US triathlon star Sam Long went through every emotion in Las Vegas on Saturday, in the space of one tumultuous race.
‘The Big Unit’ would eventually finish sixth in T100 Lake Las Vegas, but that only tells a tiny part of what turned out to be one of the biggest sub-topics in a thrilling debut race for the fledgling series in Nevada. One which split neatly into two very defined and very different segments.
The start of the day was something Long would later describe as “a devastating experience” as he exited the waters of Lake Las Vegas with a massive deficit of 5:40 to the leading group. Already, less than half an hour in, his chances of a podium were likely cooked.
The 28-year-old though did not fold, did not go through the motions, did not quit on trying to achieve the best result possible. Instead he used what he described as feelings of “self-loathing and embarrassment” to roar back in the remaining bike and run legs.
Long produced the best bike split of the day (1:50:01), and then finished with the third fastest run (1:03:54) to surge through the field from stone last after the swim, to sixth at the tape.
Sam Long Las Vegas reaction
Afterwards Long would be typically raw and honest in his post-race assessment of what had taken place out there on the course, and as ever it was heartfelt and frank.
Writing on his Instagram account, he admitted: “Fastest bike and 3rd fastest run to get me there but let’s address the elephant in the room; the swim. These swim conditions were absolutely brutal. 70 percent of it was into a big headwind and waves. Being alone meant having to work a lot harder and losing lots of time. The swim has just gotten so fast at these events and I have to find a way to rise up to it.
“While I have progressed a lot in the swim, it’s been a moving target with the swim getting faster and faster. Many have already asked, Well what happened to you in the swim? Nothing happened except for me swimming at my level in hard conditions solo against the group.”
‘Big Unit’ lights an inner fire
While Long produced an astonishing recovery from that dreadful start, he spoke about how that swim left him mentally as he arrived in T1 with his rivals already long gone.
“While it’s an amazing comeback that I pulled off, yesterday was a devastating experience for me. My brain was a scary place to be coming into T1. Self loathing and embarrassment. Yet, I channeled this into a inner fire to stay positive and get the best out of myself on the day.
“I did it for my family – Lara and Leo who are everything to me – and to set the example for all my fans that we never quit and we find positives in hard times.”
Triathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
