A special Tri Update to preview Kiwis heading to Gamagori this Sunday.
Thanks to Tri NZ media Commissioner Ian Hepenstal  for preparing this
information
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KIWI TRIATHLETES EXPECTING MORE CHILLS FOR WORLD CUP RACE

NEW Zealand triathletes are expecting chillier conditions for the
second round of the ITU world cup in Gamagori, northern Japan on Sunday
(NZT).

Despite cooler than usual conditions, last weekend's opening world cup race
in the southern Japan island of Ishigaki was run in water temperatures 20
degrees Celsius, which resulted in a non-wetsuit swim.

This Sunday's race is in the colder northern Japan with competitors
expecting a wetsuit swim, with New Zealand's world No 1 Hamish Carter
sending an urgent message to send his wetsuit.

``The races in Japan are always non-wetsuit and so I never thought  about
bringing it,'' Carter said.

``I won't know if it's wetsuit or non-wetsuit until Saturday but it is
definitely colder than normal here,'' he said.

Carter and the New Zealand contingent remained in the warmer conditions at
Ishigaki before heading north today for Sunday's second round.

The only concern is with Queensland-based Shane Reed, who suffered a bike
accident while training this week although his coach Col Stewart expected an
elbow injury will heal sufficiently to allow him to start on Sunday.

Reed has followed younger Matt to switch allegiances to his native New
Zealand this season after missing out on the Australian six-man team for the
world championships over the past two years despite reaching No 6 on the
world rankings two years ago.

The New Zealanders performed well in the opening round with three New
Zealand men in the top 10, headed by Carter fourth, Christchurch's Craig
Watson eighth and Shane Reed ninth. Matt Reed faded badly  on the run to
drop out of the big lead pack to 67th while world No 10 Jamie Hunt
(Auckland) did not finish after being off the pace throughout.

Wellington's Evelyn Williamson, third in the world championships at Lausanne
last September, was satisfied with her first up 36th at Ishigaki, having
began training in January following a knee operation.

Gamagori is a flat course like Ishigaki where 40 men were out of the swim
within 30 seconds of the lead. However there is a narrow swim lane which
normally brings a fair share of aggression at the start as triathletes fight
for clear water.

Last week's race saw veteran Australian Greg Welch outsprinting countryman
Greg Bennett for the victory in the men's race, with the same athletes set
for Gamagori along with the return of 1994 and 1995 world cup champion Brad
Beven (Australia) to the site of his last world cup two years ago.

The women's race at Ishigaki proved a benefit for the youngsters Loretta
Harrop and Nicole Hackett who will be expected to receive stronger
competition from fellow Australian favourites Michellie Jones, Emma Carney
and Jackie Gallagher and nine of the world's top 10.
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