TRIATHLON

Strong team named for World Triathlon Champs

Triathlon New Zealand has named an impressively credentialed and in form team for the 2007 ITU Triathlon World Championships to be hosted in Hamburg in late August. Such is the depth in the sport in New Zealand it was more a case of who would be the unlucky athletes to miss the cut rather than who would the selectors include. The elite men are headlined by current world number three Bevan Docherty and also include world number four Kris Gemmell and world number ten Shane Reed. Docherty won the 2004 World Championship but has not enjoyed good luck at the event in the two years since while Gemmell finished in a career high fourth place in Lausanne last year The ‘supporting act’ isn’t bad either with two time former World Junior champion Terenzo Bozzone, current New Zealand number four Clark Ellice and 23 year old James Elvery also in the six man team for Hamburg. Bozzone has had a slow start to the season as he recovers from injury and knee surgery but is keenly anticipating both Hamburg and Beijing a fortnight later. “The world champs and the Beijing World Cup which doubles up as our selection race for the Olympics are my two big races for the year, so it will be interesting to see if I can take it up another step from my sixth place finish at the Edmonton World Cup six weeks ago. It has always been a goal and dream of mine to represent New Zealand at elite level at both World Championships and Olympic Games.” The women’s team is equally strong and like the men can currently boast three athletes in the top ten world rankings (ITU points). Leading the way is Whangarei athlete Samantha Warriner (3) who will be joined in Hamburg by Debbie Tanner (5), Taryn McLeod (78) and wildcard selection Evelyn Williamson (61). Triathlon New Zealand CEO Dave Beeche is delighted at the quality of the athletes chosen. “The quality of our athletes at the elite level is unquestioned and our depth in the sport respected around the world. One of the best ways to gauge any team or selection process is to consider the ability of those to miss out. In our case we have athletes ranked in the top 150 in the world who have on this occasion missed out, which is a tough call on them but a wonderful reflection on our sport.” Sam Warriner has had an up and down year so far, with the disappointment of a first up 27th at the opening World Cup race in Mooloolaba well and truly shaded by a superb win in Vancouver and a second placed finish in Salford on the weekend. Given she won the 2005 Hamburg World Cup race it is no surprise Warriner is looking forward to her sixth shot at a World title on a familiar course. "One of the first goals I set myself in Triathlon was to get to the World Championships and the event continues to be of huge importance to me. There's just nothing better than representing your country at a world championship, I love living in New Zealand and I love the thought of New Zealanders getting behind me". Warriner knows however that the event has not always been kind to her with a best finish of 13th in 2004. “Every year I say I'd like to win worlds and every year it's the one race where things go wrong for me (Warriner crashed on the bike last year after her chain came off). But every year I return, intent on changing that, and this year’s no different. I feel I've had my fair share of bad luck, it's gotta be about to change, surely". Debbie Tanner is another genuine podium chance and also has form on the course to give her further confidence. “I was second on this same course at the corresponding World Cup race last year so am relatively comfortable with its detail. The whole season has been about this two week stretch with Hamburg and then Beijing so I am looking forward to it immensely.” Timing in pre-Olympic year however means the New Zealand team will not include current world number four Andrea Hewitt or world number twenty four Nicky Samuels. The Beijing World Cup race on September 15/16th doubles as New Zealand’s first Olympic qualifying race. Tri NZ High Performance Manager Stephen Farrell says the timing so close to the world champs is unfortunate with Beijing understandably a huge priority for all athletes. “A number of our more seasoned athletes are able to cope with two important races in the space of two weeks but after discussion with their coach John Hellemans, Andrea (Hewitt) and Nicky (Samuels) have decided to by-pass the World Champs to concentrate on the Beijing World Cup”, said Farrell from Europe. “For obvious reasons Beijing is the first and major selection race for the New Zealand team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. While clearly a difficult choice for both athletes to miss the World Champs, they and John agreed that the closeness of the two races and their relative inexperience meant they might struggle to do well at both events.“ In conjunction with the ITU, Tri NZ sets tough and stringent criteria for selection but has included Kapiti Coast’s Evelyn Williamson under special conditions after her coach Richard Lindroos submitted a wild card application. 61st ranked Williamson had not met all criteria due largely to illness but has a consistent record of top twenty finishes at World Championships, including a third place finish in 1998. This will be her tenth attendance at World Champs and she is delighted. “Representing New Zealand is a major motivation for me and each year it has become that bit more important. I've been around triathlon for so long and done so many races, that I've come to understand what world champs means and how important it is to be there. So I'm thrilled to be selected again this year. It’s the pinnacle of our sport, and we have a great team. I'm sure we will do some damage!” Meanwhile Farrell is not carried away by the superb form of the New Zealand team in 2007 with three World Cup wins and ten podiums in total, saying the World Championships is another prospect altogether. “We've enjoyed and deserved the great results we have had this year but that counts for little at the World Championships when pressure takes on a new proportion. For those athletes racing both the World Champs and the Beijing selection race, there is also the added factor of managing two maximum efforts in the space of two weeks.” One of the great stories behind the selection process is that of 23 year old James Elvery. A hot favourite to gain selection for the U23 team, Elvery got caught on a race buoy at the trial race in Wellington and but for the intervention at the time of competitor Sam Walker, may not have been around to tell the tale, let alone race again. The disappointment of missing the U23 team was compounded when the Aucklander had his race bike stolen on the eve of the Vancouver World Cup race. But his year has come good with selection in the elite men’s team after a dramatic rise in world ranking from 243rd to a high of 74th on ITU points. New Plymouth’s Clark Ellice is delighted too at his selection in a year that has also had its ups and downs. “I’m stoked to be in team but selection is only half the process. Top ten is my goal and it would be nice to nail after coming 16th last year and having my handlebars snap clean in half yesterday (Monday) here in Salford.” TRI NZ ELITE TEAM FOR 2007 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Hamburg, August 30th to September 2nd Elite Male City ITU rank Bevan Docherty Auckland 3 Kris Gemmell Palmerston Nth 4 Shane Reed New Plymouth 10 Clark Ellice New Plymouth 66 Terenzo Bozzone North Shore 73 James Elvery Auckland 90 Elite Female Sam Warriner Whangarei 3 Debbie Tanner Auckland 5 Evelyn Williamson Kapiti Coast 61 Taryn McLeod Dunedin 78 Not available Andrea Hewitt Christchurch 4 Nicky Samuels Whangarei 28 U23 Male Martin Van Barneveld Wellington 156 William Curtayne Auckland 176 Tony Dodds Wanaka 219 Ben Visser North Shore 376 U23 Female Kelly Bruce Maungaturoto 212 Sarah Bryant Dunedin 260 Jacqui Seebold Auckland 303 Anna Hamilton Auckland 332 Junior (U19) Male Ben Hoetjes Christchurch Jos Hoetjes Christchurch Ryan Sissons Auckland Junior (U19) Female Rebecca Spence North Shore 262 Nicola McKay Tauranga Tracey Steens Tauranga