Photo Gallery: Olympic Hopeful Matt Chrabot

Olympic hopeful Matt Chrabot was the top-ranked ITU racer in 2010, and he has big goals for 2012. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Chrabot has a skill in his back pocket that is coveted by many but which cannot be taught: He can handle variables—huge ocean swells, blistering temperatures, freezing rain, and anything else that can disrupt an athlete’s focus and wreak havoc on his results. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Part of the reason why Chrabot was the fastest American at the ITU World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, last year was it poured before the race began and the streets were filled with potholes. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Chrabot placed 16th at Budapest, and this earned him a final world ranking of 12th, 39 spots better than where he landed in 2009, and the best spot for an American in 2010. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

“Matt just thrives on [variables],” his long-time coach, Melissa Mantak, said. “He reminds me of what I’ve read and know about Lance Armstrong. The greater the adversity, the better he did. I’m reminded of when we were in Miami for the Miami [International] Triathlon in March. We got out of the car and it was dark and cold and the wind was howling. The first thing Matt said was, ‘I love the wind.’” To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Chrabot has long demonstrated his predilection for challenges and adversity. During his college days, he used to tell his teammates on the George Mason University swim team in Washington, D.C., to “go back to baby school” if they ever complained during a hard workout. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Olympic hopeful Matt Chrabot was the top-ranked ITU racer in 2010, and he has big goals for 2012. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Olympic hopeful Matt Chrabot was the top-ranked ITU racer in 2010, and he has big goals for 2012. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Olympic hopeful Matt Chrabot was the top-ranked ITU racer in 2010, and he has big goals for 2012. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Olympic hopeful Matt Chrabot was the top-ranked ITU racer in 2010, and he has big goals for 2012. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Olympic hopeful Matt Chrabot was the top-ranked ITU racer in 2010, and he has big goals for 2012. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Olympic hopeful Matt Chrabot was the top-ranked ITU racer in 2010, and he has big goals for 2012. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Olympic hopeful Matt Chrabot was the top-ranked ITU racer in 2010, and he has big goals for 2012. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Olympic hopeful Matt Chrabot was the top-ranked ITU racer in 2010, and he has big goals for 2012. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Olympic hopeful Matt Chrabot was the top-ranked ITU racer in 2010, and he has big goals for 2012. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Olympic hopeful Matt Chrabot was the top-ranked ITU racer in 2010, and he has big goals for 2012. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Olympic hopeful Matt Chrabot was the top-ranked ITU racer in 2010, and he has big goals for 2012. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Olympic hopeful Matt Chrabot was the top-ranked ITU racer in 2010, and he has big goals for 2012. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Olympic hopeful Matt Chrabot was the top-ranked ITU racer in 2010, and he has big goals for 2012. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.

Olympic hopeful Matt Chrabot was the top-ranked ITU racer in 2010, and he has big goals for 2012. To subscribe to Inside Triathlon, click here. Follow Inside Triathlon on Facebook and Twitter.