Knee injury keeps Aiken triathlete from competing

Sometimes, dreams aren't meant to be.

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The story of local gymnast Jay Thornton, a member of the United States national team for six years, who twice fell just short of making it to the Olympics, is proof of that.

The same can be said for Larry Ling of Aiken, a triathlete on the verge of competing in the sport's ultimate event before a bum knee got in the way.

A veteran marathoner, the 45-year-old Ling earned an improbable spot in the Ironman World Championships, which will be held Oct. 18 in Kona, Hawaii.

Only 200 athletes a year gain a spot in the event. Ling got in through a lottery system.

"Unfortunately, I'm not going after all," said the 45-year-old Ling, an engineer at Savannah River Site. "I injured my knee playing tennis about a year ago, and it continued to bother me, so I had to pull out. It's disappointing, but hopefully, I can make it back next year."

Ling was a star tennis player in high school at Hammond School in Columbia, and recently started playing competitive tennis again last year.

He ended up tearing the meniscus in his knee, and is scheduled to undergo surgery Oct. 27.

Ling's doctor, renowned local surgeon David Minter of Sports Medicine Associates of Augusta, told him he could start his rehab a few days after the surgery and soon begin training again.

"I've run in the Disney marathon (in Orlando, Fla)., seven times, and I'm planning to do Disney again in January," Ling said.

But Ling won't be appeased until he gets another shot at Kona.

"I gave the lady with Ironman the sob story, and hopefully I can get in next year on a medical exemption," Ling said. "Competing in a triathlon is like the ultimate goal for me. I've always liked to push my body and myself to the limit, and Ironman is the ultimate test of that."

A triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2 mile marathon.

Another local triathlete, Augusta native and North Augusta resident Arnold Barrett, will compete in his second straight Ironman this year.

Barrett, 46, got in on the lottery last year. This year, he qualified with a top-5 finish in his age division at the Subaru Ironman Canada in Penticton, British Columbia, in August.

HOOPS BENEFIT: The United States Association of Christian Athletics will hold several charity golf events in the coming weeks to raise money to fun local sports summer camps for underprivileged children.

On Friday, Oct. 17 an open tournament will be held at Cedar Creek Golf Club in Aiken, with an 8 a.m. shotgun start and a $10,000 first-place prize. The top 10 finishers will also win cash prizes, and there also will be hole-in-one prizes and other giveaways.

Another tournament under the same format will be held Tuesday, Oct. 21, at Goshen Plantation.

A miniature golf tournament will also be held Saturday, Nov. 8, at Putt Putt Golf and Games in Martinez. Cash prizes will be awarded in the adult divisions. Children play for free in the kids division.

For information, contact USACA founder and president Craig Cameron at 803-613-9189.

--From the Thursday, October 9, 2003 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle