NZ snare 5 top top finishes at Mooloolaba
New Zealand made a great start to the ITU World Cup season with five top ten finishes amongst world class company in Mooloolaba today, reinforcing our record as a world leader in the sport.
The men’s race was one of the best seen in recent times on the ITU World Cup circuit with form athletes from 2006 stamping their mark on the 2007 series. World number one Javier Gomez (Spain) was beaten into second in a sprint finish by in form world number 4 Brad Kahlefeldt (Australia) with Kiwis Kris Gemmel and Bevan Docherty in close attendance in 3rd and 4th respectively.
Gemmell won the battle of the Kiwis for a thrilling third place just seconds ahead of Docherty while Shane Reed rounded out a great day for the Kiwis in what promises to be a long season with an 8th place finish.
Gemmell couldn’t believe how well he went given his planning was focused more on other events.
“What a wonderful start to the season, I can’t believe I have finished third with my preparation really focused more on the nationals next week and Ishigaki in April (ITU WC race). I didn’t taper at all for this today and was worried how I might last on the run but the legs were great and at one stage I actually began to close on Brad and Javier. Having said that I always race well here, with top five finishes in every race bar one in the past four years.â€Â
Gemmell and fellow Kiwi Docherty ran side by side for much of the race.
“Bevan and I talked about it before the race and decided we wanted to ‘negative split’ the run. It is early in the season and we want to peak at the right time for later in the season so that was our goal today to negative split what was a tough run course. It was only on the last hill on the last lap that I kicked away from Bevan and began to close on the leaders.â€Â
It was confirmation for Gemmell that his off season work may well pay off in a long season with qualification for Beijing top of mind with most athletes. Gemmell spent the summer back home in Palmerston North, training on his own most of the time without the benefit of regular training partners.
In the hot conditions Debbie Tanner led the Kiwi’s in the women’s race with fourth place confirming her recent rise in world rankings and cementing the 24 year old as a medal threat in Beijing in 2008, such has been her improvement in recent years.
Tanner is fast becoming a feared runner on the ITU circuit but today she enjoyed a great start, exiting the water just 5 seconds from the lead before consolidating in the lead group of 12 on the 40km bike leg. Tanner achieved her targets and more in the swim.
“I have been working so hard on my swim and today was really all about putting myself in that lead group coming out of the water, or as close to them as I could possibly be. To effectively be alongside Andrea first out of the water though was fantastic and a great sign for bigger races later in the season.â€Â
If Tanner had a great start to the event, team mate and 9th ranked Andrea Hewitt was quite superb, leading the race out of the water and off the bike before fading only slightly to finish a credible sixth and earn valuable ITU points.
Hewitt can pin point specifically the part of her race that cost a podium finish today.
“My swim was fantastic and once I was established in the lead pack on the bike it was a tactical race to ensure I was comfortable leading into the run and with the leaders. The first two kilometres on the run were tough though, I couldn’t match the pace of the front runners and it was all I could do to hang tough and stay in contact. Once through that bad patch I settled into my work and was thrilled to finish in 6th place. I came in 9th ranked so this will help improve my ranking and sets me up for an exciting year.â€Â
Hewitt will turn her attention to a little more speed work to remedy the bike to run transition and like Tanner, is conscious of bigger races to come later in the season.
The athletes now head back to New Zealand for the New Zealand Nationals in Wellington next weekend.
Men’s Elite Race
1. Brad Kahlefeldt (Aus) 1 hour 49 mins 22 secs
2. Javier Gomez (Spain) 1.49.26
3. Kris Gemmell (NZ) 1.49.36
4. Bevan Docherty (NZ) 1.50.09
5. Courtney Atkinson (Aus) 1.50.15
8. Shane Reed (NZ) 1.50.53
29. Ellice Clark (NZ) 1.53.54
35. Ben Pulham (NZ) 1.54.28
DNF Graham O’Grady (NZ)
Elite Women’s Race
1. Emma Snowsill (Aus) 1 hour 59 min 20 sec
2. Erin Densham (Aus) 1.59.51
3. Vanessa Fernandes (Por) 2.00.01
4. Debbie Tanner (NZ) 2.00.22
5. Ricarda Lisk (Ger) 2.00.56
6. Andrea Hewitt (NZ) 2.01.09
27. Sam Warriner (NZ) 2.05.04
32. Nicky Samuels (NZ) 2.05.27
51. Evelyn Williamson (NZ) 2.11.17
The men’s race was one of the best seen in recent times on the ITU World Cup circuit with form athletes from 2006 stamping their mark on the 2007 series. World number one Javier Gomez (Spain) was beaten into second in a sprint finish by in form world number 4 Brad Kahlefeldt (Australia) with Kiwis Kris Gemmel and Bevan Docherty in close attendance in 3rd and 4th respectively.
Gemmell won the battle of the Kiwis for a thrilling third place just seconds ahead of Docherty while Shane Reed rounded out a great day for the Kiwis in what promises to be a long season with an 8th place finish.
Gemmell couldn’t believe how well he went given his planning was focused more on other events.
“What a wonderful start to the season, I can’t believe I have finished third with my preparation really focused more on the nationals next week and Ishigaki in April (ITU WC race). I didn’t taper at all for this today and was worried how I might last on the run but the legs were great and at one stage I actually began to close on Brad and Javier. Having said that I always race well here, with top five finishes in every race bar one in the past four years.â€Â
Gemmell and fellow Kiwi Docherty ran side by side for much of the race.
“Bevan and I talked about it before the race and decided we wanted to ‘negative split’ the run. It is early in the season and we want to peak at the right time for later in the season so that was our goal today to negative split what was a tough run course. It was only on the last hill on the last lap that I kicked away from Bevan and began to close on the leaders.â€Â
It was confirmation for Gemmell that his off season work may well pay off in a long season with qualification for Beijing top of mind with most athletes. Gemmell spent the summer back home in Palmerston North, training on his own most of the time without the benefit of regular training partners.
In the hot conditions Debbie Tanner led the Kiwi’s in the women’s race with fourth place confirming her recent rise in world rankings and cementing the 24 year old as a medal threat in Beijing in 2008, such has been her improvement in recent years.
Tanner is fast becoming a feared runner on the ITU circuit but today she enjoyed a great start, exiting the water just 5 seconds from the lead before consolidating in the lead group of 12 on the 40km bike leg. Tanner achieved her targets and more in the swim.
“I have been working so hard on my swim and today was really all about putting myself in that lead group coming out of the water, or as close to them as I could possibly be. To effectively be alongside Andrea first out of the water though was fantastic and a great sign for bigger races later in the season.â€Â
If Tanner had a great start to the event, team mate and 9th ranked Andrea Hewitt was quite superb, leading the race out of the water and off the bike before fading only slightly to finish a credible sixth and earn valuable ITU points.
Hewitt can pin point specifically the part of her race that cost a podium finish today.
“My swim was fantastic and once I was established in the lead pack on the bike it was a tactical race to ensure I was comfortable leading into the run and with the leaders. The first two kilometres on the run were tough though, I couldn’t match the pace of the front runners and it was all I could do to hang tough and stay in contact. Once through that bad patch I settled into my work and was thrilled to finish in 6th place. I came in 9th ranked so this will help improve my ranking and sets me up for an exciting year.â€Â
Hewitt will turn her attention to a little more speed work to remedy the bike to run transition and like Tanner, is conscious of bigger races to come later in the season.
The athletes now head back to New Zealand for the New Zealand Nationals in Wellington next weekend.
Men’s Elite Race
1. Brad Kahlefeldt (Aus) 1 hour 49 mins 22 secs
2. Javier Gomez (Spain) 1.49.26
3. Kris Gemmell (NZ) 1.49.36
4. Bevan Docherty (NZ) 1.50.09
5. Courtney Atkinson (Aus) 1.50.15
8. Shane Reed (NZ) 1.50.53
29. Ellice Clark (NZ) 1.53.54
35. Ben Pulham (NZ) 1.54.28
DNF Graham O’Grady (NZ)
Elite Women’s Race
1. Emma Snowsill (Aus) 1 hour 59 min 20 sec
2. Erin Densham (Aus) 1.59.51
3. Vanessa Fernandes (Por) 2.00.01
4. Debbie Tanner (NZ) 2.00.22
5. Ricarda Lisk (Ger) 2.00.56
6. Andrea Hewitt (NZ) 2.01.09
27. Sam Warriner (NZ) 2.05.04
32. Nicky Samuels (NZ) 2.05.27
51. Evelyn Williamson (NZ) 2.11.17