FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEBreakout Year for SpiderTech's Li Na
November 4, 2011
 As the 2011 WTA season comes to a close, one thing is clear, SpiderTech Champion Li Na has just completed a career defining year – one for the record books.
A veteran compared to many of the young stars of the modern era, Na proved to critics that a commitment to fitness and personal training can deliver results at any age.
Na started off the 2011 season strong with a runner-up finish at the Australian Open, narrowly missing capturing her first grand slam title.
Some early round tournament exits followed the Australian Open, but Na remained confidant and focused on the majors.
In June, a lifetime committed to the game of tennis finally paid off for Na as she captured the 2011 French Open title at Roland Garros becoming the first Chinese woman to ever win a Grand Slam title.
One tournament forever changed Li Na’s life.
"Media, fans, officials and sponsors are all more interested in me now," Na told SpiderTech earlier this summer.
"I hear my name more often around tournaments, fans weren’t always sure who I was before, now they all stop me for an autograph or photo."
The modest Na believes her success in 2011 is an outcome of yeats of dedication to the sport and to her personal fitness for her success.
"I always knew I could win a grand slam title, I didn’t know when or which one it would be, but I always knew I could do it. It was a surreal feeling to actually win in Paris. I felt like a princess the morning after winning, it felt very surreal lying in my hotel bed looking at the trophy and the Eiffel Tower out the window."
Na continued strong play throughout the second half of the season earning her a spot in the elite eight-woman WTA Championship draw in Istanbul. Na beat perennial favourite Maria Sharapova for the second time in 2011 in the round robin play.
Na plans to take a short break, having spent most of 2011 travelling with the tour and making personal appearances. Within weeks, Na will begin to prepare for the 2012 season and defense of her 2011 French Open title.
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USA Cycling to award its annual "Athlete of the Year" designations on Nov. 5
Colorado Springs, Colo. (Nov. 2, 2011)
USA Cycling will award its annual "Athlete of the Year" designations on Nov. 5 at the 2011 U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame Induction ceremony in Davis, Calif.
Developmental mountain biker Stephen Ettinger (Cashmere, Wash./BMC Mountain Bike Development Team) will receive the men’s award while the women’s designation will go to the foursome of Sarah Hammer (Temecula, Calif./OUCH Pro Cycling), Dotsie Bausch (Irvine, Calif.), Jennie Reed (Seattle, Wash./OUCH Pro Cycling), and Lauren Tamayo (Asheville, N.C./Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) for their success in the team pursuit.
"Being recognized as ‘Athletes of the Year’ for the Women's Team Pursuit is such an honor," said Reed. "We've all been working hard and continuing to get faster and faster, so it's always nice to be recognized for our hard work and achievements. These women motivate and push me every day to reach a higher level."
STEPHEN ETTINGER
Ettinger got his start as a 10-year-old in Washington State’s local race scene. By age 16, he was competing for national titles, and by age 18 was competing at world championship events. He finished third is his inaugural pro race and has posted 23 top-10 finishes (including eight victories) in the more than 40 races he has entered since 2009. As a member of USA Cycling’s National Development Program, Stephen has consistently shown that he is able to compete among the world’s best. This summer, at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Cross-Country National Championships, he repeated as champion in his event by more than three minutes.
WOMEN’S TEAM PURSUIT SQUAD
In the last two years, American women have experienced unprecedented team pursuit success. On May 12, 2010, Sarah Hammer, Dotsie Bausch, and Lauren Tamayo set the world record for the team pursuit—3:19.569—becoming the first team ever to break the 3:20 barrier. This achievement set the stage for the UCI Track World Championships, where the USA women had never won a medal. At the 2011 Worlds in the Netherlands, the determined trio of Hammer, Bausch, and Jennie Reed reached the gold medal round against Great Britain and eventually earned the silver medal; another landmark for American cycling.
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
In addition to the USA Cycling "Athlete of the Year" awards, four legends of American cycling will be inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame on Saturday.
The four honorees represent a range of cycling disciplines, including Olympians, World and National Champions, and industry pioneers from the 1920s to the present. The inductees are: Marty Nothstein (Modern Road & Track Competitor), Ruthie Matthes (Off-Road Competitor), Bobby Walthour, Jr. (Veteran Road & Track Competitor), and Mike Sinyard (Contributor to the Sport).
For more information, visit the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame website: www.usbhof.org.
About USA Cycling
Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX and cyclo-cross. As a membership-based organization, USA Cycling comprises 66,500+ licensees; 2,200 clubs and teams; and 34 local associations. The national governing body sanctions 2,650 competitive and non-competitive events throughout the U.S. each year and is responsible for the identification, development, and support of American cyclists. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit www.usacycling.org.
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SpiderTech athlete, Linda Villumsen beats jitters to grab silver
September 23, 2011
 Linda Villumsen was nervous about racing in the country of her birth, but she needn't have been.
With family and friends in full voice, the Danish-born Kiwi was cheered around the streets of Copenhagen yesterday en route to silver in the women's time trial at the world road cycling championships.
It was the time trial specialist's third consecutive world championships medal, after bronze medals for Denmark in 2009 and in her first ride for New Zealand last year, as she firms as a genuine medal contender for next year's Olympics in London.
Medalling in the country of her birth was special, although she admitted to some pre-race jitters over just how she would be received in Denmark.
"I was worried about people's reactions but it's been an amazing day for me," she said from Copenhagen.
"They were all cheering for me like I was a Dane. It was special for sure. I had my family and friends here supporting me, too." Villumsen told her brother to go to the toughest part of the 27.8km course and shout for her, and "he did a good job".
To read the full article, click here.
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