Ever the underlined event for international stars and area amateurs alike, the St. Anthony's Triathlon has extra punch this year. It's one of two U.S. qualifying races for the Pan Am games, a biennial Olympic-style sports festival. And members of the national Olympics committee are expected to inspect St. Petersburg as a possible site for the triathlon Olympic Trials next year. The event, which includes swimming, bicycling and running, will make its first Olympics appearance as a medal sport at the 2000 games in Sydney, Australia. The St. Anthony's weekend starts Friday when the Sports Expo opens in Straub Park.
Spectators have an especially good chance to watch the pros.
This year's race will be on a closed circuit, with legs winding around The Pier, Bayshore Drive, Straub Park and the Bayfront Center. It's free to watch. It's also a qualifier for the Ironman Triathlon World Championship. And it is often a showcase for such organizations as the St. Petersburg-based Mad Dogs, thought to be the world's largest triathlon club. Athletes take up the sport for many reasons.