NZ And Australia Share The Honours In The Sprint Triathlon

Elite sprint triathlon made a successful return after a decade-long absence in Wanaka tonight as part of the Integrity Homes Challenge Wanaka triathlon festival.

The Design Windows Twilight Challenge saw strong men’s and women’s elite fields contesting fast-paced racing over a technical Oceania Cup course which included a 750m swim, 18km bike and 5km run in front of a big lakeside crowd.

It was the first time elite sprint triathlon had been contested in the resort town since 2013.

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Nicole van der Kaay produced an outstanding run to claim the elite women’s race.

She seared through from the chasing bunch to overtake a breakaway group of fellow New Zealanders Brea Roderick, Hannah Knighton and Australian Olympic representative Emma Jeffcoat.

The leading trio were first out of the water and had built more than a 30sec lead on the bike before succumbing to van der Kaay’s withering challenge.

Roderick finished second, with Jeffcoate third and Wanaka local Olivia Thornbury finishing strongly for fourth place.

The men’s race was a tight affair with little separating the big names out of the water and onto the bike.

An early crash threw a tremor into the chasing bunch and top-rated Australian Jacob Birtwhistle missed the break.

That left an eight-strong group including New Zealanders Taylor Reid and Kyle Smith and Australian Callum McClusky to contest the run, with McClusky edging away on the final sprint to finish ahead of Smith and Reid.

Results:

New World Three Parks 3-9-3:

Men: Gaspard Carrier 30:44 1; McKay Watson 31:42 2; Matheson Colquhoun 35:50 3.

Women: Taylah Arlidge 35:17 1; Alice Moran 36:26 2; Olivia McLachlan 36:52.

Design Windows Twilight Challenge:

Men: Callum McClusky 48:21 1; Kyle Smith 48:22 2; Tayler Reid 48:23 3.

Women: Nicole van der Kaay 53:40 1; Brea Roderick 54:00 2; Emma Jeffcoat 54:13 3.

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