NewsAlegre and Smyers Named WTC's Top Age-Groupers for 2002
Alegre and Smyers Named WTC's Top Age-Groupers for 2002
Published Tuesday, February 25, 2003
The outstanding male and female 2002 Age Group athletes were honored recently at the 11th Annual Competitor Magazine Endurance Sports Awards.
Marcos Alegre and Donna Smyers have been named World Triathlon Corporation's "Outstanding Age Group Athletes for 2002," as a result of their record-setting performances at the Ironman Triathlon World Championship last October. Both athletes were honored Feb. 8 at the 11th Annual Competitor Endurance Sports Awards held at Sea World in San Diego.
Sixty-seven-year Alegre from Sugar Hill, GA, shattered a seven-year-old Kona record in the 65-69 age group at the 2002 Ironman Triathlon World Championship. His 11:53:17 eclipsed the original record of 12:38:04 set in 1994 by more than 50 minutes. The 2002 championship was Alegre's third trip to Kona and his second consecutive age group title. According to Alegre, he only trains between 10-12 hours a week to avoid injury.
"I am just a normal person, married to an understanding woman for 40 years," said Alegre of the award. "I am still working to pay for my expensive sport. If I can make it happen, you can easily do it."
Smyers, 45, a physical therapist from Montpelier, VT, set a new record in the women's 45-49 age group, breaking the three-year-old record by seven-and-a-half minutes. Her 10:43:39 finish earned her an age group title for the third time in six trips to Kona, where she has never finished lower than third in her division.
"I definitely had the goal of breaking the record," said Smyers. "As far as I could tell it was the only 'soft' woman's record left. I am really excited about the award. It's impressive to say I was flown to San Diego to receive two awards." Smyers was also named USA Triathlon's Masters Female Triathlete of the Year.
The age group awards were established in 1999 to recognize the accomplishments of age group athletes in Hawaii. Past recipients include: 2001 Laura Sophiea, Pleasant Ridge, MI and Bob Scott, Naperville, IL; 2000 Cherie Gruenfeld, Blue Jay, CA and Kai Michael Roeckert, Erfurt, Germany; and 1999 Missy LeStrange, Visalia, CA and Bill Bell, Palm Desert, CA.
