Africa Triathlon

This week the Spanish triathlon federation (Federación Española de Triatlón) have announced their nomination team to the Spanish Olympic Committee (Comité Olímpico Español).  At the conclusion of ITU’s Olympic qualifying period, Spain earned a total of four Olympic spots: two men and two women.  The federation has nominated Javier Gomez, Ivan Rana, Ana Burgos, and Ainhoa Murua.

Widely considered to be the gold medal favourite in Beijing, Gomez was a lock to make the Spanish team.  Since winning his first world cup in Madrid in June 2006, Gomez has quickly climbed the all-time wins list, already at number four with ten titles.  He has been making nearly weekly appearances on the podium.  In 2007 he won his first European title and followed that up with silver at the world championships in Hamburg, Germany.  Last month in Vancouver, Canada he ran away with his first world championship with a dominating performance on the run.

Joining him on the men’s team is friend and training mate Ivan Rana.  The 2002 world champion will be heading to his third Olympic Games, finishing fifth in Sydney and 23rd in Athens.  Rana is a proven performer on the big stage with three world championship medals and two elite European championship titles.

On the women’s team, the irrepressible Ana Burgos will be four months shy of her 41st birthday when she toes the start line in Beijing for her second Olympic appearance. Regardless of age, the former European champion is still the most dangerous woman on the Spanish team. Burgos finished seventh at the 2004 Athens Olympics.  This year Burgos hasn’t raced much but was victorious at the Chania ITU Triathlon European Cup in Greece in April.  Joining her in Beijing will be Ainhoa Murua who was nominated to her second Olympics after finishing 24th in Athens.  This year she was the top Spanish woman at the first three world cups in Mooloolaba, New Plymouth and Ishigaki. 

Click here to find out other athletes who have been nominated to their National Olympic Committees

Click here for the final Olympic rankings

Click here for the ITU’s Official Olympic website

Click here for more on the Federación Española de Triatlón

Javier Gomez celebrates his first world championship earlier this month