COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 31, 2001) - Due to exceedingly cold water temperatures and poor weather conditions, the swim portion of the 2001 Mrs. T's Pierogies USA Triathlon World Championship Qualifier on Saturday (June 2) in Lake Placid, N.Y., has been cancelled.

The race, which will qualify age group athletes for the International Triathlon Union World Championships on July 21-22 in Edmonton, Canada, has been shortened to a duathlon with a 3K (1.86-mile) run, 40K (24.8-mile) bike and 7K (4.3-mile) run. It was originally scheduled to be an Olympic-distance race (1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run).

The water temperature on Mirror Lake was 57 degrees on Friday and dropping. Moreover, the high temperature in Lake Placid on Saturday was expected to be 55 degrees with heavy rains.

"We felt that with the cold air temperature and rain, there was too great a risk of hypothermia to have the swim," said USA Triathlon Executive Director Steve Locke from Lake Placid. "We are not going to put on an unsafe race."

More than 500 athletes have signed up for the race. The top six in each division will qualify for the world championships. There will be divisions for age groups from 16 to 80-plus along with physically challenged and Clydesdale and Athena divisions.

For more information on the race and a complete list of participants, go to www.lakeplacid.com/triathlon.