Congratulations, your entry is now officially confirmed in what is appearing to be one of the most competitive events in the country this season for the international distance – The Mrs. T’s Pierogies USA Triathlon Worlds Qualifier on June 15 (Saturday race) in Lake Placid, New York. As some of you know, USAT has been hosting this event for the last few years in response to the many athletes who wanted a second chance opportunity to make it onto the world’s team. We are confident this event will be fun and challenging at the same time.
WE
HAVE SUBMITTED AS AN ATTACHMENT, A SHORT SURVEY THAT WE NEED FOR YOU TO
COMPLETE. THIS WILL USED BY RACE
ANNOUNCERS BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE EVENT.
PLEASE SUBMIT IT SOON AS WE ARE CREATING A DATA BASE FOR PLACEMENT OF
THIS INFORMATION. Please return to Tim@usatriathlon.org
or fax to: 719-597-2121 by June 12 (the day we all leave for this event). IF
YOU CAN’T OPEN THE ATTACHMENT, PLEASE LET US KNOW ASAP.
Over
the next few weeks, we will be emailing you with information on the upcoming
event. We also encourage you to keep
checking the 208.249.120.226/triathlon website as we continue adding details
on the race and updating the entry list.
Athletes
not aware of the event’s location, Lake Placid is located in the heart of the
Adirondack Mountain Range located approximately 100 miles from Albany, New York
and Burlington, Vermont. It has been
host to not only the World’s Qualifier in 2001 but many other world caliber
events including two Olympic Games (1932 and 1980). Matter of fact, the oval where the transition area will be set
up, is where Eric Heiden won several of his gold medals in speed skating and
just a hop and a skip away from where the men’s hockey team won gold. I will remind you of this during the event!!
Minimum speeds will be in effect around the oval. Anyone running under 5 mph will forced to run an extra lap around
the oval and finish running backwards!
Temperatures will be in the low 60’s to mid 70’s with water temperatures
expected to be in the mid 60’s. If you
are interested in learning more about the area, please go to the site
208.249.120.226.
All
athletes participating in this event must be annual members of USAT. If you are not yet an annual member or your
membership card has expired, please visit our website at www.usatriathlon.org . Annual
memberships can be purchased on the day of registration from the USAT personnel
in attendance.
All
of you who are under 20 years of age should be aware that this event is not a
qualifier for the upcoming world championship. This event is being reserved for
the finale of the junior race series being held in New Hampshire on September
22. Since December 31, 2002 is the date
by which an athlete must be 20 to be eligible for the 20-24 age group slots for
worlds, it is imperative that you are entered as such. Athletes who are interested in obtaining a
slot in the 20-24 age group must make this commitment at the awards ceremony.
If athletes later earn a spot on the team in the under 23 division, they will
have to forfeit their age group slot for worlds. Deposits would then be transferred for the athletes without
penalty. Even though juniors are not
qualifying for slots at this event, we are allowing athletes under 20 though to
earn prizes for their finish place, three deep for each gender. Athletes should go to www.usatinfo.com if any questions arise on
the series or the qualifying program.
Please contact Sara Rosenkranz at Sara@usatriathlon.org
if you have any questions on the new rule.
Worlds Qualifier in Lake Placid
How
Do I Accept My Team USA slot if I finish high enough in my age group to earn a
spot on the team?
1. Attend the awards ceremony.
2.
After receiving your award, walk directly off stage to the USA Triathlon TEAM
USA tables (in the adjoining room behind the stage). At these tables you will
need to sign a check-in sheet indicating your interest in competing at worlds.
Those who qualify and intend on going will need to:
a. Complete the participation waiver and agreement
form at the desk and,
b. Submit payment of a $218.75 deposit, (the entry
and user fee payments combined).
c. Take the slip (given to you by a volunteer) that
states the website address for the new and improved travel package
(www.goglobalsports.com), location of the Team USA forms (www.usatinfo.com),
soon to be active site of the on-line clothing order form (www.runtex.com) and receipt as proof of
on-site payment.
d. The three payment options will be check, cash and
credit card (mastercard and visa only).
Only
those earning a guaranteed slot (who finish within the top seven available
slots) according to the check-in sheet will need to complete the participation
waiver and agreement form and make payment. All other forms (that we will need
for you to complete on line within fifteen days) and race information appear on
the website, www.usatinfo.com.
3. In the case an athlete who finishes high
enough to earn a spot on the team chooses not to attend worlds and indicates so
on the check-in form, a pass down slot will be given on site. All athletes
finishing in the top fifteen (15) in their respective age group will be
required to complete the sign-in sheet (form that lets us know of your interest
in attending the world's event) in the case pass downs become available at a
later time.
4. A pre-qualified athlete will be passed over
in terms of pass down slots (those who won world titles or pre-qualified at the
2001 nationals in Idaho). We will pass down beyond fifteenth place the number
of slots equal to the number of athletes who have met this pre-qualification.
5. If you are unable to attend the awards ceremony,
you should have someone else sign the sign-in sheet and, in the case of a high
enough age group finish to earn a slot (after pass down), complete the waiver
and make payment for you (or you give them a check to give to us). Volunteers
will be in attendance to help you with this process.
6. For those athletes who say, "I don't
know if I want to go to worlds or not" or "I don't know anything
about going to worlds", will need to indicate yes on the form, pay the
deposit and upon arriving home, go to the website to learn more about the whole
Team USA program. They will have until 60 days prior to the world's event to
get a full refund from us.
7. BE AWARE that all athletes will be competing
in the age group that corresponds to age as of December 31, 2002 at this event.
Awards and slots will be based on this age rule.
8. Those athletes not getting a pass down slot
at the event or who finish outside of whatever place ends up being the final
world's spot given at the event, will be notified via phone by the USAT
National Office if a slot becomes available. Again, if you finished in the top
fifteen of your age group, we still need for you to check-in at the Team USA
Table and sign the check-off form confirming your interest in taking the slot
if one becomes available. The list of athletes who take slots will appear on
the www.usatinfo.com website within two weeks of all qualifiers.
9. Again, athletes qualifying for the team will
have to sign-in on the check-off form, complete the participation waiver for
worlds, and place a deposit of $218.75 at the race site to confirm the slot.
Failure to do this within this time frame may null and void the person's right
to the slot. Why? We want to try and finalize the composition of the team as
early as possible so that athletes can begin making plans and so that we can
get the roster to the world organizers within 30 days of the event.
10. All athletes qualifying for the world's team will be required to be current annual members of USAT at the time of the qualifier and the world championship.