Huron Expositor, 2006-09-13, Page 15n
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►. - AtAror.I *Pe 'sit.- 10
The Huron
sitor • September 13, 2006 Page 15
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Dublin native competes in international triathlon
Susan Hundertmark-
Running and cycling through the nar-
row cobblestone streets of Lausanne,
Switzerland after swimming in Lake
Geneva, Tim McClure, of Dublin,
couldn't believe he was competing
against international triathletes he
believes will soon be Olympic athletes.
Competing in the FISU university
world championship triathlon on Aug.
26, McClure was living a goal he set for
himself last year.
"I'm not sure it was a realistic goal
and I was surprised I was selected to
go. I was really in awe that my name
was on the list among the names of
some of those guys. They are allon the
verge of making it big - I wouldn't be
surprised if some of diem from that race
are Olympians in 2012," he says.
McClure went into the university
championships ranked first in Canada
in the Under -23 category.
But, after coming in 59th out of 79
starters, McClure says he was "in over
my head" but plans to keep training as
a triathlete during his fourth and possi-
bly final year at Brock University in St.
Catharines.
"Those guys were all older and more
experienced and just faster. I've got to
get faster," he says.
He remained in Switzerland to com-
pete in the ITU' Triathlon World
Championships for university athletes
ages 20-24 on Sept. 2.
In the second race, he finished 36th
out of 89 st'ters.
"It was a little easier in the second
race because it was the same course and
I knew what to expect. Of course you
want to end up on the podium but I was
pretty happy with the results," he says.
McClure began training as a triath-
lete during his second year at universi-
ty after being named the Brock
Badgers' 2004 cross-country rookie of
the year.
While he had never swum competi-
tively before, McClure - a former
Seaforth Centenaire and high school
cross country and mountain bike
team member - quickly began Com-
peting on an international level
when he qualified for the ITU world
championship triathlon in Hawaii
last summer.
Competing in .Olympic distance
triathlons means completing a
1,500 -metre swim, a 40 -kilometre
bike and a 10 -kilometre run.
And, while McClure's swimming
has improved, he says it's still his
weakest event.
"I'm still working hard at the
swimming. That's still where I fall
behind and it's the first event SQ it's
hard to make that up in the rest of
the race," he says.
He's starting up the school year with
a rigorous training - schedule of 16 hours
a week in the pool with the Badgers'
swim team, 10 hours a week running
with the Badgers' cross country team
and five hours a week on his bike - all
packed into a full course load with his
recreation and leisure degree.
"It's a juggling act to get to all the
practices," he says, adding he begins
every day at 5:30 a.m. swimming prac-
tice.
While the coming year will be his first
competing at swim meets, he'll be swim-
ming with the thought that he's still
training for triathlons.
"Hopefully, I'll learn how to go faster.
The coach is awesome and it was good
of him to take me on," he says.
While it's too soon after his interna-
tional races to set his next goals,
McClure is looking back on his time in
Switzerland as an incredible opportuni-
ty where he met athletes from around
the world.
"We stayed in a hostel with all the
other countries' teams - the girls from
Hong Kong were across the hall. We'd
all go to meals together wearing our
country's colours and we had our flags
hanging off our balconies. It was like a
mini athletes' village," he says.
He spent time between the two races
touring Switzerland, including a cable
car ride up into the Alps where he and
some friends played in the snow.
"It's been a great experience. I've got-
ten to travel and meet tons of people,"
he says.
But, while he won't be planning his
next races until November or December,
McClure says he's far from finished
with triathlons.
"You only learn it by racing - it's a
pain you never experience in training.
Someone is passing you and you want to
go a little faster. And, your body some-
how is able to go a little faster," he says.
"There's always that urge to beat that
guy who was ahead of you last time."
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Submitted' photo
Tim McClure, of Dublin, com-
pletes the final leg of the FISU
university world championship
triathlon in Switzerland on
Aug: 26, the first of two inter-
national triathlons he complet-
ed in Switzerland recently:
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