wild donkeys that roam the island, so cyclists are just part of the mix. Winston Crooke’s bike shop, Wheel World ( Bikenevis.com ) is the primary bike rental option on the island and it’s far better than your typical beachside bike rental shop. Remember to bring your cycling shoes because Crooke not only offers the typical bike rental platform pedals with cages, but can also set up a bike with Look or Shimano SPD pedals. Crooke and Reggie Douglass, a local triathlete known as the “Flying Rastaman” who qualified for the Ironman World Championship 70.3, lead regular road and mountain bike tours. If you want to get in some serious winter triathlon training, Nevis has two ITU-certified triathlon coaches—Crooke and James Weekes. Training can be arranged through Crooke’s Wheel World bike shop. One of the incredible things on Nevis is the number of young triathletes Crooke and Weekes are training. Expect to see some of these kids one day gracing the stage at Ironman 70.3 St. Croix and beyond. Nevis has several beaches, mostly associated with various resorts, but even if you are not staying at the resort, you’re usually welcome to access the beach, especially if you pay your dues at the bar. Nisbet Beach offers the whitest sands and the best water for swimming undisturbed by boats. After a swim or bike ride, relax at one of the island’s many excellent restaurants. Most of the resorts have good restaurants, but Golden Rock Inn stood out. The broiled lobster tail accompanied with mashed plantains made us pause over every bite. There are several excellent restaurants outside of the resorts that any visitor should certainly check out. Sunshine’s is on Pinney’s Beach and offers a great open-air dining experience. The lobster sandwich is a filling meal after a swim and with a side of conch fritters could easily feed two. Sunshine’s menu changes regularly with what’s just come in from the local docks. The Killer Bee, Sunshine’s version of rum punch, is a favorite. In Charlestown, the capital city, you can stop at the Jamaican Bakery to get a roti, a local favorite that resembles a savory stuffed crêpe. In those dark days of winter, when the whir of the bike trainer and treadmill are all too familiar, Nevis is a welcome break to up your vitamin D and get a solid start to your season. “An athlete can come to Nevis and indulge themselves in their sport without distractions,” Crooke says. On our last full day in Nevis, while temperatures were still below freezing back home, I raced my first triathlon of the year. There were only a handful of us, 20 or so, mostly locals, several of them the high-school-age kids Crooke is training. But there were also some other tourists, with Ironman T-shirts and new beach tans, who I’m sure were convinced as I was that a triathlon on a beautiful island, on a rented bike, with a group of friendly people, can be a wonderful way to start the season. If you want … A rainforest hike Try “The Source” trail. Named for the island’s freshwater spring, the trailhead starts at Golden Rock Inn. Expect to see monkeys and to climb an ancient rusty ladder. Golden-rock.com A beach-side massage Go to the Four Seasons Spa. A variety of massage therapies and other spa treatments are available. Fourseasons.com/nevis/spa An introduction to scuba Go with Ellis Chaderton’s crew to get a taste of reef life and a first-time scuba experience without having to go through a pool practice. Experienced divers can also get a great dive with sea turtles and rays abounding. Scubanevis.com Island-style pizza Eat at Mem’s. This is a local place, not visited by many tourists, but it has some of the best pizza we’ve ever had. Toppings range from lobster to pinneapple and ham (Island Style). (869) 469-1390 To visit Alexander Hamilton’s birthplace Tour the Hamilton estate. This Founding Father was born on Nevis, and the ruins of his family’s estate just outside Charlestown offer a wonderful view of the island. Nevis-nchs.org Take in breathtaking gardens Visit the Botanical Gardens of Nevis. The gardens mix the skill of British horticulture with the wonders of a tropical ecosystem. Botanicalgardennevis.com RELATED: Seven Scenic Fall Triathlons
Photo: Delly Carr/Triathlon.org With several countries looking to nab points towards Olympic qualification, this weekend’s ITU Sprint Oceania Triathlon features a stacked field. Kris Gemmell will return to top competition on Sunday for the first time since his win at the World Cup event in Auckland in November but his focus is very much on one race in April. The New Zealand triathlete has been in a heavy training mode over the past six weeks at the Wanaka Snow Farm with the rest of the Tri NZ high performance squad as he eyes a top finish at April’s Sydney World Champs series race. A top-eight finish there will guarantee a spot in London but, if he fails to achieve that, it will then come down to the selectors’ discretion. Andrea Hewitt is the only New Zealand triathlete guaranteed a start in London. Before all of that Gemmell, James Elvery, Debbie Tanner, Nicky Samuels and Kate McIlroy will all compete in this weekend’s fifth round of the Contact Tri Series in Kinloch, Taupo. A number of international competitors will also race, including Australian Chris McCormack. The ITU Oceania sprint title and valuable ITU points are up for grabs and Gemmell is keen to be at the head of the pack in the 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run. “I have won the standard distance nationals five times but never won the sprint title at the elite level,” he said. “It is something I like doing and have spent a good part of my career doing this type of race in Europe racing in club competitions and I always enjoy Takapuna each year over a similar distance. “But there is a big contingent of Australians coming over chasing those ITU points so it won’t be easy and the course at Kinloch is a tough one. Racing over this short distance hurts, too. There is no letting up from the gun with a nasty hill on the bike so I’ll be looking to force the issue there. My aim is to place as much pressure on the field as possible on the bike and come off with a bit of a lead and sort ourselves out over the 5km run.” Read more: Nzherald.co.uk
Sarah Piampiano, 31, New York, N.Y. The fastest American amateur at the Ford Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii last October, (9:51:17) Piampiano made her pro debut one month later at Ironman Cozumel, finishing seventh (9:57:58). The former investment banker for HSBC Securities in New York City now lives and trains in Los Angeles and will next race in April’s Ironman 70.3 Texas in Galveston and also has three Ironmans (Texas, Coeur D’Alene and Lake Placid) penciled in her schedule. “Last year I was able to consistently place as either the top or one of the top overall amateurs at every race,” she says. “It was a huge accomplishment for me, but I am not ready to stop there.”
Registration for the Tokoname City-based race will open Jan. 31, 2012. See the press release from Ironman below: World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) today announced that general entry registration for the third annual Ironman 70.3 Centrair Tokoname Japan will open on Jan. 31, 2012. With this being the only Ironman World Championship qualifier in the region, race organizers have added additional entries; however, as in previous years, a sell-out is anticipated within just a few hours. Scheduled for June 24, 2012, Lixil Ironman 70.3 Centrair Tokoname Japan will be staged in and around the Centrair International Airport, providing easy access to the race for visitors travelling from across the globe with direct flights from Singapore, Frankfurt and Detroit. Athletes will begin the race with a point-to-point swim at Ise Bay in the Pacific Ocean. The 1.5-loop bike course will see some changes in 2012, leading to a smoother and faster route through Tokoname city. The final leg of the course features a spectator friendly one-loop run with athletes finishing on the beach. The event is one of nearly 60 in the global Ironman 70.3 Series, offering 25 age group qualifying slots for the 2012 Ironman World Championship 70.3, to be held on Sept. 9, 2012, at Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nev. The event date was moved earlier in the season to accommodate the addition of 30 coveted age group qualifying slots to the 2012 Ironman World Championship, scheduled for Oct. 13, 2012, in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i. These slots will give Asia-Pacific athletes additional opportunities to make it to the starting line on Ali’i Drive in Kona. Professional athletes will be competing for a prize purse of $15,000. For additional information on Lixil Ironman 70.3 Centrair Tokoname Japan or to register for the 2012 race, please visit www.ironman703.jp/e/ .
Back in October of 2011, Triathlete’s Aaron Hersh caught up with Spain’s Javier Gomez in Kona, Hawaii. Gomez talks about the transformation of ITU since the rise of the Brownlee brothers, what it will take to succeed in London and if he’ll consider racing more non-drafting races in the future. For more on Javier Gomez, don’t forget to pick up Inside Triathlon’s January/February issue , on newsstands now, as it features an in-depth profile of the two-time world champion.
