Championship & Selection Race dates
*Triathlon Selection Race (1500/40/10) - Taupo 21st January 2001
*Long Distance Championships (2000/90/21) – Queenstown 27th January 2001
*NZ Sprint Nationals (750/20/5) - New Plymouth 3rd February
*Triathlon National Championships (1500/40/10) – Napier 17th February
*Ironman (3800/180/42) – Taupo 3rd March 2001
*Triathlon Selection Race (1500/40/10) - Christchurch 11th March 2001
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BOYDIE'S TOP 10 OF 2000
The following is my subjectively ranked list of the 10 top stories for 2000
as affecting Kiwi Triathletes and Duathletes
1    TARA LEE MARSHALL WINS IRONMAN SWITZERLAND AND IRONMAN FLORIDA - our
first Kiwi Ironman winner since 1995
2    2003 World Triathlon Champs awarded to Queenstown
3    AIR NZ TRIATHLON PRO TOUR - Frank Clarke has created a stepping stone
for our emerging talent to build towards the world stage
4    OLYMPICS - results may not have been what we wanted but increase in
profile for triathlon as a sport was huge
5    BARRY LARSEN - exceptional work with youth programs for North Harbour
Tri Club as well as work with youth at National level for Tri NZ
6    DYNAMIC DOCHERTY DUO - Bevan claims ETU Cup Championship - Fiona's
results  include winning Powerman France and 8th at world duathlon champs
7    KIWI LADS STATESIDE - Cameron Brown, Paul Amey, Dean Jagusch, Bryan
Rhodes , Stephen Sheldrake and Peter Clode all impress in the U S of A  and
Canada
8    NICOLE COPE claims her 3rd consecutive NZ Duathlon title and with her
recent swimming improvements triathletes had better watch out
9    CLEAN SWEEPS - Terrenzo Bozzone & Jade Gilbertson win Secondary School
titles in duathlon, triathlon and multisport.  These are two names we will
hear a LOT more of in the future
10   ATMOSPHERE & ENERGY PLUS - Shane Hookes works the crowd into a frenzy
from 10pm to midnight in the Ironman Finish Chute
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BOYDIE'S TWO FAVORITE STORIES FROM 2000
1 PETER ROBERTSON - FROM CHOOK RAFFLES TO OLYMPICS
The roar of the crowd, many of whom seemed to know more about Robertson than
the national selectors, kept his morale high and he split the 10km in 31:26
over 30s faster than second placed German Stefan Vuckovic with another
German, Volodymyr Polikarpenko in third! Robertson's run down victory lane
was expensive in time, but his lead was so extensive that he could relish
the win, running backwards to acknowledge the crowd's support he finally
leapt at the line in the once trademark leap of Greg Welch, the very man
holding the finish tape and who it seemed passed his very spirit to an all
new Aussie Tri hero!
And just how hard has it been for Robbo? Well his swim coach, Dick Caine
actually organised chook raffles to get Peter to the Oceania Triathlon in
New Zealand.  It was an event he won and which set him directly on the path
to his Olympic team membership. His previous F1 races and two consecutive
NSW Sprint Championships had already marked the man for greatness however...
"I've sort of done it all my way" He said at the media conference later, "I
had to do those races I could afford only!"
2 SIMON WHITFIELD HOLDS HIS OWN OPENING CEREMONY
Canadian Simon Whitfield was not to be denied an Olympic Games opening
ceremony march past just because the men's triathlon was less than 48hours
away.  Whitfield tied a Canadian flag to the end of a hockey stick and
marched proudly around the Games Village.
While Whitfield becoming the first male winner of an Olympic triathlon will
be part of triathlon official history his "self created march past" deserves
to become a part of triathlon folklore
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2003 WORLD CHAMPS GETS SET UP FUNDING
The Queenstown-based 2003 triathlon world championships have received some
financial backing from  the Hillary Commission.
Event director Arthur Klap said the commission had agreed to provide $10,000
towards planning costs for the current financial year.
"This is a big break for us, in backing the championships so early, the
Hillary Commission recognises the need to provide money to enable the
preliminary work to be carried out."
It was notoriously difficult to obtain financial support well in advance of
the event with most sponsorship monies coming closer to the event date, Klap
said.
The championship have a budget of just under $2 million.
New Zealand last hosted the world championships in Wellington in 1994.
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FIRE RISK SEES TRIATHLON CANCELLED
Dec 28th Naseby Goldfield triathlon in Otago was cancelled because of the
extreme fire risk in the area. Organiser Dianne Brensell said organisers
were upset as it was the first time the triathlon had been cancelled but the
fire risk ruled out access to the forest.
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CRAYFISH & PIKLETS AT THE FINISH
Meridian Energy Tuatapere Wild Challenge, Saturday 13th January, 2001.
Close off date for entries has been extended to 4th January 2001.
Geoff Hunt, Southern Traverse organiser continues to be the event's Water
Safety Controller - Geoff gives the event a Class A rating!  3/person team
section is available, come paddle the Wairaurahiri River [continuous
hyrdo-slide of exciting water] and have the best New Year's fun in Southern
Fiordland.
The Port Craig Canter [1/2 the Challenge] offers helicopter travel to the
start line and unexpected demands on MTB section.
The Waiau Grunt which is run on the same day but on a different course is a
softer option, but has the odd challenge none the less.
Contact [03] 226-6568 or mccraken@xtra.co.nz for further details.
Crayfish and hot piklets at the end of a long day makes it all worthwhile."
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HELLEMANS STEPS DOWN
Back in early November John Hellemans resigned from the New Zealand
high-performance triathlon programme after poor results at the Olympic Games
in September.
When Hellemans announced his resignation he said he had to take some
responsibility for the performance of the athletes.
"There has been a lot of discussion about what went wrong," said Hellemans.
"The conclusion I made was that it was better for me to step aside. I'm
happy with that.
Graham Park, the convenor of the triathlon selection panel, and manager of
the team at Sydney, said there was no suggestion that Hellemans had been
asked to resign.
"There was no dissatisfaction from Triathlon New Zealand with John's
performance. He shouldn't shoulder the responsibility. The athletes had to
do the event and John had prepared his athletes as best he could.
"He's a fantastic coach and we need more coaches to learn from people like
John and Jack Ralston (Hamish Carter's coach)."
The Christchurch coach was director of the New Zealand triathlon academy
from its establishment in 1996 until last year when they were replaced by
three national high-performance centers.  For the last eight months
Hellemans had been an adviser to Triathlon New Zealand's high-performance
programme and had a big input into the build-up programme for the four New
Zealand triathletes in Sydney.  "I feel I've been pushing the programme in a
certain direction and it hasn't paid off. We wanted to win a medal in Sydney
and I think we were capable of doing that."  Hellemans found it difficult to
combine his coaching and his role as director of the triathlon academy over
four years.
Hellemans will not be lost to the sport. He will be able to devote more time
to coaching now and will have a group of triathletes at a regional level
that he will guide, in addition to Bright, Watson, and promising athlete
Chris Gemmill.
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Tri Update comments
John Hellemans has made a major contribution to triathlon in New Zealand.
While disappointing to see John's involvement at National level reducing
slightly it is pleasing to see that John will continue to coach many of our
top athletes as well as some of our emerging talent.
John thanks for all that you have done for triathlon in NZ in recent years.
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TRIATHLON BECKONS CLOUT
Palmerston North's Daniel Clout won silver at the world duathlon
championships in the 16-19 age group. Daniel is now eyeing up triathlons
because they have a higher profile.
"I'm aiming to be a professional triathlete," he said. "Swimming is my
weakness so I am looking for a coach; I expect it will take a year to get up
to the level I need to."
Clout has been encouraged to remain in New Zealand by Palmerston North's
John Downey, who won the 70-plus age-group race, but isn't committing
himself to anything yet.
"I'm keen to go overseas because it's so hard in New Zealand to get
sponsorship and coaching; it's all overseas."
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CARTER EASING BACK INTO TRI SCENE
Hamish Carter is easing himself back into the triathlon scene after his
Olympic disappointment and part of his rehabilitation involves training
corporate competitors.
Carter will be part of the Vodafone team in the revamped national corporate
triathlon series, now labelled The Mi Corporate Tri. He's unsure if he will
actually compete but will be the key figure in the team's training.
"The corporate triathlon is all about having a go and enjoying the
occasion," said Carter.
"But I think it's important for business people to become involved in these
sort of events because it encourages the use of the body as well as the
brain. After all, the body is designed to move and many busy business people
tend to become pedestrian in their physical movement."
The four event series, now in its 16th year, will be in the following
centres on the following dates
Christchurch  Feb 18th
Wellington Feb 25th
Auckland March 11th
Hamilton April 1st
The course involves a 500m swim, a 15km cycle and 5km run. Three team
members each complete the course in a relay. But next year a new category
will allow a team to have individuals contesting just one discipline.
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LAKE HAYES TRI
A field of 100 athletes took part in the individual and team sections. First
to emerge from the 750m swim was NZ rep. triathlete Andrew Young, of
Wellington. On his shoulder, was last year's winner Dunedin's Eddy Smith.
Only seconds off the pace of the two powerful men, was Southland rep.
swimmer Nicola Sutherland, Invercargill.
Young pushed out his lead during the 21km cycle circuit and sealed the win
with a strong 5km run. Second was David Plew, of Christchurch, and third was
Smith, of Dunedin.
The first woman home was Anabelle Anderson, of Wanaka, competing as a
junior.
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HALL TARGETS COMMONWEALTH GAMES
Megan Hall knows she will have to go fulltime on the world triathlon circuit
if she is to realise her 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games dream.
After years plagued by injury, the 26-year-old is finally delivering on the
promise she showed as a teenager, including a ninth placing in the junior
women's race at the 1994 world championships in Wellington.
Earlier this month, the South African-born Wellingtonian won the Tinman
title and a few days ago added the Surfbreaker  title at the Mount.
At Tinman Megan pipped national duathlon champion Nicole Cope by only five
seconds after holding a three minute buffer off the bike.
For Hall the victory was confirmation the hard work she has put into her
running recently is paying off.  Hall (nee Evans) has enlisted the help of
Wellington athletics coach Peter Grey this season to get her running up to
speed.
"There's still a long way to go but I'm starting to be a bit more
competitive," she said.
"I was doing 43 to 44 minute (10km) times, but I've got that down to high 38
minute splits in harrier races this season, which is a huge improvement for
me."
Hall is aiming to line up in the elite race at next year's world
championships in Edmonton, Canada, after finishing 49th in Perth last July.
She is working on a buildup programme which is likely to take her to
International Triathlon Union World Cup races in Japan, the United States
and Canada. If all goes well, husband and coach Malcolm, a top ocean
kayaker, will join her in the US and do some racing himself.
"I've just got to get the World Cup results and if I can keep improving my
running and stay injury-free, then I think I can. I'd eventually like to do
it fulltime because Manchester is definitely the goal."
Next month's New Zealand selection race in Taupo and the national Olympic
distance championships in Napier on February 18, an event she has not
entered since winning the title in 1996, are pencilled into her schedule.
---------------------------------------------------------------
QUOTE OF THE YEAR
"Every person when he or she is young dreams of finding some enchanted
place, of beautiful mountains and breathtaking coastline and clear lakes and
amazing wildlife. Most people give up on it because they never find New
Zealand"
U.S. President Bill Clinton