Q&A
What is the triathlon?
This will be the first time a triathlon has been an official Olympic event. The triathlon for the Olympic Games is a 1.5k swim, a 40k-bike race, and a 10k run. The triathlon known as the "Ironman" triathlon in Hawaii is a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike, and a 26.2-mile run, a full marathon.

How long do you get between the events?
There is no break between the swim, bike, and run. You literally change as you run between each of the events. From the swim to the bike, you have to change into your singlet, the bike jersey with your number on it. The singlet is actually tucked into our swimming suit. The bike is already set up with shoes clipped on to the pedals and the helmet ready to put on. From the bike to the run, you take off your helmet, quickly put on your running shoes and take off. The whole race lasts about two hours.

What is the strategy in running a triathlon?
The swimming and running portions of the triathlon are very important. The rules were recently changed to make the cycling part of the race more like a road race than a time trial. That means you can "draft" behind other competitor's bikes. This makes the cycling portion more competitive.

The swim is critical because you have to get off to a good start. Swimming is very physical. Anything goes -- dunking, pulling, or swimming over someone. So it is important to get a good start and be at the front of the rest of the triathletes.

There will usually be 10-15 triathletes very close together as the running starts. It is important to be a strong runner to have the best chance to win.

How did you get started in the triathlon?
In Florida as a kid, triathlon was a fun summer sport. I won my first race when I was 10 years old. The race was a 100-meter swim, a 5k bike, and a 1k run.

I played tennis, soccer, and baseball, but in high school, I concentrated on swimming and cross-country. Those sports have really helped me in triathlon.

The Olympic Spirit in YOU!
Triathletes race in different countries all around the world. The distances for international races and the Olympic triathlon race are in kilometers. The Hawaii Ironman is in miles. Have some Olympic math fun. From the above information, convert the kilometers to miles, and the miles to kilometers. Compare the differences. As a percentage, how much longer is each part of the Hawaiian race compared to the Olympic triathlon?

More Interviews

Akhnaten Spencer-El Alison Dunlap Anna Kozlova Barb Kunkel Chris Witty Dominique Moceanu Dan O'Brien Hunter Kemper

Jimmy Pedro Kevin Han Lindsay Davenport Laura Wilkinson Lisa Fernandez Mark Ruiz Ruthie Bolton-Holifield Tom Malchow

With thanks to Bob Schaller. For more great stories about Olympians, ask your librarian about The Olympic Dream and Spirit, Vol. 1,2, and 3, with Mr. Schaller, and Awaken the Olympian Within compiled by John Naber.