Wake Forest Athletics
Kemper qualifies for third straight Olympics
6/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
June 23, 2008
WINSTON-SALEM - Former Wake Forest track & field standout Hunter Kemper qualified for his third consecutive trip to the Olympic Games at the Hy-Vee ITU Triathlon World Cup in Des Moines, Iowa, Sunday.
Kemper finished sixth in the 37-man field, but more importantly, he finished 30 seconds ahead of fellow American Andy Potts, who finished eighth. The two were battling for the final spot on Team USA's triathlon team in this summer's Olympics.
According to Jason Mucher on www.triathlon.teamusa.org, Kemper was emotional as he crossed the finish line draped in an American flag. Kemper had a frustrating last 18 months, suffering from a lower back/hip injury that limited his performances in 2007 and has been battling a hernia for most of this season.
"I wish I could describe what the road has been like the past year and a half. I've been dealing with a lot of injuries. It's been very difficult. But it all came together today. It's tremendous. I'm a very blessed boy and I'm doing what God has made me to do. To represent the U.S.A., it doesn't get any better than that. I'm loving it," said Kemper.
"There was a lot more on my plate today than trying to get on the podium. I wanted to get back to the Olympic Team. It's tough when you have two races in one. It's hard to really let loose. You want to take risks, but you don't want to fall back."
After earning four letters as a member of the Wake Forest cross country and track & field teams, Kemper has won an unprecedented six USA Triathlon Elite National Titles and was ranked No. 1 in the world by the International Triathlon Union in 2005.
Kemper was also a member of the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Teams. He finished ninth in the triathlon in Athens, Greece, in 2004 and 17th at 2000 games in Sydney, Australia. He was also named the United States Olympic Committee Triathlete of the Year in 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2004.
He will be joined on the U.S. men's Olympic Team by Jarrod Shoemaker, who qualified last September at the Beijing World Cup, and Matt Reed, who won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Tuscaloosa, Ala., in April. Potts will serve as the team replacement/alternate.
