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Sports Briefs: Ironman Canada sold out

The first running of Ironman Canada in Whistler sold out this week, with organizers expecting between 2,000 and 2,500 athletes at the start line on Aug. 25, 2013. They did not release the total number of spots available, but athletes do drop out.
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The first running of Ironman Canada in Whistler sold out this week, with organizers expecting between 2,000 and 2,500 athletes at the start line on Aug. 25, 2013. They did not release the total number of spots available, but athletes do drop out.

Registration was $625, plus taxes and fees.

There is still an opportunity to register for the race, but 2013 Ironman Foundation slots don't come cheap. The fee is double, $1,250, with half the money going towards a charitable donation program that is only deductible for U.S. residents.

Refunds are also a challenge, and participants who pull out only get $150 back if they request a refund before July 11, 2013.

The race has been based in Penticton for 30 years, but moved to Whistler as a result of costs. However, the event is expected to raise $10 to $15 million in revenue for the resort, not including all the trips that athletes will take to the area to pre-swim, ride and run the course.

The course itself includes a 3.8km swim on Alta Lake, a 180km bike ride that first heads to Whistler Olympic Park and then north to the end of the Pemberton Meadows before returning to Whistler for the run — a full-length marathon with two loops of an out-and back course to Emerald Estates.

It's unknown how many athletes have registered for Challenge Penticton, the event that replaced Ironman Canada in that city and that will take part on the same weekend. In September, organizers of the race said over 1,000 had already signed up.

The Whistler event is also attracting a more international field than Ironman Canada has in the past.

Last week, with only a few hundred spots remaining, race director Keats McGonigal confirmed that registration was almost 60 per cent from outside Canada, 52 per cent from the U.S. and almost eight per cent from other countries. Comparatively, Ironman Canada races in Penticton in recent years were about 50 per cent Canadian with about 45 per cent U.S. participation.

For more, visit www.ironman.ca.

Josh Dueck up for National Geographic "Adventurer" award

Josh "Duey" Dueck, who stunned the world last winter with his incredible, world record-setting sit ski backflip in the Whistler backcountry, is one of 10 people nominated for the National Geographic Adventurers of the Year award. "It was pretty amazing," said Dueck of the nomination. "That was right up there with finding out I was invited to be on the Ellen show, in terms of how excited I was."

Dueck was featured in a short film by Whistler-based Switchback Entertainment and Salomon Freeski TV called The Freedom Chair, which is where freeski pioneer Michael Douglas of Switchback learned that Dueck's goal was to do a backflip on his sit ski — the same trick he was performing when he sustained his spinal cord injury at Silver Star back in 2004. Since his injury he has joined the national para-alpine race team, where he earned a silver medal for Canada in 2010 in the men's slalom.

However, he also spent time in the backcountry, filming big mountain segments that drew a lot of attention.

With Douglas's encouragement, Dueck trained indoors into a foam pit before attempting the backflip on an airbag. In February he took the trick to the backcountry, where Powder Mountain Catskiing created a jump for the 31-year-old to make history. He landed it successfully on the first attempt, and his story soon went viral. Within weeks the video had been watched over a million times.

The National Geographic awards recognize individuals for their "remarkable achievements in exploration, conservation, humanitarianism and adventure sports. Austria's Felix Baumgartner, who broke the sound barrier while skydiving from an altitude of 125,000 feet back in October, is also a nominee.

Fans can vote for the 10 nominees at www.ngadventure.com until Jan. 16, 2013, and the winner will be announced in February 2013.

Last year's pricing available for Squamish Triathlon

Registration for the Squamish Triathlon: A Memorial to Bob McIntosh is opening soon, with an offer of last year's pricing available to athletes that register early.

The 16th edition of the Olympic-distance race and relay is set for Sunday, July 7. Organizers are expecting more interest in the event with all the local athletes signed up for Ironman Canada in Whistler on Aug. 25, 2013.

"We are excited to offer triathletes, and especially Ironman competitors, an Olympic distance competition featuring a similar swim experience, a ride course that includes hills and a trail run ahead of Ironman Canada in Whistler," said race director John French. "The Sea to Sky corridor is honoured to host Ironman and the Squamish Triathlon is privileged to act as a test event for the long distance competitors training for the 140.6-mile competition."

Registration and more details about the race will be available soon at www.squamishtriathlon.org.

soccer team unable to advance

The Whistler High School Storm Soccer Team ended their season a little early in North Vancouver last week after facing a strong Collingwood High School side in AA provincial playoffs.

The team was well prepared for the match and had just won gold at a tournament in Richmond, but the team's usually reliable forwards were unable to score.

The team included Brandon Knight in goal, and players Steven Mellor, Nil Villa-Ferran, Diego Lopez, Thomas Cankovic, Ben Flynn, Tajei Tuv, Josh Antil, Luca Gillot, Bernard Schmits, Goh Sato, Michael Lerch, Ignacio Morales, Fernando Gomez, Taylor Derynck, Alex Gershon, Borja Reig, Victor Ahedo and Morgan Weddell.

To improve competitiveness in the future, coach Mel Mellor said the team would compete in the AA high school league in the future. Meanwhile, the players will spend the spring competing in tournaments and Pemberton's Green River League.

Saints lose first game

The Whistler Saints Flag Football team saw their undefeated streak end this past Sunday after a 16-6 loss to the North Vancouver Seahawks. The only score came from a kickoff return by Beynon McKeen. The team ends the regular season with a record of 6-6-1.

The Sea to Sky Titans Peewee team shook off a couple of losses to beat the Westside Warriors 20-6, with Scott Friestadt rushing for three touchdowns and Adam Klimchuck-Brown adding two converts.

The Sea to Sky Titans Minor team continued to struggle, losing 33-0 to the Richmond Raiders.