THE CANADIAN PRESS
VANCOUVER — Being smart may be as important as being strong for Spain’s Javier Gomez if he hopes to win his first triathlon world championship.
Gomez, who has dominated the sport the last two years, is one of the favourites in Sunday’s men’s race along with Canada’s Simon Whitfield.
Many countries have started using team tactics in the 40-kilometre bike portion of the event to help their best athlete get on the podium. With only one other Spaniard in the field here, Gomez could be in trouble if some of the other riders try to box him in.
"They will try to do a very hard race," Gomez said Friday as warm sun finally broke through the dark clouds and rain that has pelted the city all week. "I need to be strong to feel good. I also need to be intelligent, to choose when I do the attack or stay behind.
"Triathlon is a very tactical race. For sure they will try to do something, the Canadians, the French, maybe even the Swiss. I will try to make no mistakes here. Of course you need to have a good day and be strong to do it."
Whitfield, who is looking to win his first ever world championship medal, said it makes sense for a country to give its best medal threat a chance at the podium.
"You are seeing a bit of the evolution of our sport," said the gold medallist from the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. "We can kind of embrace that.
"We do well with funding in Canada now. We accept this funding on the basis we are a medal contender. You prove you are a medallist, you are put in that situation. In my opinion, you should then fill the team — if people haven’t been proven as medal contenders — with people who can help us win a medal."
On the women’s side, Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal, is looking to win her second consecutive world title. Among the Canadian challenging her will be Lauren Groves of Vancouver, Victoria’s Kirsten Sweetland and Kathy Tremblay of Montreal.
The race includes a 1.5-kilometre swim in the chilly waters of English Bay, then the bike ride and a 10-km run through the city’s West End.
Gomez has been to triathlon this season what Sidney Crosby is to the NHL. He’s young, handsome, articulate and talented.
He has won three World Cup races already this year. Nicknamed Javi by his friends, he has 10 World Cup victories in his career and 16 consecutive podium finishes.
A two-time overall World Cup winner, he finished second to Germany’s Daniel Unger at last year’s championships.
Whitfield called Gomez "an exceptional athlete."
"Luckily we still have to race the race to do it otherwise on paper he would win," said the Victoria native.
The two men are friends off the track. Near the end of Friday’s news conference Whitfield presented Gomez with a Team Canada hockey sweater. The Spaniard laughed when asked about racing against Whitfield in his own country.
"I will try to give my best," he said. "I should do it otherwise he will smash me."
Whitfield, who won last year’s World Cup race in Vancouver, has never been on the podium at the world championships. His best finish was a fifth in 2001 at Edmonton.
As much as he’d love to earn his first world championship podium at home, Whitfield is also looking ahead to this summer’s Olympics in China.
"Of course this is a huge goal for me," he said. "I would love to go the Olympic Games as the world champion. That’s why I prepared as hard as I did this winter.
"We’ll see how that unfolds."
No triathlete has won the world championships and Olympic gold medal in the same year.
The world championships will be important for several Canadians who need a top-eight finish to secure positions on this year’s Olympic team.
Whitfield and Groves have already claimed their spots.
On the men’s side, Kyle Jones of Hamilton and Edmonton’s Paul Tichelaar will be looking to grab Olympic berths.
"My life’s work is on the line this weekend," said Tichelaar, who took a year’s leave of absence from his engineering job to train for the Games. "It’s the biggest race of my life.
"There is a lot on the line and I think I’ve prepared very well for it."
Among the Canadian women looking for an Olympic spot are Sweetland, Carolyn Murray of St. Albert, Alta., and Tremblay.
"This is the race of my life," said Tremblay. "It’s almost more important than the Olympics because if I don’t make the team, I’m not going there.
"I think I’ve done all the training I need to do to be prepared here and have all the confidence."
Some of the sports top names have decided to skip the Vancouver event.
Unger won’t be on hand to defend his men’s title. Other races not here include Australia’s Peter Robertson, a three-time world champion, plus teammates Brad Kahlefeldt and Courtney Atkinson. Switzerland’s Sven Riedere, a bronze medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympics; Kris Gemmel and Shane Reed of New Zealand; and Americans Andy Potts and Hunter Kemper won’t be competing.
Missing from the women’s race will be Australia’s Emma Snowsill, who beat Fernandes once this year; Hollie Avil of Britain, who tops the World Cup points standings; and Germans Ricarda Lisk, Anja Dittmer and Christiane Pilz.
Scotland’s Kirsty McWilliam won Thursday’s world junior race in a time of one hour, four minutes, 5.03 seconds. Ashleigh Gentle of Australia was second while Hungarian Zsofia Toth was third.
Paula Findlay of Edmonton was top Canadian.
France’s Vincent Luis won the junior men’s race in 57 minutes, six seconds. Russia’s Denis Vasiliev was second followed by Jonathon Brownlee of Britain in third place.
Top Canadian was Connor Hammond of London, Ont., in 28th.