St. Croix Triathlon
Sunday, May 5, 2002
St. Croix, Virgin Islands
1.2m swim, 56m bike, 13.1m run

ST.CROIX, V.I.-A pair of race-week pullouts is expected to change the men¹s race significantly at the St. Croix Half Ironman, taking place on Sunday, May 5. Defending champion Ryan Bolton (sprined ankle) and former Ironman World Champion Luc van Lierde both pulled out this week, opening up the field significantly.

Leading the way as the pre-race favorite is Spencer Smith of Great Britain. Smith, a former two-time short course World Champion, claimed the first Ironman title of his career in November in Panama City Beach at Ironman Florida, setting a new Ironman Florida course record with an overall time of 8 hours, 21 minutes and 30 seconds. Smith, 28, has been in the top ten at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii twice and won the St. Croix event back in 1997.

Among those expected to challenge Smith Is Peter Sandvang (Denmark), Oscar Galindez (Argentina), Tony DeBoom (Boulder, Colo.), Alec Rukosuev (Apopka, Fla.) and Bryan Rhodes (New Zealand). Sandvang was second to Bolton last year in St. Croix and won Ironman New Zealand back in 1998. Galindez was second at St. Croix two years ago, while DeBoom had a pair of second-place Ironman finishes at Ironman California and Ironman Florida respectively in 2001.

Rukosuev won the St. Croix event back in 1996, while Rhodes is a two-time Ironman Malaysia champion and has numerous top-five Ironman finishes in his career. Other pro men who could be in the mix include Austin, Tex. natives Michael Lovato and James Bonney, Martin Krnavek of the Czech Republic and Denmark¹s Torbjorn Sindballe.

Pro Men
Peter Sandvang (DEN), Spencer Smith (GBR), Oscar Galindez (ARG), Tony DeBoom, Martin Krnavek (CZE), Alec Rukosuev, Craig Alexander (AUS), James Bonney, Jarrod Brauer(AUS), Christian Gassner (AUT), David Harju (CAN), Charles Hunley, Cam Lous, Richie Cunningham, Shane Reed (NZL), Bryan Rhodes (NZL), Torbjorn Sindballe (DEN), Stephan Sheldrake (NZL), Mike Lovato