The Triathlon Chronicles
The Racing Diary
Stellar November Brings Potts World Cup Victory and Team World Champion Title
By Brent Smith
2004 Athens Olympian Andy Potts earned a World Championship Title with teammates Brian Fleischman and Matt Reed at the 2006 ITU Elite Team Triathlon World Championships held in Cancun, Mexico just days before the Cancun World Cup event. The following week, Potts powered away from the entire field at the New Plymouth World Cup to secure the top spot on the podium and move up to third in the final 2006 World Rankings.
New Plymouth, New Zealand (November 12) – After the Beijing World Cup Triathlon, U.S. Olympian Andy Potts had five weeks to prepare before his final test of the 2006 season. Determined to finish the year on a high note, Potts conferred with his coach on finding the best approach to put in as much hard work as possible without breaking down.
The careful preparation paid off at the 2006 ITU Elite Team Triathlon World Championships, where Potts, along with U.S. teammates Matt Reed and Brian Fleischman, claimed the Team World Championship Title.
The Team USA members had all competed in the sprint distance format earlier this year, winning the 2006 Fast Triathlon in Florianopolis, Brazil. Their experience at the distance, race format, and with each other as teammates proved to be a valuable advantage.
“We knew that if we didn’t make any mistakes and raced strong, we could get on the podium,” said Potts. “Brian had a great swim and got into the breakaway with four other athletes and Matt held the lead on the bike with the German team and pulled away on the run, giving me a small lead. As the anchor, I had to focus on holding off the German team and making sure my intensity stayed high throughout my leg of the race.”
“Triathlon is usually a really individual effort, but I think the team format is a lot of fun. The crowd had a lot of energy and it was a great event. It’s also an incredible honor to be the 2006 Team World Champions.”
With three days to wait before the start of the 2006 ITU Cancun World Cup Triathlon, Potts felt a little stale heading into the race. The large number of entrants made for a chaotic swim and the flat bike course made it very difficult to attack during the race, resulting in a very large lead pack heading into the flat and fast run. Potts held strong to finish eleventh, but was disappointed in the performance.
“I was really happy with my preparation but didn’t have a chance to capitalize on it,” he said. “I came out upset, but at least it motivated me to end the season on a really good note, which was a good attitude to have leading into the New Plymouth World Cup.”
The New Zealand event provided a very different experience than Cancun. Cold and windy conditions and choppy surf fed into his swimming strength and ultimately strung out the competitors from the start. Potts took advantage of the tough swim and broke away from the entire field with Marko Albert of Estonia. The two athletes were relentless in their drive and worked together to pull nearly two minutes ahead of the competition by the end of the bike.
“I just wanted to show people what I’m capable of. Marko and I were just so motivated to make it work. I try and employ this strategy every time I race and when it works, it is really something special. I knew that all I had to do was keep my composure on the run and I would secure the win.”
“I wasn’t going to let off the gas at all, but it took so much to get that kind of lead that I decided to enjoy it as much as I could. I had a smile from ear to ear the entire last lap.”
With his stellar effort during the final race on the 2006 World Cup circuit, Potts moved into 3rd place in the World Rankings, the highest position of his career. Additionally, Potts finishes the season as the highest ranked American athlete, boding well for the seasons to come.
“It has been a battle all year. I’m so proud of my final ranking and being the top American is very special as well. This season I think I showed people that it’s important to enjoy what you’re doing and work hard at it. The next few years are going to be very exciting.”