Our friend and supporter gets a new gig, he's been named as the 2010 Team USA Coach, CONGRATULATIONS Kris!
February 25, 2010 - Colorado Springs CO - After guiding a number of his athletes to last year's Age Group National Championship, Minnesota-based triathlon coach Kris Swarthout will serve as USA Triathlon's Team USA coach at this year's ITU World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 8-12, 2010.
Swarthout won the right to serve as Team USA coach due to his athlete's showing at the 2009 Age Group National Championship. In order to become the Team USA coach, interested certified USAT coaches submitted the names of their athletes competing at the Age Group National Championship. The coach with the most athletes at the starting line of the Age Group National Championship won the honor of being the Team USA coach.
"I was blessed with the opportunity to represent the United States in 2005 as an athlete, and to be able to come back in 2010 as a coach is even more of an honor," said Swarthout, who is the co-owner of SCS Multisport LLC in Eden Prairie, Minn. "I have found a greater sense of accomplishment helping people achieve their dreams than I ever felt living my own."
Swarthout will travel to the world championships as a key part of the Team USA staff. During race week, he will organize group swims, rides, runs and become the race course expert. The Team USA coach is also available to answer any questions an athlete might have about training and racing at the event.
"I take the responsibility of team coach very seriously and have already been in contact with USAT staff and last year's Team USA coach to look for new ways to help assist and support the athletes," said Swarthout, who is a USAT Level II coach and the USAT Midwest Regional chair. "One of the things I look forward to the most will be handing out the American flags to the athletes as they come into the finish line. Thank you USAT for this great honor. I will not let you down."
The certified coach with the most athletes at the starting line at the 2010 Age Group National Championship will win the opportunity to coach Team USA at the 2011 ITU World Championships in Beijing, China. For more information, interested coaches can email the Team USA coordinator Amanda Duke at amanda.duke@usatriathlon.org.
