Sunday, July 18, 2021

More than 800 Triathletes Compete at Toyota Legacy Triathlon in Long Beach, California

legacy triathlonOlympic triathletes Andy Potts, Michellie Jones and Barb Lindquist start the swim of the Olympian Pro-Am Relay at Saturday's Toyota Legacy Triathlon.(Corey Sandler)


Olympians including Andy Potts, Barb Lindquist and Joe Maloy compete with age-group athletes in the Olympian Pro-Am Relay

LONG BEACH, Calif. — The second Toyota Legacy Triathlon was held on Saturday in Long Beach, California, as more than 800 triathletes raced at Alamitos Beach, the proposed site of the triathlon competitions for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Los Angeles 2028. The Toyota Legacy Triathlon was held for the first time in 2019, as USA Triathlon became the first National Governing Body in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement to bring a new annual event to the Los Angeles footprint ahead of the 2028 Games.

The Legacy Triathlon offers another local race for the thriving multisport community in Southern California, the birthplace of triathlon. Together, with Friday's 2021 USA Triathlon Aquathlon National Championships and open water swim competitions, more than 1,100 age-group athletes competed at this weekend's multisport events. The racing action continues Sunday with the Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships and Americas Triathlon Cup Long Beach. 

Age-group competitors in Saturday’s Legacy Triathlon raced a sprint-distance triathlon, consisting of a 750-meter swim, 22-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run. The race also included an Olympian Pro-Am Relay wave, which featured eight three-person teams, each comprised of one Olympian and two amateur athletes. The amateur athletes made a donation to the USA Triathlon Foundation for the opportunity to participate, with proceeds going toward the USA Triathlon Foundation’s youth pillar and the LA Sports Council’s Ready, Set, Gold! program.

The overall winners of the Legacy Triathlon were Brittaney Wyszynski (Los Angeles, Calif.) who won the women’s race in a time of 1 hour, 6 minutes, 31 seconds and Prashanth Ganesh (Livermore, Calif.) who took the men’s win with a time of 56:59.

Wyszynski ran the fastest 5k in the field — 20:07 — to run away from second place finisher Katie Hahn (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) who clocked a time of 1:06:50. Victoria Woolfolk (Santa Ana, Calif.) rounded out the women’s podium, finishing third with a time of 1:08:11, winning her women’s 20-24 age group.

For Wyszynski, Saturday’s race was a welcome return to racing — and a special event near her hometown Los Angeles.

“I had an alarm set for this morning and in the title for the alarm I put “Remember you love this.” I woke up and was like, “I do! I really, really love this,’” Wyszynski, 34, said. “This was such a fun day and it’s so exciting to be back to racing.”

In the men’s race, Ganesh, 23, ran a race-best 16:12 5k to hold off his Team Every Man Jack teammate Todd Buckingham (Wyoming, Mich.), who finished second overall with a time of 57:53 and claimed the 30-34 age group title. Buckingham also finished second at Friday’s 2021 USA Triathlon Aquathlon National Championships. Zack Hamner (Chula Vista, Calif.) finished in 58:27 to round out the men’s podium and win his 25-29 age group.

Saturday’s win is Ganesh’s first ever race victory, he said.

“I wasn’t really sure I was in first until I saw the lead bikes were leading me,” said Ganesh, who raced four years on the collegiate club triathlon team at the University of California-Berkeley. “Most of my races have been collegiate races, so this is my first really big, USAT event. This was probably the most fun I’ve ever had in a triathlon. Long Beach is so beautiful and everyone on the start line was talking with each other, having fun. … It was cool this morning, Andy Potts was hanging out (at the start line) just talking to people. Joe Maloy was carrying his baby around. It was pretty cool.”

In the Olympian Pro-Am Relay, each athlete completed one leg of the triathlon before tagging off to their next teammate. Eight Olympians from four different Olympic sports participated, including:

• Allen James, Race-Walking, 1992 and 1996 U.S. Olympian
• Michellie Jones, Triathlon, 2000 Australian Olympic silver medalist, 2016 Australian Paralympic gold medalist (guide)
• Barb Lindquist, Triathlon, 2004 U.S. Olympian
• Joe Maloy, Triathlon, 2016 U.S. Olympian
• Giddeon Massie, Track Cycling, 2004 U.S. Olympian
• John Moffett, Swimming, 1984 U.S. Olympian, Qualified for Boycotted 1980 Olympics
• John Naber, Swimming, 1976 U.S. Olympian, four-time gold medalist, 1-time silver medalist
• Andy Potts, Triathlon, 2004 U.S. Olympian, 2020 U.S. Paralympian (guide)

Maloy — who won the overall men’s title in the inaugural Legacy Triathlon in 2019 — tasted victory again on Saturday as his relay team with age group athletes Anthony Galloway and Malek Amrani won the Olympian Pro-Am Relay. Maloy anchored the team, running a 16:30 5k, crossing the finish line while carrying his baby daughter. A 2016 Olympian, Maloy is the coordinator for the USA Triathlon Collegiate Recruitment Program, which identifies and recruits top-level NCAA runners and swimmers to elite triathlon.

The Collegiate Recruitment Program was spearheaded by Lindquist, a 2004 Olympian, and many of USA Triathlon’s most successful triathletes, both past and present, are CRP recruits — including 2016 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen; 2016 U.S. Olympian and 2020 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team member Katie Zaferes and fellow 2020 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team members Summer Rappaport and Morgan Pearson.

On Saturday, Lindquist — a former collegiate swimmer at Stanford University — swam her leg of the Olympian Pro-Am Relay. Her team, with age groupers Deb Carabet and Laine Maher, placed fourth with a time of 1:14:41.

“The mission of the Foundation is just amazing, covering all of the facets of our sport from youth to Para, so being able to support them and also be at a triathlon again, especially after COVID, is just wonderful,” Lindquist said. “The energy is amazing.”

The Legacy Triathlon also featured a Physically Challenged (PC) Open division for athletes who do not meet qualification criteria or time standards for Sunday’s Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships. Zach Collins (Albuquerque, N.M.) won the men’s division with a time of 1:12:12, while Magnolia Peters (Fort Wayne, Ind.) won the women’s division, finishing with a time of 1:19:24.

Coming Sunday: Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships and Americas Triathlon Cup Long Beach (Elite Event)

Sunday’s Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships begin at 6:30 a.m. PT, and will feature the nation’s fastest paratriathletes — including six who will represent Team USA at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 later this summer — racing for national titles in six paratriathlon sport classes. For the second time in history at the Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships, the race will feature a professional prize purse of $36,750, provided in equal parts by USA Triathlon, Toyota and the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF). Competitors will cover a 750m swim, 22k bike and 5k run.

Top finishers will also have the opportunity to qualify for the Toyota USA Paratriathlon Development Team, designed to identify and develop athletic potential leading into the Paralympic Games Paris 2024.

Approximately 35 elite paratriathletes are scheduled to race, including Tokyo-bound athletes Eric McElvenny (Pittsburgh, Pa., PTS4), Kelly Elmlinger (San Antonio, Texas, PTS4), Amy Dixon (Encinitas, Calif., PTVI) with guide Kirsten Sass (McKenzie, Tenn.), and Brad Snyder (Baltimore, Md.) with guide Greg Billington (San Francisco, Calif.).

Also on Sunday, for the first time, Long Beach will host an Americas Triathlon Cup race featuring elite triathletes and Paris 2024 Olympic hopefuls. The multi-loop course is held in the draft-legal format, in which athletes work together in tight packs on the bike. Athletes will cover a 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run.

Top U.S. men include U.S. National Team athlete and an alternate for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Matt McElroy (Huntington Beach, Calif.), and members of the USA Triathlon Project Podium men’s elite development squad Darr Smith (Atlanta, Ga.), Chase McQueen (Columbus, Ind.), Austin Hindman (Wildwood, Mo.), Drew Shellenberger (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Keller Norland (Corvallis, Ore.).

Top U.S. women include Junior and Under-23 World Champion Tamara Gorman, four-time World Triathlon Cup champion Renée Tomlin (Ocean City, N.J.), three-time U23 World Championships competitor Erika Ackerlund (Missoula, Mont.), 2021 Sarasota-Bradenton Elite Cup winner Gina Sereno (Madison, Wis.), and 2019 Junior National Champion Gillian Cridge (Indianapolis, Ind.).

Click here for the complete men’s start list, and here for the complete women’s start list.

For complete Legacy Triathlon information, including a schedule of events and course maps, download the digital event program and visit the event website at thelegacytriathlon.com.

Toyota Legacy Triathlon
750m swim, 22k bike, 5k run

Complete Results

Female Overall: Brittaney Wyszynski (Los Angeles, Calif.) 1:06:31
Male Overall: Prashanth Ganesh (Livermore, Calif.) 56:59
F15-19: Isabella Buenting (Chanhassen, Minn.) 1:09:16
M15-19: Johnathan Dolan (Atascadero, Calif.) 59:59
F20-24: Victoria Woolfolk (Santa Ana, Calif.) 1:08:11
M20-24: Prashanth Ganesh (Livermore, Calif.) 56:59
F25-29: Joanna Coker (La Jolla, Calif.) 1:11:23
M25-29: Zack Hamner (Chula Vista, Calif.) 58:27
F30-34: Brittaney Wyszynski (Los Angeles, Calif.) 1:06:31
M30-34: Todd Buckingham (Wyoming, Mich.) 57:53
F35-39: Meghan Grant (Del Mar, Calif.) 1:08:54
M35-39: Jeffrey Brennecke (Carslbad, Calif.) 1:04:01
F40-44: Erin Earlywine (Long Beach, Calif.) 1:10:22
M40-44: George Beecher (Huntington Beach, Calif.) 1:03:10
F45-49: Marissa Rastetter (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) 1:11:06
M45-49: George Eyles (Valley Village, Calif.) 1:04:00
F50-54: Kim Felix (Long Beach, Calif.) 1:20:20
M50-54: Peter Valentyik (Boulder, Colo.) 1:01:43
F55-59: Debbie Richardson (Palos Verdes Pen, Calif.) 1:11:31
M55-59: Michael Collins (Irvine, Calif.) 1:05:49
F60-64: Catherine Frye (Campbell, Calif.) 1:16:31
M60-64: Dave Campbell (Auburn, Calif.) 1:11:45
F65-69: Barbara Sullivan (Carslbad, Calif.) 1:18:11
M65-69: Terry Loftus (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) 1:12:41
F70-74: Barbara Kostner (Denver, Colo.) 1:47:49
M70-74: John Towart (Solana Beach, Calif.) 1:18:38
F75-79: Darlene March (Huntington Beach, Calif.) 2:16:07
M75-79: Robert Plant (Redwood City, Calif.) 1:25:14
M80-84: Arby Kitzman (Morro Bay Calif.) 1:41:42
M85+: Peter Alexander (Palo Alto, Calif.) 3:20:01
Athena 39 & Under: Alena Schuss (Huntington Beach, Calif.) 1:08:29
Clydesdale 39 & Under: Edwin Duarte (Norwalk, Calif.) 1:31:41
Athena 40-54: Crystal Coons (Long Beach, Calif.) 1:40:50
Clydesdale 40-59: Jack Nunn (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) 1:14:12
Athena 55 & Over: Angela Lee (Los Angeles, Calif.) 1:45:13
Clydesdale 60 & Over: Craig Donahue (Indio, Calif.) 1:52:20
M PC Open: Zach Collins (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1:12:12
F PC Open: Magnolia Peters. (Fort Wayne, Ind.) 1:19:24

Relay Division
Team Maloy (Olympian Pro-Am Wave) 1:01:35
Team Naber (Olympian Pro-Am Wave) 1:13:06
South Bay Squad (Los Angeles, Calif.) 1:13:47

usa triathlon.pngAbout USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon, paratriathlon, and indoor and virtual multisport events in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 events and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors – as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation – USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Triathlon Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of World Triathlon and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).

About the USA Triathlon Foundation
The USA Triathlon Foundation was created in 2014 by the USA Triathlon Board of Directors as an independent tax-exempt 501(c)(3) entity. Under the leadership of its Trustees and Committee members, the Foundation serves as a means to create a healthier America through triathlon and seeks to transform lives by opening up new pathways to the sport for all, especially those who are otherwise underserved. The USA Triathlon Foundation operates with the belief that every child should have the chance to participate, every paratriathlete should have the opportunity to compete, and every aspiring elite athlete should be able to chase his or her Olympic dream. Since the Foundation’s inception, more than $1.9 million has been provided to worthy causes and organizations that support its mission. Donations to the USA Triathlon Foundation ensure America's youth are introduced to the benefits and fun of a multisport lifestyle, athletes with disabilities receive the training, support and gear to be able to participate and excel, and the best aspiring young athletes have a chance to pursue their Olympic Dreams. Visit usatriathlonfoundation.org to learn more and donate today.

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