forum shop
Logotype Logotype

London quoteboard – The Men

Some key players in the men's race offer insights about the battle for Olympic slots at the Dextro Energy ITU World Championship Series event in London which is set to go off at 1:30 London time Sunday.

Chris McCormack

Despite a DNF at Kitzbuhel an a 26th place finish at Hamburg, Macca retains an unshakeable belief he can make his dream come true and make the 2012 Australian Olympic team and avenge his Olympic failure in 2000.

Slowtwitch: Are you the Don Quixote of the ITU?

Chris McCormack: I'm Brady, the footballer who won’t retire.

ST: I think you mean Brett Favre? Tom Brady is a long way from retirement. And so are you. So what did you learn in Kitzbuhel [where he DNF'd]?

Chris: Not to do an ITU two weeks after an Ironman. [He won Iron-distance Challenge Cairns] It was the [Australian] federation's choice. I wouldn't have done unless they urged me to. I did learn a few things — you have to save yourself on the bike.

ST: You've been on this quest a few months now. Tell me where you stand?

Chris: I think you're probably better off asking my teammates. I've had a bit of niggle last two weeks. I've had a hamstring issue after a track set.

ST: You still have a great bike at the short distance?

Chris: Yeah but the bike means shit nowadays. It's all about running after the bike. If you had asked me before I set out on this quest if I could make the Olympic team, I would have said that was a big ask. Now? The longer I've been on this journey I think the goal gets closer. I see myself with a shot. I've met the whole Australian team. The big question is can I keep my body in one piece. That's the key. This is completely different than Ironman.

ST: All the important WCS races will come before Ironman Hawaii. Will you race Hawaii?

Chris: No. I am done. I walked out on the top. This year it is definitely out of the question. There is no Kona this year. And now I want to do this.

ST: How much fun is it to go totally redline in short course races again?

Chris: It's been a learning curve. It's been an enjoyable process. The difficulty is just keeping the body in place. I'm not 25 any more. I've discovered that the hard way. There is a difference between where you expect to be and where you can be. You have to be more delicate.

ST: Regarding your Olympic quest, Brad Kahlefeldt with his win at Hamburg seems a sure thing. Courtney Atkinson is out for now., but will be back. Brendan Sexton has been on fire. Where do you stand?

Chris: There are discretionary spots. The Australian Olympic team criteria is pretty black and white. You win here and or you get top 3 in the WCS series you guarantee your spot. If not, the federation picks the team. And they don’t pick their team 'til May.

ST: Can you make it?

Chris: Well why not? You give me the guys they should pick over me. That is the question.

ST: What was your last best 10k at the end of a triathlon?

Chris: At Hamburg last week — 31:30. [31:53 versus 29:47 men's best] Four weeks after an Ironman that's not that bad.

Javier Gomez:

Gomez is regarded as one of the few men in the world who can beat Alistair Brownlee. Gomez won the ITU World Championship in 2008 and finished second in 2007 and 2009, and topped countless ITU races. He was favored at the Beijing Olympic triathlon, but finished 4th.

ST: You won the World Championship three months before Beijing and finished fourth at the 2008 Olympics. What did you learn?

Javier Gomez: First of all the Olympics is a one day race. Doesn't matter how many races you won. You have to go out there that day and perform well, race your best and respond strategically to what is going on that day. You have to be perfect to have success.

ST: How do you apply that to this race and the 2012 Olympics

Javier: This is a big important race now but the big one is next year. I am going to train as hard as I can and as well I can to be in good shape and must give my best.

ST: Tell us about your 2008 injury and how you coped?

Javier: First of all, my Achilles tendon got inflamed right after Vancouver [where he won the 2008 ITU World Championship]. Because the Olympic Games were coming, I kept on trying to push hard. And I had a stress fracture in my heel, which was the worst part. It took until five months after the Games to recover. I kept on training with pain. I was quite fit, but maybe not enough for a medal — [he was in the last lap battle for the lead but finished 4th] I needed just a little bit more.

ST: What did you learn?

Javier: I learned that before such an important event you want to push harder and harder. You want to do more and more. But the body has a limit. Then you have to be careful with the injuries. It's not the one who trains the most who is going to win, but the one that trains the best. You have to train smart. Not more nor less. But right to the point.

ST: In some ways aren't you a better athlete than you were four years ago? In 2009 you pushed Alistair Brownlee, who had come to dominate the WCS circuit, to the last few hundred meters at Grand Final in the Gold Coast. And in 2010 you won Hamburg and London in an 8-day period.

Javier: I think so. This year and last year as well, I had really good performances. I have more experience now in competition. It is very important to go fast, but also to be smart and read the race and give your 100 percent.

ST: What do you think the fastest 10k in a triathlon that is accurately measured?

Javier: As a triathlon, about 29:20 to 29:30 in an accurate 10k. It depend on the conditions the day of the race. And it depends of course how the bike goes. After a not hard bike and the temperature is mild — like London last year — is ideal for a fast run. Of course I am not the only one able to run that fast.

ST: Speaking of fast running, ITU commentator Barry Shepley says you really don't want to let the run come down to the sprint at the last few hundred meters. He says you have to make your move with a mile or two to go. Is that accurate?

Javier: Well it’s the way I like to race. I like to break away before the end. I think I like to run at a good pace I can keep for a long time. I don’t care what others try to do. If I come to the end of a race with someone else alongside me, I tried to drop him off before and I couldn't. Last year I often tried to break with 3000 meters to go. I am not really slow. But in a triathlon after 2 hours of racing, it depends how you feel the last meters.

ST: I read somewhere you said Harry Wiltshire should be punished more?

Javier: Actually I don’t care if he is punished more or less. I had a very important race in my home town, the European Championships. And I am not going to have a chance to race that any more. Because of him I could not race as I might have and no one will give me that chance any more. So I really don’t care what’s happened with him. The only thing I want is to never see that kind of actions any more in triathlon.

Tim Don

Don faces an uphill battle to secure his 4th straight Olympic team appearance in triathlon. First he must dislodge two of a formidable British lineup that includes the Brownlee brothers, Will Clarke and Stuart Hayes. Secondly, he has lost British Triathlon Federation funding and had to do it on his own. But the man should never be counted out, as demonstrated by his dark horse victory over Hamish Carter to win the 2006 ITU World Championship and his equally long shot $200,00 win at Hy-Vee last year.

ST: How is your form?

Tim Don: It's definitely on the way up. I've had great preparation the last six weeks. I loved my race plan from June last year to August.

ST: The one that served you well as you won $200,00 at Hy-Vee?

Tim: Also the money from Hy-Vee also secured me the ability to train for London 2012. Now I'm really excited and I had a nice easy 10 days leading up so I am raring to go now.

ST: Many observers are mystified by your ups and downs. What goes on when things go well?

Tim: Last year I got third at Hamburg and second at world sprint champs and won Hy-Vee. They were spread throughout the whole year. That was really consistent. I pick races I want to do well at and use some others as training. So I am not afraid to race unfit. But I point for races like London. Every year I've had two or three very good races. Some haven't been world championships but some have. Those are the races I really focus on. As I say, the rest I'm not worried about.

ST: You are going up against the Brownlees and Will Clarke whose form is quite outstanding now. In your selection process, is there any room for strategy? Or is it just like Top Fuel dragsters — hit the gas full on and go till you blow?

Tim: Absolutely. You're in this race to win. That is the only way to secure your spot. Same with the Commonwealth Games in '06. You had to win the test event to get your spot — and I did. I got third in Hamburg the week before London. So, yeah things are moving in the right direction. At London last year I was 13th.

ST: What WCS races have you won?

Tim: I haven't won any WCS races.

ST: Your best performance at any of them?

Tim: Hamburg this year was pretty good. I got 6th.

ST: Your coach?

Tim: At the moment I coach myself. A while ago it was Ben Bright but I got taken off the National funding program and he is employed by the federation so he could not coach me. That was in 2009.

ST: You still train with the Brett Sutton squad in Leysin?

Tim: Yes. I train at altitude. I swim with the guys.

ST: He is not your coach. But he is a great set of eyes.

Tim: Yes he is one of the best coaches in the world. He helped coach me to the world title in 2006 and he is great. He helps me prepare and he wants to help me. So it is awesome to have him in my corner.

ST: Hit benchmarks in your recent training?

Tim: They are going pretty well actually. I raced the Alpe D'Huez Triathlon 10 days ago and I won the race. Track sessions have been really good. I have been hitting my speed sessions at a really low heart rate. I have strong wattage on the hills.

ST: Will that translate to the flat terrain in London?

Tim: Oh absolutely in my opinion. Also, don’t let people say it will be an easy bike this weekend.

ST: Just a guess. It seems like your whole race can begin or end keyed on the swim?

Tim: I think it is true with every athlete. At Hamburg I was sixth this year and I came out of the water about 40th. Except for that, I have been first pack, top 15, at every race. In Kitzbuhel within 2k on the bike I was leading. Same with Hamburg.

ST: I saw you break away and bridge to the front pack in Lausanne where you won the World title in 2006. You can go on the bike.

Tim: But every race is different. As Alistair and Jonny and Gomez said – you have to race the race for the podium. Which is what I'll be doing this weekend.

ST: No breaks for your fellow Brits?

Tim: Well we all want to go there. So fight fire with fire, you know? They will be saying the same thing. When the gun goes, we will be racing.

Tags:

Interview

Start the discussion at slowtwitch.northend.network