By Kent Gray/Triathlon.kiwi
Entries not seen since triathlon’s halcyon days of the late 1990s, heartening junior participation numbers included, intense racing and a hearty dollop of Hayden Wilde fandom.
If the remainder of the summer’s Tri NZ Suzuki Series comes even close to matching Sunday’s New Zealand Standard Distance Age Group Championships in Tauranga, Anna Russell will be a very happy.
Tri NZ’s GM of Community has paid tribute to Race Director Paul Miller and his Triathlon Tauranga team for the delivery of the Gen X Homes/Marra Tinman Triathlon which incorporated the standard distance nationals, the NZ Para Championships and the opening round of the Tri NZ Junior Series.
From the inaugural ‘ASICS Shakeout Run’ on the Saturday to the prize giving on Sunday afternoon, the second event of the summer’s seven stop Tri NZ Suzuki Series was an unqualified success.
“I’ve been at Tri NZ for the past 12 years on and off, and oh my goodness, that was amazing, like seriously the best numbers I’ve seen at Tinman,” Russell said.
“Best event, best vibes, people super excited about triathlon again, just awesome. I could not fault one bit.
“What it showed is there is actually a lot of people into this sport, it’s just about rallying it all together as the Triathlon Tauranga team did so well.”
Wilde predictably stole the show, the Paris Olympic Games silver medallist edging NZ team-mate James Corbett for the open title in 1:44:01. Not content with that, he immediately jettisoned his timing transponder and set off for an additional 5km jog, at pace, as he continues his countdown to the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Taupo on December 14 (women) and 15 (men).
The Andorra-based world No.3 then stuck around for the remainder of the day, pressing the flesh and helping hand out the Tri NZ standard distance medals with Belgian partner Hanne De Vet who had earlier captured the women’s open elite title from defending champion Hannah Knighton in 1:56:51. New Zealand’s double Olympic medallist left those scrambling for a selfie awe-struck, the chance to meet their hero in the flesh a genuine fan girl/boy moment not to be missed.
NOMINATIONS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF NAPIER
While all eyes were on Wilde, the day centred around the standard distance championships which doubled as a qualifier for next October’s World Triathlon Age Group Championships in Wollongong.
Winners of each division not only scooped gold medals but a $750 travel supplement from generous Tri NZ Patron Garth Barfoot to assist them across the Tasman Sea.
Any athlete who finished in the top 16 of their age group, and within 20 percent of the winner’s time, is eligible to represent Team NZL in Wollongong. They have until midnight Tuesday (November 26) to get their nomination form in via the Tri NZ website here.
Russell reminded anyone that qualified at Tinman that they will not be automatically granted a start in the sprint races in Wollongong, as has been the case at previous world champs.
Instead, anyone who wants to race the sprint races in Australia needs to compete at the Tri NZ Suzuki Series Sprint Championships to be held in Napier on February 23.
You can enter Napier Triathlon Festival here today.
TIGHT TUSSLES
With the carrot of Wollongong selection, standard distance entries topped 400 on Sunday, the majority of the event’s encouraging 676 registrations.
The racing was tight with deep fields in many of the age groups, no more so than in the 60-64 men’s race where North Harbour Triathlon Club stalwart Stephen Farrell edged Auckland City Triathlon Club’s Glenn Wright by a mere nine seconds.
Another three categories were decided by fewer than 40 seconds with Conrad Visagie (Triathlon Tauranga) pipping North Harbour’s Dion Wallwork by 31 seconds in the 20-24 age group, Paul Chapman getting home in the 65-69 category by 37 seconds from Micheal Gowing (Whangarei Triathlon Club) and Auckland City’s Libby Henriksen 39 seconds clear of Tri Wellington 60-64 rival Tanya Lavington.
Russell had double reason to be happy as she claimed the women’s 40-44 category in a time of 02:14:37 – the eighth fastest female time of the day. Tri NZ board member Neil Millar was also in the medals, third in the 50-54 age group won by Triathlon Tauranga’s Adam Hazlett. Another notable bronze medallist was former NZ Olympian Ryan Sissons in the 35-39 age group won by Jamie Piggins.
The New Zealand Para Championships saw regulars Bruce Jordan (Taranaki Triathlon Club) and Kurt Peterson (North Harbour Triathlon Club) win their respective PTS5 and PTS4 categories while Hawke’s Bay celebral palsy athlete Guy Harrison impressed in his triathlon debut. With a background in para swimming, athletics and golf, Harrison (provisionally categorised as a PTS3 athlete) made the most of a particularly fast swim to finish the sprint race (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) in 1:17:46.
The closest race of the day came in the Tri NZ Junior Series U16 boys race where Manawatu Triathlon Club’s Filip Martin claimed gold by just eight seconds from William Moulder while Moulder’s Auckland City club-mate Jackson Pinique was only a further four seconds adrift in third.
A full wrap if the Junior Series racing at Tinman will follow.
The Tri NZ Suzuki Series resumes at the Fulton Hogan Mt Festival of Multisport on January 18 with the NZ Mid Triathlon and *Mid Aquabike Championships.
Thereafter the series stops in Taupo (Feb. 15-16) for the Seven Oaks Kinloch Triathlon Festival (Aquathlon and *Aquabike), the Napier Triathlon Festival (Feb. 23), the Pacific Radiology NZ Schools Triathlon Championships (Mar. 27-28) at Glendhu Bay Motor Camp near Wanaka before wrapping up the April 5 XTERRA Rotorua Festival with the NZ Cross Triathlon Championships.
* The Mid Aquabike at the Mt. Festival and the Aquabike at Kinloch are World Championship qualifiers but not national championship events.
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