firstoffthebike.com - Features

Who's hot in 2012

With 2012 about to kick off in New Zealand this weekend we once again look forward to who might be the hot athletes of this season. We take a look at both the ITU and long course world to bring our list.  

Yes the list is long but there are some names on here that are fairly obvious. We also missed a few but there are only so many names to put up. We took into account both chances of wins and also chances of being in the headlines!

This is just our jump off point so feel free to add or subtract on this list.

• Emma Jackson - All things being equal Jackson will make the Australian Olympic team and continue the rise and potential that she showed last season. And while the top of the podium eluded her in 2011 she still maintained a high enough performance to finish 4th in the world rankings. Her 4th at the London test event holds great promise that she will do more than contribute next year at the five ringed circus if and when she books her spot. Jackson is the future of Australia's ITU world when the likes of Moffatt and Snowsill call it a day. That being said Jackson is not just picking up a free tracksuit if she heads to London.
• Heather Jackson- Jackson looks like she should be fronting a rock band but looks are deceiving. Her form and results have been steadily building over the last couple of seasons. A former pursuiter on the track Jackson knows how to ride hard and this was evident in a few races last season. She almost toppled Mirinda Carfrae in an epic race in Oceanside last season and then added a 4th place in Vegas at the 70.3 World Titles. When it all finally clicks she will be a formidable racer and 2012 could the time.
• Clayton Fettell - You know you might have made it (sort of) when one local magazine features 10 photos of you throughout their edition (including ads). But the buzz and hype is up and about for the man from Lennox Heads. Fettell nearly won Wildflower in May last year and then bravely held off the German Timo Bracht at the season ending IMWA for hours before getting a second place. Fettell is one of the world's premier swim/bikers and with upside to his run 2012 could be the start of the rest of this career. He will try his luck in Abu Dhabi and then attempt a Kona spot in 2012. Andy Potts may have met his match.
• Brownlee Brothers - The brothers are going to be THE formidable force in the Olympic lead up this year. It's an obvious statement but it is one thing to talk the talk, but these guys walk the walk and they walk it with an intensity that leaves the rest of ITU land in their wake. It's real simple, the Brownlees fear no one. And the curse of Olympic favouritism may have tipped over the men before Alistair Brownlee but it seems all he has to do is show up to the London Olympics and breathe in order for him to win a gold medal. And, if Alistair falters for some random reason, or his bike explodes mid race then brother Jonathan is a more than adequate replacement. This two punch combination is hot.
• Macca - Chris McCormack is the most media savvy triathlete in the world. When he was on top he transitioned to the ITU and Olympics and it created as much of a media stir as if he actually won a medal. So the reason Macca makes our hot list is not so much for his last 12 months but his next 4. Until the Olympic team is announced, the talk will centre around the 2010 Ironman World Champion and whether he can accomplish what few think he can. And then, if he makes the team or not the speculation will continue as to what he does next making Macca a hot topic all season. It is pure media gold.
• Craig Alexander - How do you beat what could be considered the perfect season? Run it again. Crowie was a monster all season in 2011 when he finally got his health back. Rumour has it he will race at IM Melbourne where he will win. Once he does that he will go on to another huge season and be the favourite to win in Kona again. Sounds easy right? Well Crowie has history and form and attitude on his side so a repeat of 2011 should not surprise anyone. Melbourne may be simple validation race but the only validation Crowie wants are the wins. Simply showing up is not in his DNA. He will race about as much as he did last season but every performance he gave last year was worthy of a standing ovation.
• Emma Snowsill - Forget what you saw last season. That was a miss, a series of mis adventures that left Snowsill in a place that she was not used to. But thatg was last year and with the turning of the world comes a new dawn and a new Emma Snowsill. It is an Olympic year and Snowsill knows this business. It matters not what she did last season and it matters not what she does all year except for that two hours in London where she will once again reign.
• Mirinda Carfrae - Carfrae is the Edmund Hillary of world triathlon right now. Where Sir Edmund slayed the mighty Everest so too must athletically Carfrae slay the mighty Chrissie Wellington, the last big challenge in triathlon. She got close in 2011 (2 mins 49 in Kona) so she has to be thinking that the summit is near. Aside from that, Carfrae will win IM Melbourne in March and then go to the US with only 70.3's to race. She will do that with her usual whirl of energy and chalk up another season that will make her sponsors laugh like fat hairy cats. She is capable of stringing multiple wins together in 2012.
• Dirk Bockel - Dirk Bockel is enigmatic but one very talented athlete. His day out in Kona last season (4th in 8:12) signalled his destination reached, the top end. Given his swim and bike speed he is a threat at any race he shows up to. Bockel has that X factor that leads us to believe he will uncork a big one somewhere around the world in 2012. This has to be his season after laying some solid foundations over the last two years.
• Javier Gomez - There are a number of reasons why we like this guy but the main one is he is the only guy on the planet that the Brownlees take notice of. When we chatted with Alistair towards the end of 2011 the one man he mentioned was Gomez. Gomez is courage and grace personified as he demonstrated very clearly twice in season 2011. The courage was there in Sydney when he fell on the bike only to run through the field to win and the grace was shown during the whole Harry Wilshire fiasco. Gomez is set for a big year and will feature heavily in the build up to London. Ejecutar Javier ejecutar!
• Melissa Rollison - This is only her second full time season and in her first she would have ticked all the boxes. But the upside for Rollison is that she is yet to master anything she has done. She is damn good but there is still room on the curve to improve. As a relative new comer her craft surely will be honed this season leading to more wins. This year she can have her pick of races and all things being equal she will win them all. It is all in line for an career defining season for the fastest runner in the women's 70.3 world.
• Leanda Cave - While Leanda Cave had a great season in 2011 with 3 significant wins (IM Arizona, Wildflower and Rev3 Knoxville) she also had a few 'nearlys'. 2nds at ITU LD, 70.3 Vineman & Kansas and a 2nd at Escape from Alcatraz means that there is a lot more to come. Cave was 3rd in Kona and 6th in Abu Dhabi in 2011. In 2012 we think she will convert her 'nearlys' and be one of the more dominant racers on the women's scene.
• Joe Gambles - Smokin Joe has a cool nickname which automatically translates to good racing. Gambles' last two seasons have netted him an IM win (Wisconsin), 70.3 course records (Boulder) and his first Kona start (20th 2011). Put all that together and the buck stops with 2012. Gambles now needs to deliver on this talent and smash something big. When and where might be in question but it will come sometime in 2012 for this guy.
• Chrissie Wellington - Ok what is there left to do for Chrissie? She is the best triathlete on the planet, she has never been beaten, she never looks like she will lose even when the apparent odds are staked on her shoulders. She simply smiles her way out of trouble (ok she does more than smile but you get it). It is now legacy time for the popular World Champ. Chrissie takes her role as World Champ seriously so look for her to be leading the charge on athlete and some social issues. On the course she will go another season without being beaten. The women's triathlon bar has been lifted but she is still ahead of it and will be virtually impossible to catch. Another win in Kona is there for the taking. But this is sport don't forget, and anything is possible.