The end of the military 2007 triathlon season is quickly approaching. There were a number of great accomplishments for military athletes this year. A combination of new athletes moving to the forefront while older veterans still show their racing prowess in the 2007 season.
The 2007 Armed Forces Triathlon Championship was held on 28 July 2007 at Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu. The Navy Men took the overall win for the men’s competition while the Air Force Women took the overall win for the women’s competition. Navy Lt Tim O’Donnell was the overall winner in 1:49:32 followed by Navy Ensign Thomas Brown and Army 1Lt Darin Shearer. USMC Lt Justine Whipple was the overall female winner in 2:05:45 followed by Air Force SRA Jolene Wilkinson and Army Lt Col Heidi Grimm.
The Air Force Ironman Team won the 2007 Ironman Hawaii World Championship for the military competition. The team consisted of Lt Col Geoff Cleveland, Major Pete Ohotnicky, Major Tom Jackson, and 2Lt Lisa Newman-Wise. 2Lt Lisa Newman-Wise was the fastest military female finisher and USCG LTJG Brian Monaghan was the fastest military male. The service finishing order was Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Army.
The 2007 Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM) or World Military Games in Mumbai India was held on 21 Oct. Marine 2Lt Justine Whipple finished 2nd overall just behind women’s winner Xing L from China. This was the best US finish in triathlon since the sport was included in the CISM games. Lt Tim O’Donnell was the first US finisher in the men’s division. 2Lt Justine Whipple was just recently commissioned into the US Marines from the US Navy Academy in 2007 where she was the 2007 collegiate national champion.
The 2008 Armed Forces Triathlon Championship will be held 28 May – 1 Jun 2008 at Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu. The CISM triathlon will be held in Otepaa, Estonia 12-17 Jun 2008. This will be the fourth year of racing in the draft legal format. This continues to be the only USAT sanctioned race that allows drafting for age group athletes.
For more information, contact your service sports office or the USAT military LNO Major Spencer Cocanour at cocanours@earthlink.net if you have further questions.
News
Military World Games
Air Force Triathlon
Navy Triathlon
Important Links
Armed Forces Sports: http://www.armedforcessports.com/
All Army Sports: http://www.armymwr.com/corporate/programs/sportsandfitness/
All Air Force Sports: http://www.usafsports.com/
All Navy Sports: http://mwr.navy.mil/mwrprgms/sports.htm
All Marine Sports: http://www.usmc-mccs.org/sports/ml/index.cfm
All Coast Guard Sports: http://www.uscg.mil/mwr/armed%20forces%20sports%20homepage.htm