Emma Going Straight to Beijing
29.04.2008

Australia’s most promising triathlon medal chance in Beijing, Emma Snowsill, has declined the offer of a place in the Australian team for the 2008 World Championships in Vancouver so she can focus on her attempt to bring home Australia’s first Olympic Gold Medal in triathlon.

Snowsill’s form has been nothing short of outstanding this season with emphatic wins in both starts in this season’s World Cups against top quality fields.  Any doubt that Snowsill was back to her best was swept away at the first World Cup of 2008 in Mooloolaba when she buried arch rival Vanessa Fernandes from Portugal at the mid-way point in the ten kilometre run leg.

“Mooloolaba is my favourite race in the Series and there’s nothing better than winning in front of a home crowd with family, friends and thousands of Aussies cheering me on,” according to Snowsill. 

“I had to dig deep but there was no way I was going to leave anything out there and I’m so glad I came away with a win, it really makes me feel good for the rest of the season.”

Emma will now concentrate on her build up to Beijing with a careful selection of races, involving as little travel as possible, allowing her to spend as much time as she can training in the familiar surroundings of her Gold Coast base.

Following a year of uncertainty with her health after being diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma, Emma has decided that the constant travel that her and partner Craig Walton have undertaken in the past few years is probably the worst thing possible for her health and potential to perform at a level that will make her almost unbeatable in any competition.

“Its really hard to say no to a start in the World Championships because I really love to compete at the top level for Australia, but it will be the best thing in the long run,” said the three-time World Champion.

“My heart wants to say yes but my head says no.  I’ll only do two more races before the Olympics-minimising travel and choosing special races has worked really well for me in the past.”

Ironically, Snowsill’s decision not to go to the 2008 World Championships is all the more important given that she would have been a good chance to equal the current record of four World Championship crowns set by UK triathlete Simon Lessing, but as Snowsill says, “this year is all about the Olympics for me.”

Snowsill and recently retired partner, triathlete Craig Walton, are considering a move north to Noosa to live after the Olympics.  Noosa Triathlon has been a happy hunting ground for both with Walton a phenomenal six-time champion at the prestigious race and Snowsill a four-time champion in the triathlon that introduced her to the sport as a teenager.