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Pot of Gold up for Triathlon Battle of the Sexes
Oceania champion Hamish Carter, World No 3 Bevan Docherty, US-based Matt Reed and Wellington’s Evelyn Williamson have been invited for the NZ$860,000 Lifetime Fitness Triathlon in Minneapolis. The race not only offers more than double the prizemoney for any previous triathlon, but pits men and women together in a battle-of-the-sexes. The women will get a handicap start, expected to be approximately nine minutes, to be announced shortly before the race. The overall winner will walk away with NZ$430,000, with 2001 world champion Siri Lindley picking Kiwis Carter and Docherty as dark horses for a major share of the money. The bulging purse has ensured the world’s best from all triathlon distances have taken up the 40 race invitations. The field boasts winners of 11 world Olympic distance titles including Simon Lessing (GBR) and Australians Michellie Jones, Chris McCormack, and Miles Stewart. Olympic champion Simon Whitfield is a starter with Commonwealth Games champion Carol Montgomery, both Canada. Two time world Ironman champion Tim DeBoom will race along with German champion Lothar Leder and his wife Nicole, both winners in the Quelle Challenge last month. Five of the world’s top ten men, including No 1 Greg Bennett and eight of the top ten ranked women led by defending champion Lindquist will start, along with Australian Craig Walton, third and leading man last year. Lindley, now the triathlon anchor for giant American broadcaster NBC who will provide live coverage, says the race will be treated as importantly as the Olympics and world championships. "The owner of Lifetime Fitness was so impressed by the fitness and dedication of triathletes that he wanted to make a real statement. He knew they are not paid much compared to other professional sports, and so he came up with this idea." "It’s a wonderful opportunity and US$250,000 for the winner is absolutely huge for our sport. So I think the athletes have come here in peak shape." "The race is so unique because of men against women and because of the money that it could propel our sport right up there with other professional sports in media exposure, especially over here in the US." Lindley believes that Lindquist will be the athlete to beat. "A lot will depend on the equaliser time for the women, but Barb is having a great year. She will be at the head of a group of women who are great swimmers and they will push each other on the bike." "The men’s field is awesome but unless they go really hard out, they won’t catch the women." "I think Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty are definitely dark horses. Hamish won in Corner Brook and that is a mighty tough place to win. And Bevan Docherty has been in great form for the past 18 months. They both have the strength that I think will be vital for a non-drafting race." The event is run under the traditional non-drafting formula, meaning athletes will need to keep a set distance part on the bike. Carter says it will make the race into a virtual time trial. "We haven’t raced non-drafting for a few years. If the men decide to play it tactically, then we will never catch the women." "It’s a case of going ballistic out there. I am just going to give it everything I’ve got. There’s nothing to lose. But there’s a lot to gain." Meanwhile fellow New Zealanders Kris Gemmell, Craig Watson and Heather Evans will line up in the ninth round of the ITU World Cup in Hungary on Sunday. The Lifetime Fitness race has drawn most of the top ranked women, giving Evans an opportunity to make amends from last weekend’s disappointment when she failed to finish in Manchester. Watson, who finished second in his first major race in 12 months at Manchester, will take on the winner Andrew Johns and world champion Ivan Rana in a useful men’s field. Gemmell, ranked in the world’s top 10, will come down from his training base at altitude in Font Remou for the race but may be short of top end speed in a race usually decided by the fastest runners. This article was originally appeared on the Endurance Sport website: Pot of Gold |
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