Twenty-one racers put a triathlon course designed for the 2010 Ontario Summer Games to the test Aug. 15 in Azilda.
The athletes started out with a 750 metre swim in the shallow waters of Whitewater Lake, biked 20 kilometres and ran five kilometres. The event was planned by the Nickel City Triathlon Club.
“We're hoping to use it (the triathlon course) for next year, so that's why we're testing it out,” said Laura Bewick, the technical organizer of the event.
“Basically the course is fairly flat and fast. It has nice, warm water. It's a fairly flat lake with no waves. It's also basically flat in terms of the run and bike. There's not really any hills.”
Mike Coughlin, who also helped to organize the event, won the race with a time of 1:02. He said he was “pretty happy” with his time, saying “my legs felt good out there today.”
Clinton Lahnalampi came in second with a time of 1:07, and Brad Walker came in third with a time of 1:11.
“It's tough to find a safe triathlon course here in the Sudbury area. But the club has done an excellent job in creating this venue. It will be a lot of fun for the kids next year at the summer games,” said Coughlin.
Bill McKetsey, the technical adviser for the 2010 Ontario Summer Games, was on hand to watch the event.
“It's the first time I've been out here (to see the course in Azilda). It looks very good. I think people seem to be well prepared. There's lots of officials around.”
McKetsey said 3,600 youth between the ages of 14 and 19 years old will be coming to Sudbury next year for the summer games. There will be 32 events, including archery, volleyball, basketball, soccer and mountain biking.
He said the summer games will be a big boost to Sudbury's economy. “It's going to be $1 million plus for the economy. We're looking at 3,600 kids, plus coaches and officials. It's a major event for the city, the largest that Sudbury's ever hosted as far as participation.”
McKetsey said the triathlon course is just one of several new sports venues in Sudbury that will be used during the summer games.
“We've got the mountain bike (venue) out in Naughton, we've got this venue (triathlon course in Azilda) ready to go, we've got a BMX track being set up at the Adanac ski centre and we have the new track at Laurentian University.”
Bewick said the triathlon club is always looking for new members.
“We take anyone from somebody who have never been in the water before to fast, elite-type athletes. We take it all,” she said.
“We do some workouts together. We have some coaching support. But a lot of it is just about getting together and sharing information and encouraging each other and getting out to race together. It's lots of fun.
“It is a challenge. You have to commit to working a little bit at all of the sports, because you have a combination of three."
