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2001 NZ CHAMPIONSHIP AND SELECTION RACES
***************************************************************
*Jan 21st - Triathlon Selection Race (1500/40/10) - Taupo
*Jan 27th - NZ  Long Distance Championships (2000/90/21) – Queenstown
*Feb   3rd - NZ Sprint Nationals (800/20/5) - New Plymouth
*Feb 17th - Triathlon National Championships (1500/40/10)  – Napier
*Mar   3rd - Ironman (3800/180/42) – Taupo
*Mar 11th - Triathlon Selection Race (1500/40/10) - Christchurch
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BROWN CREATES HISTORY WITH FOURTH HALF IRONMAN VICTORY
from Ian Hepenstal
Auckland’s Cameron Brown scored an historic fourth win in a row to claim the
Port of Tauranga half ironman at Mount Maunganui today.
Brown, 28, cleared out from Sydney Olympian Ben Bright around the Mount
Maunganui base track on the second lap of the run, going on to win in
3:51.57.
Bright (Christchurch) was second 3min 22sec behind with three-time winner
Tony O'Hagan, who recently moved to Christchurch, an impressive third a minute 
further behind.
While Brown continued his winning ways at the traditional lead-up race to
Ironman New Zealand in March, the women’s race featured a breakthrough win for 
Auckland’s Nicole Cope.
The national duathlon champion had too many legs for defending champion
Robyn Roocke (Australia) on the run, to win in  4:23.30. Roocke had to
settle for third place, run down on the second lap by two-time winner Karyn
Ballance (Christchurch).
Ballance, who placed 13th in the world Ironman championships at Hawaii last
October, recovered from 4min 30sec behind the leaders out of the swim to push  
up to the chase bunch following the 90km cycle, and passed three runners to 
claim second.
Brown was delighted with his historic fourth win. ``It’s the best of my four 
wins here. This was the toughest field, there were some awesome athletes in
the race,’’ Brown said.  ``To beat people like Ben Bright and Tony O’Hagan
is really pleasing.’’
Stephen Sheldrake (Gisborne), Bryan Rhodes (Taupo), Steve Mellsop
(Wellington), Bright and Brown were together out of the 2km swim, before 
Bright, Brown and Sheldrake broke clear near the end of the bike.
Brown and Bright made it a two-horse race on the run before the Aucklander
made his winning break.
Rotorua’s Tanya Lee-Parker led the women out of the swim before Cope and
Roocke forced their way through to the front on the bike, riding together for 
most of the 90km journey. Cope, who placed second to Roocke last year, was too 
strong on the run to record her breakthrough victory as she prepares for the 
upcoming national Olympic distance championships.
Results:
Port of Tauranga half ironman, Mount Maunganui
(2km swim 90km bike 21km run)
Men:
1  Cameron Brown (Auckland) 3:51.57
2  Ben Bright (Christchurch) 3:55.19
3  Tony O’Hagan (Christchurch) 3:56.12
4  Bryan Rhodes (Taupo) 3:59.14
5  Stephen Sheldrake (Gisborne) 4:01.24
6  Matt Brick (Mt Maunganui) 4:02.22
7  Stephen Farell (Auckland) 4:02.54
8  Walter Thorburn (Papamoa) 4:03.18
9  Jeremy Boyd (Wellington) 4:06.16
10 Giannis Koutsogiannis (Auckland) 4:09.33
Women:
1  Nicole Cope (Auckland) 4:23.30
2  Karyn Ballance (Christchurch) 4:26.14
3  Robyn Roocke (Australia) 4:27.34
4  Adrienne Ngawati (Whangarei) 4:29.26
5  Heidi Alexander (Pukekohe) 4:32.29
6  Lynley Allison (North Shore)  4:40:10
7  Sandra Boubee (Mt Maunganui)  4:44:14
8  Maree Higgison (Mt Maunganui)  4:48:29
9  Linda Van Uden (Auckland)  4:48:57
10 Tanya Lee Parker (Rotorua)  4:50:58
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KIWIS IN KIA FORMULA ONE SERIES
from series announcer Ken Maclaren
New Zealand athletes had mixed results in the first round of the Kia Formula
One series in Geelong on Sunday.
Shane Reed was the early leader and up with the lead bunch until the start
of the second run leg he missed out on a podium spot by less than a second
crossing the line in 4th.
7th placed Paul Amey was never quite able to get in touch but a couple of
mistakes cost Craig Watson dearly first he dislodged a bike shoe coming out
of the first transition. He chased hard and managed to get back on terms
only to come down when leading the chase bunch during the second bike leg.
1 Miles Stewart (QLD) 41:37
2 Courtney Atkinson (QLD) 41:39
3 Brad Beven (QLD) 41:51
4 Shane Reed (NZL) 41:52
7 Paul Amey (NZL) 42:29
8 Matt Reed (NZL) 42:34
13 Kris Gemmell (NZL) 43:22
14 Craig Watson (NZL) 43:36
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Veteran Nelson athlete Phil Howes led from start to finish to win the 21st
Nelson Iron People event.
Howes outclassed 24 other competitors in Monday's multi-discipline race
winning in 1hr 27min 52sec. Another Nelson veteran Bill Revell was second in
1hr 30min 10sec while Chris Nicholson, also of Nelson, was third and the
fastest open men's competitor in 1hr 34min 55sec.
Howes established an early break n the swim across the harbor to the
Lighthouse and then extended his lead in the run along the Boulder Bank to
the cycling transition at the Glen. The 42-year-old then cruised home on the
final cycle section back to Port Nelson easily holding off Revell and
Nicholson.
Kay McPherson was the first woman to finish, completing the course in 1hr
56min 39sec for 12th overall. Amanda Young was the second woman and the
first female kayaker, finishing in 2hr 12min 14sec, just ahead of Kim
Leighton (2hr 18min 51sec) and Tania James (2hr 20min 42sec). Robbie Hill
won the men's kayak option in a time of 1hr 38min 23sec.
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Greg Welch Scientific Edge Triathlon Camps
from Brendon Downey
Just a quick note to inform the Tri Update  readers that there are two
training camps based out of the Runaway Bay Sports Super Centre in the next
couple of months.
We have an Ironman orientated camp on the weekend of the 10th to 12th of
February and an Olympic Distance Camp on March 9th to the 11th.
For more information contact Kim Tunnell on 02 9977 6900 or email
endurance@rushtv.com.au
Note Runaway Bay is in Queensland Australia
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HACKETT HOT, STEWART SIZZLES IN KIA F1 OPENER
The official media release
Defending champions Miles Stewart and Nicole Hackett have thrown down the
challenge to all comers, with decisive wins in the first round of KIA
Formula 1 Triathlon series at Geelong's Eastern Beach in Victoria on Sunday.
Both athletes were extremely happy their early season form despite less than
ideal preparations.
The gruelling Enduro format (twice through 300m swim/7km bike/2km) punished
the world class field. But Stewart relied on his experience and cunning to
put the early season runs on the board, despatching former world junior 
champion and his new training partner, Courtney Atkinson, with a blistering 
sprint finish.
"As our squad will tell you, I haven't been going well in training, so I am
very happy and very surprised with a first up win," the Gold Coast former
world champion said.
"But once you are on the start line there are no excuses. I am over the
moon, although I will probably lay down and die in a minute because that
race absolutely ripped me apart - it was so tough. But as I get older I
get a bit tougher and can handle a bit more pain than when I was younger.
That was probably the difference between Courtney and me today.
Stewart was also complimentary of Atkinson. "Courtney  has been training with 
us for the last month. He is only a young kid but I think Welchy (Greg Welch) 
was right when he said Courtney will become World Champion very soon."
F1 legend and six time title holder Brad Beven made a popular return to the
podium after overcoming injury and illness battles over the past year.
"I am happy with the form and it was a bit of a shock.  I still have a
dodgey shoulder and a bad hip. I am glad to be back into it and get a good
result first up. It has been about ten months, so I almost forgot how to do
triathlons for a while", said Beven.
Kiwi Shane Reed recorded his best F1 result ever to take fourth place and
the gutsy Chris McCormack rounded out the top five.
Olympic gold medallist Simon Whitfield was a late withdrawal due to a leg
injury, as was Peter Robertson. Both will be back for the next round at
Manly on 3 February.
In the women's event, world champion Nicole Hackett looked in devastating
form as she dominated from start to finish.
"Over the last four years I have been building up my strength in the run leg
and it held me in good stead today. My running has improved and I am really
happy with the way it is going", said Hackett.
"I am happy with today's race as I have found it hard to get back into it
after the Olympics. I am just starting to enjoy it all again which is
probably why I won today. I am now really looking forward to the next few
rounds of the F1. Winning a third F1 title is a major goal for me this year,
so this is the perfect start".
Hackett has now won seven of the past 8 rounds in the F1 series.
Olympic silver medallist Michellie Jones flew home in the final run leg to
take second, ahead of Loretta Harrop in third and the USA's Barb Lindquist.
The consistent Mel Ashton was fifth. Emma Carney finished eighth in her
return to F1 racing and with a little work on her transitions, she will be
aiming for  podium placings in the latter rounds.