Iván Raña: "Madrid is a goal and this year I want to mess it up in a race"
The Galician Iván Raña, world champion (2002) and double European champion (2002 and 2003) of triathlon, told EFE today, Thursday, in Madrid, where a World Cup event in this sport will be held on Saturday, that this is one of his “goals” for a season in which he wants to “get involved in some race.”
Raña, who will turn 32 next week, indicated, during the presentation of the Olympic sport World Cup event that combines swimming with cycling and running that will take place this weekend in Madrid's Casa de Campo, which “Every time” he feels “better in the running race” and that is something that “motivates” him.
“This test is one of the objectives of this season for me and I hope to be in the front positions. “I think I'm ready to get into the top ten,” the triathlete from Órdes (Coruña) explained to Efe.
"I'm starting to feel good in the running race and that motivates me," said Raña, world runner-up in 2003 and 2004.
“I am confident that this year I can make a mess of a race, because I have made a substantial change, especially in training,” said Iván, who could be an Olympian for the fourth time at the London Games and who is not sure he can “make a mess.” now” in Saturday's test in Madrid.
“I think I still need a couple more races. I did a good base of training this winter and now I have focused on doing fast series,” declared Raña, during an event that was also attended, among others, by his countryman Javier Gómez Noya -double world champion-, the Asturian Omar González, coach of the previous one; Ainhoa Murúa from Gipuzkoa, who aspires to be an Olympian for the third time next year, in London; and Marisol Casado, president of the International Triathlon Federation (ITU) and member of the IOC.
“I always improve my level in the middle and end of the summer, so I don't rule out doing well in Kitzbuehel (Austria) - in the middle of this month - or in (the European Championship in) Pontevedra (at the end),” Raña said.
Among the favorites for victory in Saturday's test - with a 1.500-meter swim, forty kilometers on a bicycle and another ten more on foot: the same one that the women will do on Sunday - Raña pointed out “(Javi Gómez) Noya, (to the Frenchman) David Hauss (and to the Germans Stephen) Justus and (Jan) Frodeno (Olympic champion in Beijing '08)”.
Regarding the heat, which this edition is expected to be lower than last year's edition, Raña explained to Efe that he prefers “more heat,” but that “that's fine.”
Source: efe
