Verzbicas Competing Sunday in Hungary at World Tri Champs

Correct USA Triathlon PR link here:

http://www.usatriathlon.org/news/2010/07/12/howland-verzbicas-claim-itu-junior-worlds-spots/37183

Stan Ford Jr.

Good Luck Lukas!

Kick ass, and enjoy flirting with some hot Budapest girls! (The won't be hard to find.)

Not sure if this has been discussed here, but why is this kid wasting his time doing triathlons?

We had a kid like this (not as talented obviously) on our college team, and everyone pretty much wanted to kill him.

That's a great story.

yes sirree wrote:

Not sure if this has been discussed here, but why is this kid wasting his time doing triathlons?

We had a kid like this (not as talented obviously) on our college team, and everyone pretty much wanted to kill him.

Was he going to be Olympic champion? Just curious, it kinda factors in.

No. He was #4 man on our XC team and would have been #1 if he solely concentrated on running. Would have made a difference of us getting to the national meet.

I guess if I were this kid I'd rather see where I can take running. Olympic triathlon medalist is great - but somewhere between racewalking/biathlon and below track and field in the endurance sports hierarchy. In my view :)

yes sirree wrote:I guess if I were this kid I'd rather see where I can take running. Olympic triathlon medalist is great - but somewhere between racewalking/biathlon and below track and field in the endurance sports hierarchy. In my view :)

You are a distance runner. The average American woman sees Olympic quality triathlete as somewhere between sprint star and NFL QB. Champion distance runner isn't even on the radar.

I think I read somewhere he wants to make London 2012 and figures his only shot is in the tri. Then he'll move back to strictly running later on.

Seriously with all the money triathletes they pay to USAT, Im suprised they still havent been able to accurately measure a course. USAT if the biggest sham going.

Results from Des Moines state he ran the 5k in 13:58 to come from behind to win comfortably.

Watched this kid run at Nike Nationals in 09. He is the real deal. Maybe this cross training is his key to success? Whatever path he goes he's world class.

Lukas finished 4th, 3rd Place Kevin McDonald, I think in HS also from Geneva, IL[quote]Stan Ford Jr. wrote:

Correction Kevin McDowell

Lukas had the fastest run time by 27 seconds (15:20).

detectable wrote:

Was he going to be Olympic champion? Just curious, it kinda factors in.

So, LV isn't even the top american at worlds in the triathlon.

He's the top HS american in CC.

Granted, the triathlon is less competitive so he might have a better shot, but I think this shows he's a far more talented runner than triathlete.

These are juniors (i.e. under 20 years of age) though, so surely most are a lot older than he is.

Results below.... pretty solid performance. Almost 30 seconds faster than the next fastest guy in the 5k. Too bad he wasn't closer. I wish to see him concentrate on running as well but it could be pretty interesting seeing all the guys sweating it out knowing that have to have a HUGE lead on him on the final leg of a tri! Great job, Luke!

http://www.triathlon.org/results/results/brownlee_jackson_run_away_with_u23_world_titles/5025/

Sleeping Policeman wrote:

These are juniors (i.e. under 20 years of age) though, so surely most are a lot older than he is.

Since LV is a senior this year, they're at most a year older. The other american is also a senior in HS.

Not trying to disrespect LV, just pointing out that he is good at the triathlon because he is such a superior runner.

At least according to these results he's an average or below average swimmer and cyclist on the world junior level.

The point is he's a better runner than triathlete and I think it's presumptous people talking about how he should do the triathlon because he'd be a near lock for the olympic team and compete for a gold medal.

At the top level, there's only so much time that can be made up in the run. For example, I'd venture to guess that the best triathletes could run high 13's (13:50ish) for 5k if in peak running shape. Even if LV is in 13:20-30ish shape, that's not much of a gap when it's only 1/3 of the race.

So i was looking at these results a little more and realized Luke past a ton of people over the the 5k, and was curious just how far back he was..... I extracted the data and after a little digging, I see he was in 42nd place going into the 5k! On average, he was passing a guy every 20 seconds of that final leg. If any of you has ever raced from behind, you know how fun it can be to pick people off - can you blame him for loving the sport when he can dominate like that?! Guarantee every serious triathlete in the world will make this same observation and fear the day he learns to swim and bike a little better!!

****3rd time from the end is the split going into the 5k.

POSITION STARTNUMBER ATHLETELASTNAME ATHLETEFIRSTNAME REPCOUNTRY SWIM T1 BIKE T2 Time - Run RUN TOTALTIME

8 7 Pujades Anthony FRA 00:08:28 00:00:56 00:26:38 00:00:20 0:36:21 00:16:39 00:53:00

2 8 Bishop Thomas GBR 00:08:49 00:00:57 00:26:18 00:00:23 0:36:23 00:15:54 00:52:17

14 74 Osborne Sam NZL 00:08:50 00:01:02 00:26:12 00:00:20 0:36:23 00:16:53 00:53:16

25 27 Naude Rudolf RSA 00:08:55 00:00:54 00:26:16 00:00:19 0:36:23 00:17:18 00:53:41

26 54 Tsubaki Kohei JPN 00:08:55 00:00:51 00:26:19 00:00:20 0:36:24 00:17:22 00:53:46

19 30 Buhler Jurg SUI 00:08:51 00:00:54 00:26:18 00:00:21 0:36:24 00:17:04 00:53:28

38 71 De Ponti Andrea ITA 00:08:53 00:00:58 00:26:13 00:00:21 0:36:25 00:18:14 00:54:39

12 28 Pimenov Vyacheslav RUS 00:08:37 00:00:57 00:26:26 00:00:24 0:36:25 00:16:47 00:53:12

24 57 Barclay Aaron NZL 00:08:44 00:00:53 00:26:26 00:00:21 0:36:25 00:17:12 00:53:37

11 26 Ventura Hugo POR 00:08:42 00:00:57 00:26:25 00:00:24 0:36:26 00:16:40 00:53:06

31 51 Shaw Benjamin IRL 00:08:28 00:00:56 00:26:40 00:00:21 0:36:26 00:17:33 00:53:59

5 52 Darmon Ron ISR 00:08:46 00:01:06 00:26:13 00:00:21 0:36:26 00:16:17 00:52:43

23 64 Knabl Alois AUT 00:08:39 00:01:00 00:26:25 00:00:24 0:36:26 00:17:11 00:53:37

1 68 Alarza Fernando ESP 00:08:39 00:00:54 00:26:33 00:00:20 0:36:28 00:15:47 00:52:15

37 22 Rawles Edward NZL 00:08:44 00:01:00 00:26:23 00:00:23 0:36:28 00:18:08 00:54:36

40 62 Kanute Ben USA 00:08:39 00:01:00 00:26:26 00:00:24 0:36:28 00:18:27 00:54:55

51 59 Schoeman Henri RSA 00:08:16 00:00:57 00:26:51 00:00:25 0:36:28 00:19:22 00:55:50

21 43 Stewart Cole CAN 00:08:24 00:00:57 00:26:44 00:00:24 0:36:29 00:17:03 00:53:32

45 67 Barraza Felipe CHI 00:08:39 00:00:56 00:26:32 00:00:23 0:36:29 00:18:52 00:55:21

9 79 Sharpe Matthew CAN 00:08:31 00:01:00 00:26:38 00:00:23 0:36:30 00:16:32 00:53:02

15 69 Zimmer Micha GER 00:08:36 00:01:00 00:26:30 00:00:27 0:36:30 00:16:49 00:53:19

3 36 McDowell Kevin USA 00:08:35 00:00:54 00:26:39 00:00:23 0:36:31 00:15:51 00:52:22

18 21 Louw Abrahm NAM 00:08:39 00:00:57 00:26:29 00:00:25 0:36:31 00:16:55 00:53:26

32 61 Vikner Joel SWE 00:08:43 00:01:00 00:26:26 00:00:23 0:36:31 00:17:33 00:54:04

41 75 Serrano Jo√£o POR 00:08:33 00:01:00 00:26:33 00:00:27 0:36:32 00:18:27 00:54:59

7 48 Hern√°ndez Vicente ESP 00:08:37 00:00:58 00:26:31 00:00:28 0:36:33 00:16:22 00:52:55

27 34 Nadzhafov Anar UKR 00:08:50 00:00:58 00:26:17 00:00:30 0:36:34 00:17:17 00:53:51

22 60 Bryukhankov Andrey RUS 00:08:42 00:00:56 00:26:26 00:00:32 0:36:35 00:17:00 00:53:35

17 37 Viles Drew AUS 00:08:42 00:00:58 00:26:34 00:00:23 0:36:36 00:16:48 00:53:24

6 63 Fisher Ryan AUS 00:08:34 00:00:56 00:26:34 00:00:35 0:36:38 00:16:09 00:52:47

65 58 Fernandes Miguel POR 00:08:41 00:00:53 00:26:40 00:00:27 0:36:38 00:21:37 00:58:15

33 4 Hern√°ndez Marrero Ricardo ESP 00:08:54 00:00:56 00:26:19 00:00:32 0:36:39 00:17:36 00:54:15

13 78 Gosman Michael AUS 00:08:56 00:00:54 00:26:17 00:00:35 0:36:41 00:16:33 00:53:14

43 38 Kopeinig Andreas AUT 00:08:44 00:00:56 00:26:49 00:00:20 0:36:50 00:18:26 00:55:16

30 1 Debnar Martin CZE 00:09:10 00:00:52 00:26:53 00:00:14 0:37:08 00:16:50 00:53:58

10 2 Schilling Andreas DEN 00:09:09 00:00:52 00:26:51 00:00:20 0:37:12 00:15:54 00:53:06

29 9 Friese Danny GER 00:09:13 00:00:54 00:26:44 00:00:23 0:37:12 00:16:45 00:53:57

35 16 Furuya Junpei JPN 00:09:04 00:01:04 00:26:44 00:00:21 0:37:12 00:17:08 00:54:20

36 18 Haller Bob LUX 00:09:12 00:00:54 00:26:47 00:00:21 0:37:14 00:17:21 00:54:35

42 39 De Bolster Maarten BEL 00:09:09 00:00:56 00:26:47 00:00:25 0:37:14 00:18:00 00:55:14

28 49 Schmutzler Dominik GER 00:09:05 00:01:06 00:26:45 00:00:21 0:37:15 00:16:37 00:53:52

4 77 Verzbicas Lukas USA 00:09:00 00:00:54 00:27:01 00:00:24 0:37:16 00:15:20 00:52:36

i would bet my life savings that the top triathletes in the world are never in 1350 shape. sure, if they train for just the run all the time they could possibly run 1350. But that's what makes Luke so deadly - by the time he's 20, he'll be in 1350 shape and still only be spending a 1/3 of his time devoted to running!

Why isn't anyone talking about how smart it is for a kid to be doing something other than running 120 miles per week while he's developing. He has said in interviews that running and biking training save him because he gets injured when he runs too many miles. If he's saying he'll focus on running after 2012, that means he'll still only be 20 years old! Plenty of time to fine tune his running.... look at all the kenyans who are starting to run at 21-23 and running world-best marathons within a year or two (I realize genetics also plays a large role in that).

Bottom line, he's a kid so take it easy on him - if he wants to play in a sandbox all day, then so be it.....