Bozzone and Reed give their all but miss the top five

Mooloolaba turned on a perfect day for the first ITU BG World Cup Triathlon of 2008, a race that doubled as the final Olympic trial for New Zealand athletes looking to grab the third and final place on the men’s and women’s team for Beijing in August.

In both cases today was billed as a match race between Shane Reed and Terenzo Bozzone in the men and Andrea Hewitt and Nicky Samuels in the women’s and that is how it panned out in the 30 degree heat on the Sunshine Coast.

The selection criteria has been known for a long time with athletes looking to join those already qualified for Beijing targeting the Mooloolaba race for months and knowing exactly what was required of them to earn nomination to the New Zealand Olympic Committee for Beijing.

Hewitt gained the edge in the women’s race (see earlier release) but failed to make the top five and book a spot in Beijing.

In the men’s race it was a similar story as Terenzo Bozzone finished ahead of Shane Reed but in 14th position and like the women, the decision as to who will join Bevan Docherty and Kris Gemmell in Beijing is now in the hands of the selectors.

Docherty was best of the Kiwis despite having what he described as a bad day at the office, in particular in the swim when he was 56th out of the water. In typical fashion though he was soon at the head of the field on the bike and ran steadily if not spectacularly for fourth.

The real interest though lay in the battle between Bozzone and Reed and the contrast between the two athletes. Bozzone is 23 and at the start of what promises to be a stunning career while Reed is 34 and winding his down but clearly in the form of his life.

Bozzone said he just didn’t have it in him to stay with the leaders on the run after finishing the swim in third and exiting the bike in sixth place.

“If things had gone well I would love to have been top five but second Kiwi behind Bevan, I am happy. I got a little carried away at the start of the run, there were a lot of guys that faded due to the pace, I think this is something that I will have to learn, how to stay with the leaders early in the run and maintain that pace.”

The North Shore athlete wasn’t caught up in the talk of extra pressure given the head to head battle with Reed.

“The pressure here was no more than it will be at the Olympics, this was just another race, I just had to handle the pressure, do what I do and execute it perfectly.”

Reed did not have a great day, suffering from a fall on the bike when Javier Gomez ran over his back.

“I just didn’t feel great today and then to have the fall on the bike and Javier basically ride over my back fazed me a little I guess. It didn’t have a huge bearing, I just felt flat today, maybe the pressure of selection played a part but sometimes you just have those days.”

The race was won by World Number One Javier Gomez (Spain) from Australian Brad Hahlefeldt (Australia) and Tim Don (UK).

Subject then to all boxes being ticked and criteria being met by the athletes concerned, the Tri NZ Selectors and the NZOC will announce the successful athletes (and reserves) at the World Tri Festival in New Plymouth this coming weekend.

For further information and race reports of the ITU BG World Cup events, refer to www.triathlon.org

The festival included a number or events with New Zealanders taking part in many, including the Aria Open Elite standard distance race completed earlier this morning. Best of the Kiwis was Carmel Hanley (Auckland) and Dylan McNeice (Christchurch), both of whom picked up prize money for fourth place finishes.


ITU BG World Cup, Elite Men results

1J. GOMEZ (ESP)1:49:50
2B. KAHLEFELDT (AUS)+ 0:24
3T. DON (GBR)+ 0:34
4B. DOCHERTY (NZL)+ 0:37
5G. BENNETT (AUS)+ 0:39
6O. FREEMAN (GBR)+ 0:44
7P. TICHELAAR (CAN)+ 0:48
8B. SEXTON (AUS)+ 0:55
9S. THOMPSON (AUS)+ 1:03
10K. JONES (CAN)+ 1:08
11M. PETZOLD (GER)+ 1:18
12S. HAYES (GBR)+ 1:24
13T. MOULAI (FRA)+ 1:32
14T. BOZZONE (NZL)+ 1:33
15B. PAIS (POR)+ 1:34
16H. DE VILLIERS (RSA)+ 1:34
17M. FRETTA (USA)+ 1:41
18O. MARCEAU (SUI)+ 1:42
19D. GAAG (KAZ)+ 1:43
20M. HUERTA (USA)+ 1:46
21Y. MALYSHEV (RUS)+ 1:51
22P. CROES (BEL)+ 1:56
23R. STANNARD (GBR)+ 1:59
24C. ATKINSON (AUS)+ 2:06
25S. REED (NZL)+ 2:22
26R. YAMAMOTO (JPN)+ 2:23
27S. BERK (NED)+ 2:25
28M. HOPPER (AUS)+ 2:28
29R. ALTERMAN (ISR)+ 2:30
30D. FONTANA (ITA)+ 2:41
31J. HAST (FIN)+ 2:49
32D. POLYANSKY (RUS)+ 2:53
33C. ELLICE (NZL)+ 2:56
34H. NISHIUCHI (JPN)+ 2:57
35V. TURBAEVSKIY (RUS)+ 3:01
36R. WILD (SUI)+ 3:03
37E. D'AQUINO (ITA)+ 3:04
38L. SAUCEDO (MEX)+ 3:05
39A. GARZA (MEX)+ 3:13
40C. KUTTOR (HUN)+ 3:17
41P. ROBERTSON (AUS)+ 3:23
42W. CLARKE (GBR)+ 3:26
43A. BROWNLEE (GBR)+ 3:35
44E. WOLFAARDT (RSA)+ 3:40
45H. BANTI (MON)+ 3:49
46A. ZEEBROEK (BEL)+ 3:56
47D. BROCARD (SUI)+ 4:02
48Y. SEVERIN (NED)+ 4:20
49C. JENKINS (CAN)+ 4:21
50D. BOCKEL (LUX)+ 4:35
51L. VIDAL (FRA)+ 4:38
52J. ELVERY (NZL)+ 4:40
53C. FELGATE (ZIM)+ 4:51
54M. VAN BARNEVELD (NZL)+ 5:03

ITU BG World Cup, Elite Women results

Aria Open Elite Results
Men
1 Andrew Johns GBR 1.48.38
2 Samuel Betten AUS 1.48.41
3 David Matthews AUS 1.49.18
4 Dylan McNeice Chch/NZL 1.49.36
5 Josh Maeder AUS 1.49.38
Plus other Kiwis
8 Ryan Sissons NZL 1.50.30
9 Callum Millward NZL 1.50.35
20 Ben Pattle NZL 1.52.14

Women
1 Ashley Finaughty ZIM 2.05.00
2 Sarah Crowley AUS 2.06.10
3 Bree Wee USA 2.06.40
4 Carmel Hanley Auck/NZL 2.06.50
5 Rina Hill AUS 2.08.10