Susan Kreplin-Michaels of Skaneateles will compete as a member of Team USA in the International Triathlon Union Short Course Triathlon Grand Final in Budapest, Hungary on Sept. 12.
The Short Course Grand Final will include two races, the Olympic Distance and the Sprint Distance. Michaels will compete in the Olympic Distance event — a 1.5-kilometer swim, 40 kilometer bicycle ride and 10-kilometer run.
Team USA was selected by USA Triathlon. Two USAT All-American triathletes in each age group were chosen based on their 2009 USAT ranking and invited.
Kreplin-Michaels was invited and will compete in the Women 50-54 age group. Triathletes were also able to qualify at the 2009 USAT National Championship in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Four other USAT All-Americnas will join Kreplin-Michaels in the field.
Kreplin-Michaels has competed in local, regional and world championship triathlon events at various distances for several years. She has raced in the SkinnyMan sprint triathlon every year since it began, but will miss it this
year due to training requirements.
After returning from Hungary, she will compete in the inaugural Syracuse Ironman 70.3 and in 2011 will compete in Ironman Lake Placid. She raced in the Ironman World Championship (2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2 mile marathon run) in Kona, Hawaii in 2004 and 2006.
She also raced in the Ironman 70.3 Championship (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bicycle, 13.1 mile run) in Clearwater, Fla.,in 2006. An injury forced her to withdraw from the 2009 Clearwater event.
