Oct. 17-20 senior Hazel Wells competed at the Triathlon World Championship in Torremolinos, Spain. Competing for the USA Triathlon Junior Worlds Team, she placed in both an individual race and a relay race.
“I was a member of the junior team for Team USA and I competed in an individual race and a relay. For my individual [race], I ended up placing 16th in the world and my relay [team] got fifth in the world. It’s a great feeling to know my work was worth it,” Wells said.
There were many steps and qualifications for Wells to earn the opportunity to compete for Team USA, including securing a National Elite Membership License.
“To be on the team you have to go top four at USA Junior Nationals, which I came in second, last year in Milwaukee. Along with that, I also earned my Elite License, which makes me a professional athlete for Team USA. To compete at the race you have to be ranked in the top four to five of your country, and their federation has to approve a team to send to the race,” Wells said.
After months of hard work and dedication, her efforts paid off.
“Leading up to the race, I was training probably around 16 hours a week, sometimes more. I’ve been training for it for a year,” Wells said.
To complete a triathlon, the athlete must complete three races: distance swim, bike, and run.
“My individual race was a 750m swim, 20k bike, and a 5k run. My [leg of the] relay race was a fourth of that, with a swim of around 200m, 5k bike, and 1200 run. But there are many kinds of (triathlon) races with different distances and times,” Wells said.
While competing in Spain, Wells also had the opportunity to meet many of her role models.
“The Spanish and American Olympians were so inspiring to meet. It was cool to know I’m not too far from the level they compete at. We were all racing at the same event, just different races, so it was more like meeting a competitor than a celebrity,” Wells said.
Wells plans on continuing her passion for racing at the collegiate level and is hoping to represent the United States again next year.
