Rio’s Test Event is considered the most important race of the year because of its Olympic Games qualification importance for many athletes. Three bibs will be handed out following this event. For nations like the United States, as many as 2 athletes within the top 8 will punch their tickets to the Games.
We were hoping to finally get to see a face off between the reigning Olympic Champion Nicola Spirig with the overwhelming favorite to take full honours in Rio 2016, Gwen Jorgensen. The Swiss federation, however, has just announced that Spirig will not take the stat of the upcoming test event.
Lets remind our readers that the Swiss triathlete took on motherhood shortly after the London Games and upon her return to racing, she put forth most of her efforts towards running en route to the European Marathon Championships.
She made several appearances in triathlon events on the World Cup circuit as well as at the European Championships in Kitzbuhel and Geneva. Contrary to most of her adversaries, Spirig obtained her Olympic Games qualification at the European Games in Bakou and with her podium at WTS Cape Town earlier this season. Coincidentally, WTS Cape Town is the only event in which the American Gwen Jorgensen did not take part this season.
Spirig’s absence in Rio may very well be part of a ‘bigger picture’ plan in her quest to defend her title in Rio 2016. However, she was clear about her position when it comes to her American rival in a recent interview published in the German-Swiss newspaper, Neue Zurcher Zeitung.
Simply put, Brett Sutton’s protégée made no attempt to hide the fact that she is avoiding Gwen Jorgensen at all costs. Her reasoning is simple : Spirig is attempting to play mind games with Jorgensen and wants to make sure the American has no opportunity to use her as a measuring stick.
How can we forget Spirig’s decision to run a marathon only one week prior to her only WTS start of the season in Cape Town? One would assume that this was probably done in order to get her opponents thinking rather than a measure to better her preparation heading into the triathlon season.
Sutton hasn’t been shy to voice his disapproval of the WTS’s objectives of crowning a World Champion following a series of events raced throughout a calendar year. He sides with the old fashioned one day race, winner take all format. His actions, however, don’t seem to go hand in hand with his beliefs. Indeed, he often speaks of triathlon’s difficult development as a sport, yet by denying the world of his Olympic Champion at most events, he is indirectly downplaying the importance of these races. Is triathlon a sport in which we should hid our champions only to let them run loose every 4 years?
It certainly appears to be the case for the camp of Spirig as once again, we are seeing her divert her attention to marathons for which she is planning a return this fall.