Robertson wins triathlon series opener
| Sports Watch ... 14 April 2002 |
Australian world champion Peter Robertson stuck with his sticks to win a dramatic men's race at the opening round of the World Cup triathlon series.
While Sydney triathlete and Queenslander Loretta Harrop made it a great day for the host nation by winning the two races over the Olympic distance of a 1.5km swim, 4.0km bike ride and 10km run.
Canadian Olympic champion Simon Whitfield suffered two broken wrists and a broken collarbone when he was involved in a crash early on the bike, and he will be out of action for six weeks.
Robertson also was bumped at the start of the run and that made him drop one of his hand-sized running sticks, which he carries to help with his rhythm.
He turned around to pick up the stick, losing a few valuable seconds, but then unleashed his trademark blistering pace to take control of the event.
Robertson brushed off an early challenge on the run from Queenslander Courtney Atkinson to win in 1h51m33s, 25 seconds clear of Atkinson, with New Zealander Hamish Carter another three seconds back in third.
"Today when I dropped it (the stick) that's the first time it's happened, I didn't freak out or anything," he said.
"It's not like I can't run without them, but I prefer to race with them.
"Early on the run Courtney came up beside me and I thought oh oh, I haven't got it all my own way.
"Fortunately for me I was able to get away from him and control the race."
Harrop revealed after her easy win she had also been using running sticks for about six years, but Robertson, who became famous for his sticks leading up to racing at the Sydney Olympics, declared: "Mine are the originals, anyone can copy them, I don't care."
Robertson said he was looking forward to another head to head confrontation with Whitfield on the run, after the Canadian beat him in a sprint finish here a fortnight ago at the Commonwealth games qualifier.
Australian Luke McKenzie suffered nasty road rash in the same crash which brought down Whitfield and three other triathletes.
"It's a bit rough, especially after my form of a fortnight ago, but that's life," Whitfield said.
Several other top men also came to grief, with Robertson's Commonwealth Games teammate Miles Stewart not finishing because of a puncture and Australian world number one Chris Hill retiring on the bike leg as well.
The women's race was much more predictable once Harrop, compatriot Nicole Hackett and top American Barb Lindquist establishing a lead early in the bike leg.
That trio also dominated the Commonwealth games qualifier, which Hackett won, but Harrop broke away at the start of the run on the slightly different course.
Harrop won in 2h1m35s, 34 seconds ahead of Lindquist, while American world champion Siri Lindley took third in 2h03m05s.
Hackett fears she is catching a virus and she said she felt very low on energy as she faded to fourth.
Brought to you by AAP.
