New Zealanders dominate Noumea triathlon

New Zealanders were very much to the fore at the Noumea International Triathlon today with Kiwi women taking three of the top four places and the men three of the top six.

Leading the way was Dunedin’s Taryn McLeod with first place in the women’s elite race, with Evelyn Williamson third and Kelly Bruce fourth. The result was especially pleasing for McLeod who hasn’t raced over the standard distance since the 2007 World Championships in Hamburg after being diagnosed with glandular fever in December.

In the men’s it was Palmerston North’s Tama Christensen just missing the podium in fourth place, with Ben Visser and Ryan Sissons close behind in 5th and 6th.

Conditions were tough with temperatures into the early thirties and humidity into the nineties, while the course itself was a demanding one in the non-drafting event.

The good showing from the emerging New Zealand talent caps a great weekend for Tri NZ following on the heels of Sam Warriner’s win and Bevan Docherty’s second place at the Tongyeong World Cup in South Korea.