I meant to post about this last week, but better late than never…
Kristin Armstrong of the USA won the Women’s Individual Time Trial in Road Cycling at the 2008 Olympics.
She did it in large part by preparing like everyone else, but unlike everyone else she traveled to the site in advance, went through the course one time while using her husband’s GPS. When she returned to her home in Utah, Kristin uploaded the lat/long results from the GPS unit to Google Maps and found a local route that was similar to the one to be used in the Olympics.
So she was able to practice, practice, practice on a road route that mimicked what she’d have to endure for the real thing?
Is it cheating? No!
But I guarantee you that next time either everyone will be doing this or the IOC will not announce the official route until the games are going to begin so that everyone has an opportunity to compete on an equal playing field.
Kudos to Kristin for using her noodle, not just her brawn, to win the race.
