New Zealanders prepare assault on world long course champs

The ITU World Long Course Triathlon Championships are held in Perth this weekend with a strong contingent of Kiwi elite males leading a sizeable age group team into battle.

Kieran Doe is foremost of those athletes as the Ironman competitor continues his return to top level racing after a mystery stomach illness crippled his NZ Ironman campaign earlier this year.

That recovery has included a win at the ITU Asian Long Distance Championships in Korea back in June and a third place finish at the prestigious Steelhead 70.3 in Michigan in August.

‘Doe Boy’ as he is known has been targeting this race most of the year though.

“My last few weeks of Training have been fantastic due to my last training block of key sessions which my team and I devised. I am in some of my best form and full of confidence with everything coming together nicely for Perth. I am itching to race again and can't wait to hear that gun go off on the 25th of October.”

Joining Doe on the elite start line will be Liam Scopes, Paul Westwood and Duncan Milne. Taupo’s Milne has been somewhat hindered in his preparation by the cold conditions in his home town.

“I’ve had a fairly good preparation although it has been tough in the Taupo winter. I still have not had an open water swim yet, Lake Taupo is a little frigid this time of year! I have been happy with my running build up though and expect to run better than I have before.

The Port of Tauranga Half Ironman champion is unsure of a realistic goal in what for him is a shorter race than he would prefer.

“It’s very hard to estimate a placing as I am stepping down in distance whilst many ITU athletes are stepping up. Whether I have the raw speed to match them is going to be interesting, especially in the water. Once on the bike it will be all business and I will be looking to bridge up to the leaders and then mix it on the run.”

Milne arrived in Perth on Tuesday night so has not left a great deal of time to acclimatize, albeit he has shown some typically Kiwi ingenuity in attempts to replicate the expected warm conditions.

“It’s meant to be 31 Degrees on race day so a little warmer than Taupo! I have been doing Saunas and a lot of riding inside on the wind-trainer to try to acclimatize as best I can. I'm staying with Paul Westwood and his extended family in Perth in an effort to keep costs to a minimum; it’s a very expensive business!”

The elites will be joined in Perth by a large New Zealand team for the age group races, with a total of 123 Kiwis making the journey to the Western Australian city. Those competing range in age from 20 to 74 and come from all corners of New Zealand.

Racing is over a 3km swim, 80km bike and a 20km run to finish. All events are non-drafting. Racing commences at 8am on Sunday morning with wave starts.