Courtesy: USAT

U.S. pro/elite athletes found their way to the podium at three different long-distance multi-sport races over the weekend.

In St. Croix on Sunday, Joanna Zeiger (Baltimore, Md.), a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic triathlon team, won the St. Croix Half Ironman Triathlon (2K swim, 90K bike, 21K run) for the third year in a row, completing in the race in 4 hours, 43 minutes, 2 seconds. Her U.S. teammate, Susan Bartholomew Williams (Denver, Colo.), placed second among the pro women in 4:46:50. Natascha Badmann of Switzerland was third (4:49:38). The St. Croix race is a qualifier for the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.

Jarrod Brauer of Australia won the men's race in 4:11:35. Tony DeBoom was the top U.S. men's finisher in sixth (4:18:31).

For more information and complete results, go to www.stcroixtriathlon.com.

Also on Sunday, U.S. athletes swept the top spots at the Powerman Tennessee Duathlon in College Grove, Tenn. On the men's side, U.S. national short course duathlon champion Greg Watson (Newark, Del.) completed the 7.5K run, 50K bike and 7.5K run in 2:05:26. He was followed by Australia's Jonathan Hall (and 2:07:01) and U.S. duathlete Leroy Popowski (2:07:41).

In the women's race, Marjan Huizing (Montgomery Village, Md.) took the win in 2:22:35. Agnes Eppers of Bolivia was second (2:24:02) and Heather Gollnick (Hartford, Wis.) was third (2:24:51).

Powerman Tennessee served as the long course duathlon national championship and a qualifier for the long course world championships. Watson and Huizing each won $1,000 for their victories.

For more information and complete results, go to www.team-magic.com/pmtn.htm.

At Saturday's Wildflower Long Distance Triathlon, U.S. pros Cameron Widoff (Boulder, Colo.) and Becky Gibbs (San Jose, Calif.) both finished second in the men and women's races respectively.

Chris McCormack of Australia won his second straight Wildflower race in 4:03:59. Widoff was second in 4:07:03 and Paul Amey of Great Britain was third in 4:07:41.

Katja Schumacher of Germany won the women's race in 4:41:38. Gibbs was second in 4:42:26 and Donna Phelan of Canada was third in 4:44:52.

The race consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 55-mile bike and 13-mile run. The prize purse was $40,000.

Over 6,000 people competed at the three-day Wildflower event, which also included an Olympic distance race and a mountain bike triathlon.

For more information and complete results, go to www.tricalifornia.com/wildflower/2002.