Courtesy: USAT

Australia camp will help athletes prepare for 2007 season

U.S. national team program triathletes are hoping a change in venue will allow them to take their training to the next level for the 2007 racing season.

The U.S. athletes typically begin preparing for the season in January, with baseline testing in Colorado Springs. From there the team has historically traveled to California to train at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, a site that allows the athletes to experience not only warmer weather but faster- paced training at sea level.

While several of the younger, up-and-coming athletes will still train in Chula Vista this year, a group of 20 - including national teamers and other elites - will take their warm weather, sea-level training to the triathlon-crazy country of Australia for a month-long training camp beginning next week.

"We want to take our athletes who will be competing on the World Cup circuit to Australia where they can train at a higher level with other high-caliber international athletes," said USAT Sport Performance Director Scott Schnitzspahn.

In addition to the Australian athletes - often among the best in the world - the U.S. contingent will be joined by athletes from Canada, Spain and Switzerland.

Why split the U.S. athletes into two camps?

"The California camp can now focus on our development pipeline athletes and what they need," said Schnitzspahn. "That's really it. It divides the athletes into like-skilled groups to meet the needs of each athlete."

Sara McLarty (Colorado Springs, Colo.), last year's USAT U23 National Champion, is looking to make more of an impact on the international scene in 2007 and is hoping the Australia camp will help in the process. "I am excited to train with some more experienced pro triathletes who have been to Olympic games and World Championship races and have podium finishes at World Cups," said McLarty. "I'm still a rookie and I use every opportunity to learn from the great athletes that I train with who have been to the big races and excelled under pressure."

On the men's side, Matt Seymour (Pleasanton, Calif.), the 2005 USAT U23 National Champion, is also looking to take his training and performances up a notch. "I would really like to focus on some speed work for swimming and running," said Seymour. "It's important for me to be a part of the camp to train with other great athletes that will push me to become better. I think it's an important step to move to the next level."

Both camps will start in mid-February and run through March. The California camp will culminate with the Carlsbad 5K, while the Australia camp will wrap up with the athletes competing in the first ITU World Cup event of 2007 in Mooloolaba.

Complete Australia Camp roster
Women
Laura Bennett
Sarah Haskins
Julie Swail
Sarah Groff
Rebeccah Wassner
Sara McLarty
Jasmine Oeinck
Margie Shapiro
Becky Lavelle

Men
Brian Fleischmann
Jarrod Shoemaker
Manuel Huerta
Matt Seymour
Tim O'Donnell
Joe Umphenour
Michael Orton
Doug Friman
Matt Reed
Dave Messenheimer
Haven Barnes