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2021 LAKE MINNETONKA PREVIEW...
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Tuesday, 15 June 2021 00:10
17th LAKE MINNETONKA TRIATHLON - Registration for this annual classic closed almost three weeks ago. As usual, the LMT's enrollment ceiling (500 entrants) was reached early. And while it's too late to enter, we encourage folks to either spectate or volunteer.
Weather.com's prediction for the Excelsior area on race morning (June 19) is for partly cloudy skies, and not nearly as warm and windy as it was at Buffalo, the 2021 tri season kick-off. Temps should be in the mid 70s at race time with low humidity - 41% - and light winds - 5-10 mph.
Great competition is expected. Here are some predictions:
Overall Men: Podium Picks
1. JOSH MORK - Though he claims to be a bit out-of-shape, Josh is still our pick to win. He's thrived on this course the last two times he's raced here, placing 2nd on both occasions behind former pro Patrick Parish, who is not enrolled this year.
2. KYLE SWENSON - The 19-year-old former Junior of the Year (2019) is ready to bark with the Big Dogs, as his win at Sarasota Sprint last January attests. His three podium finishes before that were harbingers of victories to come....
Lycra, Dorky Helmets & Big Wins...
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Sunday, 13 June 2021 00:10
By David Koppel
Buffalo Olympic Race Report - Yesterday (June 6) was my first triathlon finish since Kona 2019. It was so long awaited and I was more excited than ever to line up next to plenty of talented MN triathletes and see where I stood. I wanted my first sub 2 hour Olympic distance race, but the weather gods laughed at that idea! It was 78° at 17-19mph winds at the start of the race. The goal was to be off the bike in striking distance of perennial powerhouse and retired pro triathlete, David Thompson (DKT).
.9 mile swim (11th/226): My swim was slow and I got rocked in the last .3 miles by some pretty big rollers. Apparently over 50 of the 600 racers were pulled out of the swim due to the conditions. I had two friends and my father-in-law to yell out how far back I was from front swimmers. 4:00 back out of the water from DKT (eek!) ...
2021 Swim-Off: Lap Swimmers - 3, Triathletes - 1...
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Friday, 11 June 2021 00:10
By Doobie Kurus
Here is a recap of the 2nd Annual SWIM-Off to Summer that took place Saturday June 5th. We had about 150 people signed up again, which included a 60/40 split field of "triathletes" to "swimmers". With temperatures moving into the upper 90s that afternoon, what better place to be than in the lake swimming? In our first year (2019), TEAM Lap Swimmers swept the podium in all 3 race distances, and we had to go all the way down to 7th place before a member of TEAM Triathletes emerged in Christina Roberts. Would the triathletes fare better this year, or would the lap swimmers prove once again that they rule the open water?
The Sprint (.3 mile) race turned out to be an actual sprint, as swimmers Skylar Percy (13) of Victoria and Nat Roberts (14) of Decorah, IA raced out of the water and onto the beach finishing in 6 minutes and 14 seconds. Bob Oliker and Parker Larson came in 2nd and 3rd, respectively for the men, and Stefanie Larson and (last year's winner) Ingrid Jeske, did the same for the women's side....
Eckhoff Breaks Out....
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Thursday, 10 June 2021 00:10
16th BUFFALO SPRINT COVERAGE - As in the women's Olympic distance race, a darkhorse claimed the bronze medal podium spot in the Sprint, placing behind amazing 56-year-old CHERYL ZITUR, which is pronounced "Zitter," not "Zee-ter," who rocked her fourth win here, and 2013 Buffalo Sprint winner CATHERINE LEE, 47. Zitur was also the only athlete in the sprint field to lower an Age Group record, which is something she does every time she races. ...
It's Koppel's Turn...
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Wednesday, 09 June 2021 00:10
15th BUFFALO OLYMPIC TRIATHLON - Men's Race - It's fun to watch the birth of stars. Triathlon stars, that is. Some rise to the status in just a year-or so. Examples include Heather Lendway, Ruth Brennan Morrey, David Thompson, Dan Hedgecock, Claire Bootsma, Kortney Haag.
Others take a tad longer, like two or three years. Patrick Parish , Cathy Yndestad, Matt Payne fit this profile.
And there are those that take a relatively long time. Several years. In these cases, it's pleasantly surprising when it happens, and very encouraging to ambitious athletes who have yet to make their mark.
JOSH MORK has been a triathlete for a long time, more than a decade. He was a "solid" competitor for much of that time. But in 2019 he emerged as a true star, a national class amateur triathlete...
