LAVA Magazine - July 2015
096 : ROAD TO RIO : R
GETTING TO KNOW THE U.S. HOPEFULS Eight athletes battling for the five (possibly six) Olympic spots.
W
By Chris Foster
ith ITU events almost every
LINDSEY JERDONEK—Root for her if:
Shoemaker’s consistency and experience will
weekend for the next few months,
You’re a swimmer and you believe in steady
likely get him to the big start line—look for his
there’s a lot to see and hear—
progress.
guts to come up later.
from the Canadian women’s insane-looking
A pro since 2009, Jerdonek has slowly
race outfits to Jonny Brownlee’s absolutely
climbed the ranks: moving from front pack at
JOE MALOY—Root for him if: You believe in
inscrutable Yorkshire accent. More importantly,
Continental Cups, to front pack at World Cups,
big breakthroughs.
now’s the time to get behind these U.S. Olympic
to mid-pack WTS before finally scoring big
hopefuls:
with top-10 finishes at WTS Abu Dhabi and
2010, hitting a few top 10s in Continental
WTS Gold Coast. A former collegiate swimmer
Cups between poor finishes. In 2013 Maloy
at University of Maryland, Jerdonek’s story is
began his fast climb to the front: a top 20 at
GWEN JORGENSEN—Root for her if: You
Maloy has been scrapping in the ITU since
the San Diego WTS and two World Cup top
like a sure thing.
10s. In June of 2014, Maloy was crowned
Jorgensen swam for Division I powerhouse Wisconsin. She also ran there. All-American
U.S. National Champion and since then rarely
at both, Jorgensen has the most impressive
finishes outside of the top 20 in a World Cup or
single-sport background of any U.S. athlete.
WTS event.
She has been alone atop the WTS podium all year, completely dominating the early season
BEN KANUTE—Root for him if: You’re a tri-
events.
athlete first—forget this single-sport foolishness.
KATIE ZAFERES—Root for her if: You like a
at 22, Kanute has more triathlon experience
skyrocketing up-and-comer and you believe run-
than many of the other U.S. Olympic hopefuls.
ners can learn to swim.
Competing in his first event at age 8, Kanute
Zaferes, like Jorgensen, ran in college at Syracuse University. Unlike Jorgensen, during Zaferes’ college years her biggest exposure to swimming was mostly the filthy water in the
COURTESY CHRIS FOSTER
Despite being the youngest of the group
came up through the famed Multisport Madness junior program as a pure triathlete. After a few hit-or-miss pro results, Kanute recently came up big with impressive finishes at WTS Auckland in 2015 and the Tongyeong World
steeplechase pit. Zaferes has proven to be a quick learner, however, leading the swim at
about grinding it out as her running legs built
WTS Cape Town and finding the WTS podium
underneath her.
Cup in 2014.
HUNTER KEMPER—Root for him if: You
every time so far in 2015.
JARROD SHOEMAKER—Root for him if:
believe age is just a number.
SARAH TRUE—Root for her if: You like pure
You fondly remember him puking on Jan Frodeno
fearlessness—going all in, consequences be
and himself en route to making his first Olympic
when most current high-school students
damned.
Team in 2008. (If not, Google the picture.)
weren’t even born yet. He’s been to three
True (née Groff) is the veteran of the wom-
Shoemaker ran at Dartmouth and worked on
Kemper was at his first Olympic Games
more since. This man knows the Olympic pro-
en’s group. Triathlon fans should remember her
his swim for years. Making the 2008 Olympic
cess inside and out, and his ability to step up
race at the 2012 London Games where she gave
team was no fluke, as Shoemaker also owns
on the big day can’t be ignored. Though he’s
the gutsiest performance of the day, just miss-
the only American male WTS medal (Hamburg
lower on the rankings, Kemper is like water,
ing a medal by 10 seconds. Since then, True has
2009). Last year was a mixed bag, but he shone
always finding the path of least resistance.
rebounded and built an impressive collection of
with a big top 10 at the WTS Grand Final in
Look for Kemper to shine when shining is
top-five WTS performances over the past year.
2014 and a top 15 at WTS Cape Town this year.
needed.
lavamagazine.com
LAVA
GETTING TO KNOW THE U.S. HOPEFULS Eight athletes battling for the five (possibly six) Olympic spots.
W
By Chris Foster
ith ITU events almost every
LINDSEY JERDONEK—Root for her if:
Shoemaker’s consistency and experience will
weekend for the next few months,
You’re a swimmer and you believe in steady
likely get him to the big start line—look for his
there’s a lot to see and hear—
progress.
guts to come up later.
from the Canadian women’s insane-looking
A pro since 2009, Jerdonek has slowly
race outfits to Jonny Brownlee’s absolutely
climbed the ranks: moving from front pack at
JOE MALOY—Root for him if: You believe in
inscrutable Yorkshire accent. More importantly,
Continental Cups, to front pack at World Cups,
big breakthroughs.
now’s the time to get behind these U.S. Olympic
to mid-pack WTS before finally scoring big
hopefuls:
with top-10 finishes at WTS Abu Dhabi and
2010, hitting a few top 10s in Continental
WTS Gold Coast. A former collegiate swimmer
Cups between poor finishes. In 2013 Maloy
at University of Maryland, Jerdonek’s story is
began his fast climb to the front: a top 20 at
GWEN JORGENSEN—Root for her if: You
Maloy has been scrapping in the ITU since
the San Diego WTS and two World Cup top
like a sure thing.
10s. In June of 2014, Maloy was crowned
Jorgensen swam for Division I powerhouse Wisconsin. She also ran there. All-American
U.S. National Champion and since then rarely
at both, Jorgensen has the most impressive
finishes outside of the top 20 in a World Cup or
single-sport background of any U.S. athlete.
WTS event.
She has been alone atop the WTS podium all year, completely dominating the early season
BEN KANUTE—Root for him if: You’re a tri-
events.
athlete first—forget this single-sport foolishness.
KATIE ZAFERES—Root for her if: You like a
at 22, Kanute has more triathlon experience
skyrocketing up-and-comer and you believe run-
than many of the other U.S. Olympic hopefuls.
ners can learn to swim.
Competing in his first event at age 8, Kanute
Zaferes, like Jorgensen, ran in college at Syracuse University. Unlike Jorgensen, during Zaferes’ college years her biggest exposure to swimming was mostly the filthy water in the
COURTESY CHRIS FOSTER
Despite being the youngest of the group
came up through the famed Multisport Madness junior program as a pure triathlete. After a few hit-or-miss pro results, Kanute recently came up big with impressive finishes at WTS Auckland in 2015 and the Tongyeong World
steeplechase pit. Zaferes has proven to be a quick learner, however, leading the swim at
about grinding it out as her running legs built
WTS Cape Town and finding the WTS podium
underneath her.
Cup in 2014.
HUNTER KEMPER—Root for him if: You
every time so far in 2015.
JARROD SHOEMAKER—Root for him if:
believe age is just a number.
SARAH TRUE—Root for her if: You like pure
You fondly remember him puking on Jan Frodeno
fearlessness—going all in, consequences be
and himself en route to making his first Olympic
when most current high-school students
damned.
Team in 2008. (If not, Google the picture.)
weren’t even born yet. He’s been to three
True (née Groff) is the veteran of the wom-
Shoemaker ran at Dartmouth and worked on
Kemper was at his first Olympic Games
more since. This man knows the Olympic pro-
en’s group. Triathlon fans should remember her
his swim for years. Making the 2008 Olympic
cess inside and out, and his ability to step up
race at the 2012 London Games where she gave
team was no fluke, as Shoemaker also owns
on the big day can’t be ignored. Though he’s
the gutsiest performance of the day, just miss-
the only American male WTS medal (Hamburg
lower on the rankings, Kemper is like water,
ing a medal by 10 seconds. Since then, True has
2009). Last year was a mixed bag, but he shone
always finding the path of least resistance.
rebounded and built an impressive collection of
with a big top 10 at the WTS Grand Final in
Look for Kemper to shine when shining is
top-five WTS performances over the past year.
2014 and a top 15 at WTS Cape Town this year.
needed.
lavamagazine.com
LAVA
