RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, July 24. ALREADY a three-time Olympian, once in swimming and twice in the triathlon, Sheila Taormina is looking for another berth to the Olympic Games. And, she's hoping to accomplish the feat in a third sport. Taormina is chasing a berth to Beijing next summer in the modern pentathlon.
At the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Taormina finished 11th in the modern pentathlon. The effort wasn't good enough for the 38-year-old to qualify for the Olympics, but she's making strides in the event. She's scheduled to compete at the World Championships next month in Berlin and a strong showing could wrap up an invitation.
A member of the United States' gold-medal winning 800 freestyle relay at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, she shifted her athletic skills to the triathlon, finishing sixth at the Sydney Games and 23rd at the Athens Olympics. In the modern pentathlon, she's been combining her swimming and running backgrounds with the demands of fencing, shooting and equestrian.