Courtesy: USAT

The U.S. elite triathlon team will go into the 2003 International Triathlon Union Triathlon World Championships on Dec. 6-7 in Queenstown, New Zealand with the top three women in the world, but without the No. 1 man in the United States.

Hunter Kemper (Longwood, Fla.), ranked ninth in the world and first in the United States, had to withdraw from the world championships due to nagging bronchitis. "I was sick after Treasure Island (ITU international triathlon), then I was feeling better and I think I came back (to training) too fast," he said. "My focus now is on making the Olympic team next year."

Kemper was replaced on the U.S. men's team by Mark Fretta (Portland, Ore.), ranked fourth in the United States and 48th in the world. Fretta placed 21st at the 2002 ITU World Championships in Cancun, Mexico. He also finished third at the 2003 ITU World Cup race in Tongyeong, South Korea.

However, it's the U.S. elite women who could be the big story in Queenstown. The United States goes into Sunday's race with one of its strongest women's teams ever, led by world No. 1 Barb Lindquist (Victor, Idaho), world No. 2 Sheila Taormina (Livonia, Mich.) and world No. 3 Laura Reback (North Palm Beach, Fla.). They will be supported by veteran teammates Susan Williams (Littleton, Colo., No. 29 in the world), Becky Gibbs Lavelle (Cupertino, Calif., No. 32) and Joanna Zeiger (Boulder, Colo., No. 34).

Lindquist finished second at the 2002 world championships in Cancun, Mexico, where she lost the lead to Great Britain's Leanda Cave in the final kilometer of the run. Lindquist reached the No. 1 ranking in March of 2003 and never gave it up. She won ITU World Cup races in Ishigaki, Japan, and Edmonton, Canada and finished second in Madeira, Portugal and Geelong, Australia. She reached the podium in 13 out of 16 races in 2003 and never finished out of the top 10.

Taormina, a 2000 Olympian in triathlon and a 1996 Olympic gold medalist in swimming, has also had a stellar season, finishing first or second in 10 out of 11 races, including an ITU World Cup victory in Madeira, Portugal and a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Reback has been less consistent that her teammates, but notched victories at the ITU World Cups in Tongyeong, South Korea and St. Petersburg, Fla., in 2003. She also won the title of U.S. national champion at the Treasure Island ITU International Triathlon on Nov. 1 in San Francisco.

The international competition in the women's race will be stiff. Only four women from the ITU's top 20 are not on the start list. Canada and Australia should have particularly strong women's teams.

In the men's race, Joe Umphenour (Bellevue, Wash.), ranked second in the United States will be the top-ranked U.S. man at 28th. Umphenour spent much of the season recovering from off- season hernia surgery, but had an encouraging finish of 17th at the most recent ITU World Cup race in Geelong, Australia on Nov. 23.

Right behind him in the rankings is Doug Friman (Tucson, Ariz.), who is 29th in the world and third in the United States. Friman will be racing in his first world championship as an elite after completing one of the most successful seasons of his career. Friman placed third at the ITU World Cup in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, and made the U.S. team for the Pan American Games, where he placed fourth.

Also competing for the U.S. men will be Brian Fleischmann (Jacksonville, Fla.; No. 51), Victor Plata (San Luis Obispo, Calif.; No. 54) and Marcel Vifian (Santa Rosa, Calif.; No. 123).

The international competition will also be tough in the men's race, especially from teams from New Zealand and Australia.

Not only will athletes be battling each other, but they may also be battling the elements. Temperatures in Queenstown have been in the mid 60s with a chance for rain every day. A wetsuit swim is expected.

The course will consist of a one-lap (1.5k) lake swim, a seven- lap (40k) bike with two climbs per lap and a four-lap (10k), undulating run on a golf course.

Elite athletes will be racing for a $190,000 U.S. prize purse.

The women's race is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Sunday in New Zealand, which is 5 p.m. MST in the United States. The men's race will follow two hours later.

More information and complete start lists are available at www.triathlon.org or www.triworlds2003.com.