Photos: Delly Carr/AusTriathlon
By Kent Gray/Triathlon.kiwi in Devonport
New Zealand has capped a memorable Oceania Sprint and Relay Championships in Devonport with the silver medal in Sunday’s Mixed Team Relay.
The NZL A quartet of Saxon Morgan, Brea Roderick, Trent Thorpe and Eva Goodisson crossed the line third in Tasmania behind Australia 1 and Australia 3 but only the top teams were eligible for the medals.
That saw the Kiwis promoted to second to complete a medal haul highlighted by Dylan McCullough’s double elite and U23 gold in Saturday’s individual men’s sprint and Brea Roderick’s U23 gold and elite silver in the women’s race.
READ MORE
Double Oceania title delight for McCullough in Devonport
Roderick of old returns at Oceania Sprint champs and the result is golden
Morgan gave as good as he got from Aussie 1 lead-out Luke Willian to cap an impressive weekend in Devonport marked by his standout 5th place in the men’s sprint.
Roderick then tagged Thorpe in second place, a position Thorpe held all the way to tagging NZL A anchor Goodisson. Goodisson swam and cycled strongly but coming back from a back injury was always going to struggle to catch Aussie 1 anchor Jaz Hedgeland, the freshly minted Oceania Sprint champion.
Aussie 3 anchor Jess Ewart-McTigue also ran down the Kiwi but there are positive signs for Goodisson after her drama-filled 7th in Saturday’s race and solid leg in the MTR.
The NZL 2 quartet of Ben Airey, Sarah McClure, Henry McMecking and Olivia Cummings finished 6th while the NZL 3 team of Lachlan Haycock, Hannah Howell, Gus Marfell and Charlotte Brown were 9th overall.
