U.S. OLYMPIC TRIATHLON TRIALS SATURDAY ❈ BLACK WARRIOR RIVER (START-FINISH) ❈ WOMEN: NOON; MEN: 2:30 P.M.
RACE DAY
F R I D A Y , A P R I L 18, 2008 50¢
WWW.TIDESPORTS.COM
PHOTO | GETTY IMAGES
STAFF ILLUSTRATION | ANTHONY BRATINA
Chasing a dream Triathletes aim to follow path of former UA swimmer to Olympic glory By Christopher Walsh Sports Writer
TUSCALOOSA | Usually with triathlon, where you’re going is considered much more important than where you’ve been, but this weekend Susan Williams will have the pleasure of visiting one of the key cogs of her athletic career. Before she was a guest on the Today Show and Late Night with David Let-
Coverage from the U.S. Olympic Triathlon Trials online at www.tuscaloosanews.com
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AT A GLANCE TRIAL ROUTE: Starts with a 1,500-meter swim in the Black Warrior River. Second leg is a 24.8-mile bicylce ride that starts at River Road Park East. Final leg is a 6.2-mile run that starts at River Road Park East.
terman, before she became a mother, before she was working to become an astronaut, Williams was a swimmer at the University of Alabama, where she earned her Bachelor’s of Sciences degree in aerospace engineering in 1992. “Roll Tide!” said Williams, who will ser ve as a race announcer during Saturday’s Olympic Trials, which will serve as the marquee event to one of the sport’s greatest convergences ever held on American soil — including the
RACE FORECAST
Tuscaloosa Party cloudy High of 72, low of 43
collegiate national championship and the Tuscaloosa Triathalon. On Saturday and Sunday, more than 1,000 competitors will swim the 1,500meter course in the Black Water River, bike 24.8 miles mostly along Jack Warner Parkway, and run 10K around River Road Park path. They’ll be of all ages and all walks of life, ranging from rank amateurs and beginners to the nation’s best. SEE WILLIAMS | 7C
INSIDE ■ Athlete capsules | 2C ■ Best locations to watch all the triathlon action | 3C ■ City workers get Tuscaloosa ready for the bid day| 3C ■ Tougher challenge awaits qualifiers | 3C ■ Map routes of the U.S. Olympic Triathlon Trials, the Collegiate Nationals and the USA Triathlon | 6C ■ The science behind triathlete’s training| 7C PHOTO | GETTY IMAGES
Triathlete Andy Potts