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SportsOakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2010 65 Oh, so close By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF In the week leading up to the Kelowna Apple Triathlon, two-time Olympic medalist Simon Whitfield said there was only one other male triathlete in Canada matching his commitment to training. Saturday, with the finish line in sight at the race that serves as the national championship, Whitfields words were becoming reality. Oakvilles Kyle Jones and Whitfield were running side by side with 200 metres remaining when Jones made his move. I knew if I left it any later, he would just outsprint me, the 25 year old said. Jones was just steps from the finish line when Whitfield did indeed sprint past him to win his closest of his nine national titles, edging Jones by a mere two- tenths of a second. Still, Jones found it hard to be disappointed about again finishing second to Whitfield. Hes arguably one of the most decorated triathletes, Jones said of his longtime training partner. Its a good sign that all the hard work is paying off. He used to be untouchable but Ive closed the gap. It definitely moti- vates me. We push each other and weve raised the bar on each other. Its also encouraging that Jones is turning in improv- ing results in a season that was very nearly wiped out soon after it started. Coming into the season in his best shape ever, Jones was forced to pull out of the season- opening race in Australia during the run due to severe abdominal cramps. A CT scan found a blockage in the major artery supplying blood to his left leg. While Jones is still unsure whether the two are connected, he was told surgery was not needed and he could continue to train and compete. Two months after being forced to pull out in Sydney, Jones finished 13th at an International Triathlon Union race in Iowa in June and followed that up with a 16th- place finish in Hamburg, Germany. Im getting consistent results, he said. Im still hop- ing to crack into the top 10 and things are looking good; things are coming into good form and Kelownas a con- tinuation of that. Jones said improvements in his swimming hes been working with Canadian Olympian Rick Say have given him more confidence starting a race. Hes also been work- ing with Jon Brown, who finished fourth in the marathon at both the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, who has helped build endurance. He said that kind of coaching will be impor- tant as he prepares for the 2012 Olympics. Jones raced on the London course for the Games in July and said its not too early to begin thinking about the Olympics. Time goes by fast, said Jones, who was an alternate on the Canadian team in 2008. Its crazy to think that its already been two years since Beijing. For now, Jones is focusing his attention on the ITU Grand Final in Budapest, Hungary in September. Afterward, he plans to visit a specialist in Holland, look- ing to find the cause of the cramping issue that has both- ered him on and off since 2006. Whitfield edges Jones for national triathlon title by .2 seconds ONE STEP AHEAD: Two-time Olympic medalist Simon Whitfield crosses the finish line just ahead of Oakvilles Kyle Jones to win the Canadian triathlon championship Saturday in Kelowna, B.C. Just two- tenths of a second separated Whitfield and Jones at the finish. JAMES CUNNINGHAM / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Van Beilen adds third medal Tera Van Beilen will return home with a complete set of medals from the inaugural Youth Olympic Games. The Oakville swimmer won her third medal, a silver, by finishing second in the women's 200-metre breaststroke Friday in Singapore. Its crazy. Now I have a gold, a silver and a bronze, Van Beilen said. Its been incredibly exciting and Ive treasured every moment. Emily Selig of Australia, who finished second to Van Beilen in the 100m breaststroke two days earlier, won the race in two minutes, 27.78 seconds while Van Beilen posted a personal best time of 2:29.39. Van Beilen, 17, also won a bronze medal with the Canadian 4x100m freestyle relay team last Thursday, mak- ing her and relay teammate Rachel Nichol Canadas only three-time medal- ists. Coming home with a full set of medals is a fantastic result that speaks to her toughness and competitive spirit, said Oakville Aquatic Club (OAK) coach Alex Wallingford by e-mail from Hawaii, where Van Beilen joined OAK teammates Marni Oldershaw and Annie Harrison for this weeks Junior Pan Pacific Championships. I never question Tera's racing toughness. She has time and again come up with inspired swims. Wallingford said the opportunity to participate in the Youth Olympics, open to athletes between the ages of 14-18, will benefit Van Beilen in the future. This was a very unique stage as it was the first ever Youth Olympics and was set up as a major games experience so it gave her valuable international rac- ing, he said. She will be able to draw on that moving forward as she prepares for the 2012 Olympic trials. Herb Garbutt, Oakville Beaver staff Gilbert OT hero for national champs By Eamonn Maher SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER With a national champi- onship on the line, Oakvilles Dylan Gilbert got the chance to live the fantasy of every kid who has dreamed of scoring an overtime winner. Gilbert notched the winning goal in double overtime to break up an intense defensive battle played in front of a capacity crowd at the MasterCard Centre in Etobicoke. His goal at the 7:35 mark of the second overtime period Sunday clinched the first-ever Founders Cup Canadian Jr. B lacrosse championship in the 16-year history of the Halton Hills Bulldogs. Tied 3-3 with the Mimico Mountaineers, the drama intensified after the first 10- minute overtime period went scoreless and sudden death came into play. Soon after Nic Grasby rang a shot off the Mimico post, Gilbert came out from behind the net and got a clear look on goal. It was a broken play. I came around looking for someone in the middle and there hadnt been a lot of room in the mid- dle all day, but they gave me a little space to roll it in and I took it, said Gilbert. With the shot clock close to expiring, he wired the ball between the legs of Mimico goalie Eric Penney to send the hundreds of Halton Hills sup- porters into a frenzy. There wasnt much time left and all I heard was shot, shot, and thats why I let it go, Gilbert said. Luckily it went CELEBRATE: Oakvilles Dylan Gilbert, right, is mobbed by team- mates after his overtime goal. EAMONN MAHER See Gilbert page 67 COMING... ...SOON!