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Triathletes race for another podium after Don’s third in Mooloolaba
One week after Tim Don kicked off his triathlon season in Mooloolaba, Australia with a bronze medal, the BG Triathlon World Cup series shifts to New Plymouth on the North Island of New Zealand.
Don now shifts his attention to next week’s world cup race in Ishigaki, Japan, however a strong contingent of Brits have made the trip from Australia’s Sunshine Coast, including Andrea Whitcombe who finished just off the podium in fifth at the season opener.
With both Emma Snowsill and Vanessa Fernandes, the world number one and two, not racing in New Plymouth the podium is open to assault, and Whitcombe will be looking to take full advantage. However a number of New Zealanders will be looking to impress on home soil, including five time world cup winner Samantha Warriner and former World Under 23 Champion, Andrea Hewitt.
Helen Tucker and Liz Blatchford impressed in Mooloolaba with 13th and 17th positions respectively. Both athletes missed much of the 2007 season through injury and they will be looking to put in another competitive performance this weekend. Blatchford suffered further set back in January having been knocked off her bike following a win at the Laguna Phuket Triathlon in Thailand; however she is back and ready to race once more. They will be joined by Kerry Lang and Jodie Swallow, as they look to improve on their 18th and 27th places from Australia.
In the men’s race, Spain’s Javier Gomez will start as the favourite having clocked 14 consecutive world cup podiums after his victory last week in Australia. Olly Freeman will be hoping to improve on his excellent start to the year following a sixth place finish in Mooloolaba; however the Kiwi duo of Bevan Docherty and Kris Gemmell will have the support of the partisan crowd driving them on.
Andrew Johns will join the other Brits, Stuart Hayes, Richard Stannard and Alistair Brownlee, who are making the trip from Australia. 19 year old Brownlee, the aspiring 2006 Junior World Champion, will be looking for a return to the form which took him to his first world cup podium in Rhodes in 2007.
The race will be standard Olympic distance: 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike, 10-kilometer run.
Live coverage will be available online at Triathlon.org.
Start Times:
Elite Women - 01:00am on Sunday 6 April GMT
Elite Men - 03:30am on Sunday 6 April GMT
About British Triathlon
British Triathlon is the National Governing Body for triathlon, the UK’s fastest growing sport. At international level Great Britain boasts a strong squad of world ranked elite triathletes who regularly achieve international success and has some outstanding young talent emerging from its development programmes. Since becoming an Olympic sport in 2000, British Triathlon has seen annual increases in membership numbers of 10%. There are over 650 triathlon events conducted in Great Britain each year, including the Corus Elite Series which attracts athletes from all over the world and the renowned Mazda London Triathlon and. For more information visit: BritishTriathlon.org.
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