Leading the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon professional field are Australians Greg Bennett and Emma Snowsill who are the 2006 LA champions and who are leading the points race in the Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series heading into the LA event, the fourth of five races in the Series.

Bennett has earned 35,000 points and is three-for-three in the Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series having won in Minneapolis, New York and Chicago. If he wins in LA and at the Series finale, the Toyota U.S. Open Triathlon Champions in Dallas in October, he will earn a prize purse total of $208,000 for the five events, plus a Super Bonus of $300,000 awarded to the athlete who wins all five races of the Series. Bennett also won the inaugural Lifetime Fitness Series last year. Bennett is a 2004 Olympian, placing 4th in Athens and an Australian National Champion.

Snowsill has earned 29,000 points and is two-for-three in the Series. Snowsill will be flying into Los Angeles directly from the Sept. 2 ITU World Championships in Germany where she finished 2nd. Snowsill won the ITU World Championships in 2003, 2005 and 2006; she has won five ITU World CUP races in her career and in Australia is a sports hero voted Female Triathlete of the Year, Sports Star of the Year, People’s Choice Sportswoman of the Year and Athletes Choice for Athlete of the Year.

Australian Craig Walton, will be dogging Bennett to reclaim the Los Angeles titles he held in 2002 and 2003. Walton is third in points in the Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series, and, other than Bennett, is the only LA men’s entry to compete in all three previous Series races. The women to watch are LA first-timers Julie Dibens (GBR) and Pip Taylor (AUS) who stand second and fourth respectively in the women’s Series points.

While the men’s pro division of the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon has never been won by an
American, nine will be looking to upset the Aussies: Greg Remaly (previous competitor 2003, 2004), John Kenny (2006), James Cotter, Cameron Dye, Kevin Everett, David Gettle, Brandon Marsh, Tim O’Donnell, and Marcel Vifian.

Rounding out the men’s pro field are Brazilians Jose Antunes, Fabio Carvalho (2001, 2005, 2006), Juliano Teruel (2005) and Paulo Miyasiro; Australians Leon Griffin (2006), Stephen Hackett (2006), and Paul Matthews (2006); representing Great Britain, Simon Lessing (2002, 2003); and from France, Benjamin Sanson.

Four women Americans have been previous winners in LA and Lara Brown (2006), Mirinda Carfrae, Kelly Couch, Kathryn Donovan, Mary Beth Ellis (2006), Amy Marsh, Jasmine Oeinick, Jenna Shoemaker, Rebecca Wassner, Justine Whipple and Joanna Zeigler will be attempting to make it five American winners. Rounding out the women’s pro field is Australian Kate Major (2005).

Pro Facts – Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon:
· Past Winners/Men: Four Australians and one Canadian; two repeat winners
2000, Chris McCormack (AUS); 2001, Chris McCormack (AUS); 2002, Craig Walton (AUS); 2003, Craig Walton (AUS); 2004, Craig Alexander (AUS); 2005, Michael Simpson (CAN); 2006, Greg Bennett (AUS)
· Past Winners/Women: Four Americans and one Australian; two repeat winners
2000, Barb Lindquist (USA); 2001, Nicole Hackett (AUS); 2002, Barb Lindquist (USA); Becky Gibbs-Lavelle (USA); 2004, Emma Snowsill (AUS); 2005, Sarah Haskins (USA); 2006, Emma Snowsill (AUS)
· The total pro prize purse in Los Angeles is $50,000 plus a $1,000 Swim preme from TYR for the top male and female swimmer.