Passing the Torch: Women's Commission Update
From Melissa Merson, past Chair

The women's triathlon in Sydney brought to fruition the dreams and hopes of many in our sport and illustrated brilliantly one of the most profound and great truths in all of sport. For the greatest in every game, no matter the degree of their greatness or whether they are prepared to do it, the time inevitably arrives when it is time to pass the baton to those who follow on behind us.

For women in our sport, the spectacular performance by our American women in Sydney can only be described as a fantastic, text-book perfect hand-off. For those who measure Olympic performance only by the cash register ka-ching of counting medals, America's debut at the glamour event in Australia must have been a deep disappointment. For the rest of us who subscribe to the Olympic ideal that the achievement is not in the winning but in having completed the race, our American ladies were the epitome of the most alluring Grecian goddesses.

Not only were our women strong and beautiful, but they so dominated and dictated the pace and power of the race, that subtracting them from the event would have left the world with not much of a race to watch. From the opening gun, Sheila Taormina was off like a shot blast from a cannon. The crowd roared as she vaulted out of the harbor and onto her bike. Jennifer Guiterrez forced the pace on the bike, pushing the pack out harder again and again. In the end, Joanna Zeiger, our long-course specialist who'd been praying for a top-10 finish, all but danced through the transition area with glee after finishing fourth. In the U.S. Olympic Committee's new highlights film of the Sydney Games, there's a quick clip of Sheila running the last few yards of the race, high-fiving those in the first row of the Opera House seats, a grin stretched widely across her face.

Sheila, Jennifer, Joanna - these are the new faces of triathlon. It is with no sadness whatsoever (but my deepest respect) that I note there was no Paula, no Wendy, no Karen. These women are legends in our sport and we wish them only wonderful experiences in their lives with the fullness of our wonderful sport. It is with great joy, though, that we acknowledge they elegantly are passing the torch. We excitedly look forward to the second generation of stars, to the heroes of a new generation of athletes. At the Polo Ralph Lauren shop in Sydney's business center, a gaggle of little girls huddled adoringly around Siri Lindley, giggling and  asking for autographs from the triathlete star. To these budding athletes, she is most definitely a STAR. With more than 400,000 spectators cramming the streets of Sydney to catch a glimpse of triathlon's Olympic debut, Siri's popularity down under should come as no surprise. (I couldn't help thinking what it would've been like had she been standing in the Polo store in Washington, D.C., my home town. Would any little girls look her way?)

Passing the torch is a natural process that must occur at all levels of sport, at all levels of every sport. Those of us in leadership positions must search out talented others to mentor and promote. Then we must step aside. Move on to something new. We must do this with grace and gratitude for having had the chance to serve. I'm eyeing my turn.

In this regard, we are actively seeking women who want to make a commitment of their time to leadership positions within the Women's Commission of USA Triathlon. If you want to give back to our great sport in the form of effort on behalf of USAT and the Women's Commission, I want to hear from you. We need a communications secretary and a treasurer. We need executive committee members who want to contribute to the sport on a national level, who want to learn and then take a turn at leading this great women's organization.

It is my hope over the next year, to pass the torch to a successor who can bring a fresh view of the world to the work we do and the work we have done so well. Women's participation in triathlon is growing fantastically but there still is a great deal of work to be done. In the next few months, I plan to present to the women of our sport a new organizational structure for the Women's Commission. This will include a streamlined executive function, a project-oriented membership, a localized, communications-oriented network structure to preserve our current broad base and extend it, and a strategic plan to bring the U.S. women's organization into its rightful place in the international triathlon world. It will be exciting and fun. We will work to build on the best of the old with new energy and talent. It is my hope that everyone will tap a friend or training partner or club associate and bring that person to our renewed effort.

Earlier this month, I was honored to represent the women of triathlon in Colorado Springs at the U.S. Olympic Committee's Project GOLD 2000. Project Gold stands for Guaranteed Olympic Leadership Development. It is a program designed to develop women and minorities - which USOC believes are under-represented in the leadership ranks of sport - and place us in positions of learning, leadership, and influence. This program opened my eyes to the work necessary to continue the great successes in triathlon and to bring women the world over into our sport.

In Sydney, not only was I fortunate enough to meet triathletes from around the globe, including key women leaders, I also was lucky enough to see the other side. The African wife of an IOC member coincidentally sat down beside me at the women's race. She had never seen a triathlon before. After watching the nail biting finish and hearing the crowd's roar subside, she left convinced a way should be found to bring the excitement of triathlon to her country. Whether we're talking about sub-Saharan Africa or the inner cities of America, there is a lot to be done to bring the sport of triathlon, the lifestyle of triathlon, the strength of triathlon to women everywhere. Let's get going. Let's pass the torch.