MONTREAL — Kirsten Kasper competes for the United States, but probably knows the city better than even some of the Canadians entered in this week's Montreal International Triathlon.
The niece of former Boston Bruins player and coach Steve Kasper was born in Ottawa, lived in Newmarket, Ont., for a spell and moved to the U.S. when she was a teenager. But she spent many summer vacations and Christmas holidays visiting her grandparents and other family in the Montreal area, especially St. Lambert, Que., across the St. Lawrence river from downtown Montreal.
"My dad is from St. Lambert, my grandparents still live there," Kasper said Thursday. "It feels like home. I spent a fair amount of time here."
With at least 18 family members expected to attend, Kasper will be looking to shine in the women's ITU World Triathlon Series event on Saturday. The men's race is on Sunday.
She is third in the women's standings behind Flora Duffy of Bermuda and American Katie Zaferes after finishing ninth last week in Edmonton.
"I'm hoping to do well and try to improve on my finish last weekend," she said. "Hopefully this week I'd like to be on the podium in front of my family."
The World Series events cover Olympic distances, with a 1.5-kilometre swim, 40 kilometres of cycling and a 10-kilometre run.
While Edmonton's triathlon was held in a park, the Montreal event runs through city streets. The course, which has some small rises, begins on a dock in the city's Old Port and loops through the Old Montreal area. The same course was used for a lower-level World Cup event last year before the event moving up to triathlon's top series.
"I love to be in the city," said Kasper. "It's great having the fans, especially in Montreal.
"Last year there were all lot of people out. It really helps to have the people cheering for you. It makes it that much more exciting."
Avowed fans of the Boston Bruins, rivals of the Canadiens, aren't often cheered in Montreal, but the crowd may make an exception for an athlete with local ties.
Kasper said she was a competitive swimmer in university when she was approached by U.S. triathlon officials to take up their sport. She could have competed for Canada, but had already made her home south of the border. She spends a lot of time in Phoenix, but considers Boston home.
"I want to live in the U.S. because that's where my immediate family is, but it was a tough decision because I am Canadian as well," she said. "It means a lot to be able to race in Canada, but also to represent the U.S.
"I've lived an equal number of years (13) in each, so both are close to my heart."
Another who has got to know the course well is fifth-place Andrea Hewitt. The New Zealander skipped Edmonton because she wanted a break after competing in Germany. She arrived 10 days ago and has been training and renting Bixi bikes to tour the city.
"I went to the port and saw how busy it was," said Hewitt. "It's going to be crazy this weekend, especially when they remove all the boats and we're going to swim in there.
"It'll be exciting. There are so many tourists around. The old town is beautiful. It'll be exciting to ride on those cobble streets."
Men's leader Mario Mola will be gunning for a fifth straight win. He and Spanish teammates Fernando Alarza and Javier Gomez Noya hold the top three spots in the standings.
Bill Beacon, The Canadian Press
