Michellie
Jones Triumphs in Athens
In an event heralded as a test of next August's 2004
Athens Olympic Games Triathlon, Sydney Olympic Games silver
medallist and Holofiber spokesperson Michellie Jones beat out
Britain's Jodie Swallow and sprinted to victory in the Athens
2003 Sport Event and ITU World Cup. This win makes Jones the
favorite for the Gold Medal once again.
Michellie swam just 20 seconds out of the water behind the leader,
and biked the grueling five-lap bike course with a dramatic
22% climb with each lap, but she soon showed her personal strength
as the women transitioned into the run.
"Agony Hill" took its toll on the athletes' legs and
by the beginning of the 3-lap 10-kilometer run, several competitors
began to drop off the pace. By the halfway point, Jones, Swallow
and Pilar Hidalgo were running together at the front.
Going into the final lap, Swallow and Jones had pulled ahead
of Hidalgo and it took a sprint down the finish chute to sort
things out, with Michellie, known as the "Grand Dame of
Triathlon," adding the Athens ITU World Cup to her record
number of triathlon wins. Jones finished the triathlon in 2:06:47
– one second ahead of her closest competition.
Jones is verypleased with this win and feels that the Olympic
course suits her style of racing.
With that in mind, her friends and fans are cheering her back
to Athens for the August
2004 Olympic Games. We'll be pulling for you on August 25th,
Michellie!
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