Expectations wrote:
Just to make sure everyone is clear, this is an ITU Continental Cup race. There are essentially 3 levels on the Elite circuit in triathlon (ITU triathlon, that is).
1) Continental Cups - the lowest level, where all Elites must start. The goal here is to gain points to qualify for the more competitive races.
2) World Cups - are extremely competitive, generally pulling in a few of the best athletes in the world, but not all. Again, you can earn points in these races that help you reach the next level.
3) WCS (World Championship Series) - this is the top of the top. Until you are competing here, you aren't racing the best. This is the level where the Olympians are racing.
I only point this out because LV will likely place pretty high in La Paz. It's not the most competitive race, even on the Continental Cup level. I expect him to gain a decent amount of points and begin to move up the US ranks. If/when he starts racing in World Cups/WCS events, we'll be able to actually see how he fares against the best in the world.
How long would you expect a good athlete, like LV, to make it to WCS? Are we talking 1 year? Several years?