Dominanting Male Triathlete – Andy Potts

A USA National Team member every year since going professional in 2003, Andy Potts is viewed as one of the most dominant male triathlete in the country.

Recognition in the sport does not stop there. His proven competitiveness on the international stage makes him a worldly threat to any athlete that meets him on the starting line.

In the midst of the 2009 triathlon season, Potts is claiming his spot on the top of the podium consistently. For the third time in his career at the 2009 Escape to Alcatraz, the grueling water temperatures and course conditions could not fatigue Potts enough to keep him from coming out victorious (2:07:25). Most recently, he took the Timberman Ironman 70.3 for the second time in a row-finishing nearly eight seconds over the runner-up (3:51:19). Prior, he had a win at the Whirlpool Ironman 70.3 Steelhead race, coming in at 3:54:38. With a packed summer and fall schedule, Potts will focus on the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.

Before entering the world of triathlon, Potts was a six-time NCAA All-American at the University of Michigan for swimming. During his collegiate career, he was in the finals at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1996 and was a USA National Team swim member. In his senior year with the Wolverines, he also competed on the varsity track team.

Breaking into the world of professional triathlon in 2003, Potts was honored as the USAT Rookie of the Year. Surpassing the expectations of his peers, he was the only athlete to break into the top 100 as a rookie (ranked No. 90).

In 2004, Potts’ Olympic dream was fulfilled as he joined the USA in Athens competing in the triathlon event. Although not medaling, the competition gave him an even greater taste of international competition-only one year since devoting to the career full-time.

Potts went on to win his first World Cup title the following year IN Edmonton, Alberta.. The victory catapulted him into an incredible 2006, in which he was ranked third in the ITU World Cup Rankings-the highest American that year. In addition, he was named USAT Triathlete of the Year and became the ITU World Team Champion.

The momentum from his successes did not pacify Potts, who won his first Ironman 70.3 World Championships in 2007. Sprinting to a 3:42:33 finish at the race, he finished ahead of more than 1,4000 competing triathletes. He also added Pan American Games Champion to his list of accomplishments that year, winning the race in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Honoring his accomplishments and impact on the sport, he was named Triathlon Magazine Triathlete of the Year, USAT Triathlete of the Year, and USAT Multi-Sport Athlete of the Year.

Last year in 2008, Potts won the grueling Escape from Alcatraz race- for the second time, after first winning the race in 2007. Following the victory, he competed in his first full Ironman championship in Kona, Hawaii. At the race, stayed up with the world’s long distance competitors and clocked an impressive 8:33:50. He crossed the finish line as the first for an American, and 7th overall. Soon after, he flew to Clearwater, FL for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships where he finished 6th. The year’s list of accomplishments resulted in him being named USAT Non-Drafting Triathlete of the Year, as well as USAT LC Athlete of the Year.

Potts currently resides in Colorado Springs, CO with his wife and Michigan grad Lisa and their son, Brooklyn. With the simple goal of being the best triathlete in the world, he does not use words to reiterate his goals, but rather actions and results.

Interview With Andy

This entry was posted on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 5:53 am and is filed under Athletes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.