OZ NEWS AFTER NOVEMBER 1, '00

BELOW:

• Rina Hill takes her third aquathlon title at Noosa
• Triathlon Australia Series and championships announced
• Ex-triathlete Mottram to race Olympic 5000m
• Harrop confirmed as CAS dismisses Carney appeal
• Triathlon Australia not pleased with Robertson's coach
• Chris Hill arrives at the top -- in Tokyo
• Pre-Olympics World Cup at Brisbane cancelled
• Harrop DNFs in her first post-injury race
• Olympic status for Harrop, Hackett now in doubt
• Non-Olympian Aussies get their day in court
• Australians descend on Cairns Half-Ironman
• Digger Elrick's recovery: One year on
• Aussie Walton drops in on Memphis
• Triathlon tapped for Sydney Olympic Youth Festival
• The Sydney Six: Australia names its Olympians
• May 2 passes for ITU with no definitive allocation
• Tension for top Aussies today
• It’s Mexicans vs. Americans in Noumea
• Stewart, Hackett power past the rest
• “Field of dreams” for Mooloolaba
• Record pace for winning Hill and Jones
• Can't get better than Canberra!
• Amey, Harrop take Devonport
• Perth Worlds swimsite open again
• Devonport, Tasmania race attracts top field
• Walton, Carney take sprint titles
• Hell of the West
• Stewart, Hacket, Formula 1 series champs
• Party time in Manly
• Formula 1 preview
• Welchy gets a grandstand
• It's Emma & Jackie again
• Preview of the Formula 1 Race in Adelaide
• Blind triathlete Ched Towns dies in Nepal
• Gelong start lists
• Stewart Takes 2nd consecutive Formula 1 race
• Elwood Beach is not a place you want to be, unless you are have a strange sense of adventure.
• Aussie Aquathlon titles to Nunn, Gallagher
• Devonport Triathlon to gather Oz's best
• Robertson, Ashton win ITU Oceania Regional Triathlon Championships
• Trans Tasman Triathlon Test set for March 26
• Bennett, Carney win the wind-swept Long-Course Champs
• St. George Series revitalized, revamped for 2000
• Loretta Harrop is named Queensland Sportsperson of the Year

Olympic status for Harrop, Hackett now in doubt

June 22, 2000, Sydney, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Two of the three world champions that Triathlon Australia nominated for its Olympic team -- Loretta Harrop and Nicole Hackett -- will now have to earn their spots all over again in the face of a successful appeal by two other world champions originally omitted from the team, Emma Carney and Jackie Gallagher.

Only Michellie Jones, winner of the ITU World Cup in Sydney, can consider her Olympic spot secure and beyond question.

Two other excluded men who had also challenged Triathlon Australia's selection process, Brad Beven and Greg Bennett, had their appeals rejected. They can now take their cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, if they chose that route.

That's the outcome of last week's hearing in Sydney, Australia, which now puts the four women back on equal footing. The decision of the appeal tribunal -- which remains confidential -- means that the Olympic-nomination process now returns back to Triathlon Australia's original selection committee.

The only grounds for the women's appeal were non-compliance by TA with its own selection criteria, so clearly the appeal tribunal is of the belief that non-compliance occurred. Triathlon Australia had based its Olympic selection on results from the Sydney World Cup on April 16, and the ITU World Championships in Perth on April 30.

The appeal tribunal concluded: "In consideration of the appeals by Ms Emma Carney and Ms Jackie Gallagher, the Tribunal found that there were issues that needed further consideration by the Triathlon Australia Elite Selection Committee and have therefore allowed each female appeal.

"The nominations of all female athletes (other than Ms Michellie Jones who won the Sydney World Cup event) be set aside together with the identified reserve positions."

Participation in the hearing, which started on June 13, is believed to have involved the four appealing applicants, plus the Olympic team nominees who wanted to be present to defend their Olympic berths. All individuals signed a confidentiality agreement, which also extended to the triathletes' managers and coaches.

Triathlon Australia issued a brief press release on Wednesday, but did not divulge what will be a next step toward determining its two remaining female Olympians, in addition to Jones.

The decision clears the way for Triathlon Australia's nominated trio of men -- Peter Robertson, Miles Stewart and Craig Walton -- to be confirmed.

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Non-Olympian Aussies get their day in court

This is the day -- Tuesday, June 13 -- when four triathletes who were left off the list when Triathlon Australia named its Olympic team, get to argue their cases for a late selection.

Greg Bennett, Brad Beven, Emma Carney and Jackie Gallagher are all lining up before a Triathlon Australia tribunal -- in that order.

What gets said behind closed doors is expected to be both harsh and battering, because it will cover the careers of both the Olympians and non-Olympians. All the involved individuals have signed confidentiality agreements about the details that are aired as they try to knock four of the Olympians out of their places.

Of the six-member teams, only two triathletes are beyond reproach and recall -- ITU World Cup-Sydney winners Michellie Jones and Peter Robertson, who were automatic Olympic selections.

The other four spots, belonging to Loretta Harrop, Nicole Hackett, Craig Walton and Miles Stewart, are being challenged. The Olympic nominees were determined by a three-person panel, which made their selections based on results from both Sydney on April 16 and the ITU Worlds on April 30, plus past and present form

The hearing is expected to last as long as four days.

Noted Inside Triathlon's Timothy Carlson on the hearings: "While such clashes might be exciting if the world were allowed to see them, it calls into question the wisdom of allowing politics to be a part of the Olympic selection process.

"The Australian process also stands in stark contrast to the American system, which was based simply on performance in two races -- and which left off the woman the vaunted Australians feared most -- Barb Lindquist."

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Australians descend on Cairns Half-Ironman

June 10, 2000, Cairns, Queensland, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

The City of Cairns Half-Ironman -- what started in 1997 as a small-town race -- has turned into an Ironman Australia qualifier, with 35 slots for the 350 competitors who are expected on Sunday.

Among them are several of the biggest distance-related names in Australia and beyond.

Leading the men's pack are defending champ Craig Alexander, Grant Webster (second in Ironman Australia last April), Chris Hill (stepping up from Olympic-distance), Justin Granger (fifth in Ironman Australia), Matt Stephens, Reece Rackly, Stuart Shaw and Patrick Hofer.

Leading the international contingent are New Zealand's Shane Reed and Steven Farrell, Britain's Chris Lees, Japan's Masayuki and Italy's Nino Calabro.

Ex-"Big Four" gun Scott Molina is racing as an age-grouper, and is enjoying the weekend while he and wife Erin Baker conduct a tri-clinic.

Top women include Australia's own Belinda Granger (top Aussie as 4th Ironman Australia in April), Belinda Cheney (3rd Ironman South Africa; 9th Ironman Australia with a broken elbow), Sally Carter, Rina Hill (former world long distance champ) and Rebekah Keat. New Zealand's Nicole Cope and Japan's Chiharu Chiba fill out the foreign ranks.

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Digger Elrick's recovery: One year on

May 20, 2000, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Australia's triathlon community learned on May 19, 1999, that Digger Elrick, race director for the Frankston Half-Ironman (and the Victoria Half-Ironman Championships), was hit by a truck while cycling. Triathlonlive.com asked him to share some remarks on the one-year mark of the accident, which left him in a coma for three weeks. "Six months ago, I could not say my name," Digger wrote. Now, he has written his first account of what happened on the day, and what has happened since:

1st Year Anniversary

In Melbourne, Australia, on May the 19th 1999, at 6:05pm I was riding home from work. According to the police report, and hospital reports, I was run over by TWO trams. That is surprising because each tram weighs between 30 or 70 tons, depending on size of any specific tram.

I was stuck under the second tram for two-and-a-half hours, causing the traffic to be backed up in both directions. A crane was needed to lift the tramcar off me, and that was why it took the two-and-a-half hours. It was a busy time of day, being Wednesday, outside the Victorian Art Centre on St Kilda Road. I believe that I was conscious in the ambulance, but on the way to hospital, I passed out.

I spent two-and-a-half weeks in a coma, and six weeks in total, not remembering a thing. I am horrified that I don't remember, but it is the power of the drugs that I was on. My family, my parents and my friends have gone through a tough time, but that was 10 months ago and I am now on the improve.

The list of injuries I had is countless, but I am making an effort. (It helps when I write things down that recognise how scary it was): broken femur, broken pelvis, six broken ribs, broken scapula, close to death on three occasions, front left side of the skull had to be removed (to reduce the swelling of my brain).

The right side of my body is relearning -- learning to walk, grip, open, balance, think and talk. And there is more. For a period of time I could not speak, and I am still learning. I was right-handed before the accident, but now I write with left hand.

The human brain is a complex thing: I have had a number of processes damaged (I am unable to do a number of things) but whether the brain learns to surpass the damaged processes, that is the brain's decision. I am working hard (the doctors, and the experts, say that I am working too hard), but I am moody and other things that I cannot explain.

About three weeks after the operations, I woke up from the coma. For another three weeks, I could not anything else except, "It isn't Wednesday night?" At the end of the three weeks of saying, "It isn't Wednesday night?" the drugs I was on stopped working. I realised what I wanted to say, but was unable to say it. And that is the most frustrating 'experiment' that can be done to anyone.

But that was the year that was. I am getting better, and I am walking. And I am getting the point across to the people of the Triathlon community that nothing can defeat you -- if you've got the guts not to let it.

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Aussie Walton drops in on Memphis

May 19, 2000, Millington, Tennessee, USA (www.slowtwitch.com):

The Americans -- most of them looking to the US Olympic Trials next week -- are staying away in droves from Sunday's Memphis in May Triathlon, ordinarily a staple of the pro circuit here. So the winner's portion of the $10,000 prize list could well end up in the hands of Australia's Craig Walton.

Walton, newly named as an Olympian, leads the list of pros among the field of 1,200, which makes this race one of America's biggest. Others looking for their share of the money are New Zealand's Dean Jagusch, Canada's Richard Pady, and Brooks Clark (West Chester, Pennsylvania), Justin Dore (Watertown, Massachusetts), Chris Eschbach (Hattiesburg, Mississippi), Paul Fritzsche (Lafayette, Colorado), Jonathan Hiscock (Winchester, Tennessee) and Ric Rosenkranz (Manhattan, Kansas).

Women entered include Tucson's Jeanne Anne Krizman and Penny Pecastaing; Sara Rosenkranz; and Dallas' Victoria Piper, a first-season pro.

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Triathlon tapped for Sydney Olympic Youth Festival

May 9, 2000, Sydney, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Triathlon is penned in as one of 10 sports for the new Sydney Olympic Youth Festival, which will start in 2001 and focus on athletes ages 15 to 18 in Australia and the Oceania region.

The announcement came last week in Tonga, a South Pacific island where ONOC - the Oceania National Olympic Committees - conducted its annual general assembly.

The festival will run for five days, January 10-14, 2001. It will include swimming, cycling, canoeing, hockey, athletics, rowing and basketball as core sports. Three additional sports - triathlon, gymnastics and beach volleyball - are expected to be added to the sports program for this first festival.

The festival will be conducted biannually, "as a lasting legacy of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games." Noted the Australian Olympic Committee: "It will provide an outstanding opportunity
for young Olympic aspirants to compete in the footsteps of their own Olympic heroes, in Olympic Games-style events, in Olympic venues."

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The Sydney Six: Australia names its Olympians

May 5, 2000, Sydney, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Michellie Jones, Loretta Harrop, Nicole Hackett, Peter Robertson, Miles Stewart and Craig Walton -- those are the six Australian triathletes who were chosen for the first-ever Olympics in September.

Triathlon Australia announced the “Sydney Six” on Friday afternoon. Four reserved were put in place as well: first reserves are Greg Bennett and Emma Carney; second reserves are Chris McCormack and Jackie Gallagher.

The decisions leaves the world’s No. 3- and 4-ranked female triathletes on the sidelines. For men, the world’s No. 4 and 5-ranked triathletes, in Bennett and McCormack, will be missing from the Sydney field of 50 men, 50 women.

At least two of the reserves are said to be appealing against their exclusion, Bennett and Gallagher.

“I'm going to appeal and give it my best shot,”Bennett told Australian Associated Press. “I met with Chris and chatted and he is still a little bit up in the air. I think we're both dumbfounded, really. We thought that I'd be in and he'd be first reserve.

“We're the top two Aussies in the World Cup series and on
the world rankings and after looking at the contracts and the
way that it's written, we still thought we'd both have a very
big chance after we raced the qualifying races.”

Gallagher’s appeal is more to have her and Carney flip-flopped in their reserve status. Reserves would race only in the event of illness or injury of the actual Olympians.

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Tension for top Aussies today

May 1, 2000, Perth, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

The three Australian selectors tasked with the matter of naming a six-person Olympic team faced some difficult decisions on Monday, complicated at the last minute of the short-course snafu that engulfed the women’s race of Sunday’s ITU World Championships.

The three selectors are Maureen Cummings, Marc Dragon and Nick Croft. They will announce the Australian team publicly on May 12, although the three certain Olympians by virtue of recent wins -- Peter Robertson, Michellie Jones and Nicole Hackett -- will be formally advised of their status on Wednesday.

It’s the results of the Perth race that adds a few new angles for the selectors to consider. Loretta Harrop didn’t even start in Perth after Triathlon Australia deemed she wasn’t medically fit to race, flying in Melissa Ashton from Sydney as a last-minute replacement. Miles Stewart, the national champion, didn’t finish in Perth, nor did Jackie Gallagher. Both were recognized by Triathlon Australia as ill before the race.

Then there is the matter of Hackett’s winning performance, which came on a course more than 2 kilometers short on the run. Had she been overtaken by a fast-closing Carol Montgomery (who had already covered the 7.5k nearly two minutes faster than Hackett), Hackett would not have been an automatic selection for Sydney.

But Hackett appears to be in fine form, whatever her final place might have been on a longer course.

More problematic for selectors is Chris McCormack’s contention -- and discarded by an ITU competition jury -- that he believed the men’s race would also, like the women’s race, involve just three laps. By starting his end-sprint a lap early, he fell from the 10th position to 15th position, coming home as the fourth Australian.

Greg Bennett was third Aussie home, in 10th place, but his result in Sydney -- which selectors have said counted more than the Perth results -- was a DNF. Bennett, the world No. 4, is cast against Craig Walton (24th in Sydney with a flat tire, bronze medalist in Perth) and the non-finishing Stewart for the remaining Olympic places after Robertson.

Selectors are weighing a complex disadvantaged athlete clause, which would allow those who don’t automatically meet Olympic selection criteria to qualify through the back door. That’s where Harrop’s and Stewart’s chances for inclusion look strong.

Given the turmoil and results of the last few weeks -- which few in Australia could have foreseen -- Triathlon Australia chief Tim Wilson says that his federation was expecting some legal challenges from those not selected.

The third women’s place is likely to go either to Harrop or Emma Carney, twice (1994, 1997) the world champion and the fourth Australian home on Sunday. Carney believes she has done enough to merit selection after finishing as the third Aussie in Sydney as well.

Jackie Gallagher, whose profile was once invincible, has accepted her fate as a non-Olympian. She was a lackluster 24th in Sydney and a despondent DNF after the swim in Perth, walking off the course still wearing her wetsuit. Diagnosed with a fatigue disorder and troubled for more than a month in her training, she realized in Perth that she would be unlikely to finish a two-hour race. “I just want to get my health back,” were her post-race comments. “That’s the most important thing.”

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It’s Mexicans vs. Americans in Noumea

April 22, 2000, Noumea, New Caledonia (www.slowtwitch.com):

The race-within-a-race in the Triathlon International de Noumea, an ITU Points Race, puts the focus on the Mexicans vs. Americans on Sunday.

The Mexicans currently have the upper hand in the race for Olympic slots. Mexico is the last country, currently, with two rankings slots, and they are just four ranking-positions ahead of the US. Thus, Javier Rosas and Uzziel Valderrabano are the ones who have earned those two slots, and they are probably racing here simply to earn enough points to preserve them. No other Mexicans are racing here to support them -- or hold off others who may push the pair down in the results.

Hunter Kemper, however, the American most under pressure to gain points, will have the support of two countrymen in Joe Umphenour and Barry Sirard. Their roles, presumably, will be simply to make sure Kemper has the best possible race.

Notes John Walker, the Triathlonlive.com Olympic-qualification analyst: “Rosas and Valderrabano are ranked 46 and 48, just ahead
and behind American Nick Radkewich (47), who is not racing here. The Mexicans are poised to jump far if they score points. Even if Kemper wins the race, if both Mexicans place in the top five, then
the US will fall at least two ranking-positions further behind Mexico. They could fall as much as 16 places further behind.”

But one athlete who could foil the Americans’ plan is Brazil’s Juraci Moreira, his country’s second-ranked athlete at No. 45. “Moreira is also positioned to move far in the rankings with just a few points,” Walker said. “Depending on how the results end up, a fourth-place finish for Moreira could move him up further in the rankings than a win for Kemper.”

If Kemper really wanted to get creative, he could call on some third-party, cross-country support from athletes like Australia’s Andrew Noble, Denmark’s Jan Hansen and New Zealand’s Kris Gemmell. While Kemper already has Umphenour and Sirard ‘working’ for him, that combination would be strengthened if Noble, Hansen and Gemmell combined with the Americans to keep the Brazilian and Mexicans from placing well. Especially because Moreira has no in-country support in place, and the two Mexicans have only each other.

Here is who is racing:

- Men from Australia: Craig Alexander, Jarrod Brauer, Darren Carnell, Ryan Carter, Trent Chapman, Nick Marland, Troy McKinna, Chris Moffatt, Andrew Noble, Anthony Parish, Lincoln Stewart
- Men from Austria: Norbert Domnik
- Men from Brazil: Juraci Moreira
- Men from Canada: Kelly Guest
- Men from Denmark: Jan Hansen, Ricky Jorgensen
- Men from France: Anthony Flochlay, Cyril Mazure, Patrick Vernay
- Men from Germany: Abel Torsten
- Men from Great Britain: Chris Lee
- Men from Japan: Nii Shachi, Saito Hiroteru
- Men from Mexico: Uzziel Valderrabano, Javier Rosas
- Men from New Zealand: Kris Gemmell
- Men from South Africa: Lieuwe Boonstra
- Men from Spain: Hector Llanos
- Men from Sweden: Jonas Djurback
- Men from USA: Hunter Kemper, Barry Sirard, Joe Umphenour
- Men from Venezuela: Gilberto Gonzales

- Women from Australia: Melissa Ashton, Rebekah Keat, Ann Martin, Tamlyn Mathiske, Erin Philp
- Women from France: Cournelia Bourgadel, Beatrice Mouthon, Helene Salamon
- Women from Great Britain: Leanda Cave
- Women from Japan: Misa Nonaka
- Women from Netherlands: Lucienne Groenendijk
- Women from New Zealand: Louise Soper
- Women from South Africa: Kim Carter, Lizel Moore
- Women from Switzerland: Natascha Badmann

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Stewart, Hackett power past the rest

March 26, 2000, Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Miles Stewart and Nicole Hackett -- who showed tremendous form in winning the St. George Formula 1 series titles last February -- continued with their tip-top performances in winning the biggest Australian race so far this year, the Australian Triathlon Championships.

The stakes were high on Sunday for the best field gathered in Oz in 2000. Not only was the national title to be settled, but there was A$50,000 (US$30,000) to be won, plus ITU international-level points, plus -- for those who hadn’t already qualified -- selection to Australia’s 10-man, 10-woman lineup for the ITU World Cup in Sydney on April 16.

It was the first-ever senior title for Hackett, twice the ITU junior world champion (1997, 1998), and the second-ever title for Stewart. It was also the first racing starts for either of them since they won their F1 titles on February 6.

The wins were upsets in the formidable fields. Stewart, with a world ranking of No. 12, is only Australia’s fourth-ranked active athlete. Hackett, No. 27, has six other Aussies ahead of her in the rankings.

But performances, not rankings, proved the decider on Sunday, where both Hackett and Stewart ran from behind to win. Hackett ran past American Barb Lindquist to win by 21 seconds. Stewart came from in back of Chris McCormack for a seven-second margin at the end.

"I knew we were going to come down to the sprint but there was no way Macca (Chris McCormack) was going to catch me," Stewart told Australian Associated Press."I am still in winning form and that is great form. I haven't lost a race in 2000 yet."

By nabbing third place, little-noticed Ryan Carter also gained himself a starting spot in the Sydney World Cup. So did Eamon Nunn, the ninth-place finisher and, for women, 17th-finishing Sally Carter.

Five places were up for grabs in this race, and they were the highest-placing individuals who had not yet been named to the World Cup, which doubles as the first of two actual Olympic-qualifying events. The two other places went to Courtney Atkinson, last year's world junior champion, and Rebekah Keat, who placed 12th on Sunday.

Lindquist led a strong American effort, backed by Siri Lindley (fourth) and Jill Newman (sixth). The performances came just one day after two of Australia’s boldest, Jackie Gallagher and Emma Carney, both suggested in pre-race comments that the legion of foreigners who had used Australia as a summer-long training base were over-raced and could end up injured and ill-prepared for the Olympics, six months from now.

Gallagher ended up third, and Carney ninth, in the race. Two-time defending men’s champ Greg Bennett finished 13th. Among the DNFs of note were New Zealand’s Hamish Carter, the world No. 1, and Paul Amey, and Switzerland’s Reto Hug, reigning European champion.

(RESULTS)

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“Field of dreams” for Mooloolaba

March 24, 2000, Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Sunday’s Mooloolaba Triathlon is truly a “field of dreams” for its organizers, United Sports Marketing.

The ITU Points Race, which is also the Australian Championships, has taken on heightened proportions as a Triathlon Australia selection race for the final places for the ITU World Cup in Sydney on April 16.

As the host federation, Triathlon Australia has as many as 10 men’s slots, 10 women’s slots, in Sydney. Seven of the men and eight of the women have been selected, and the remaining three and two respectively will be announced after Sunday’s event.

The race falls on the same day as the ITU World Cup opener in Rio, but its field is superior. Two late withdrawals, both to injury, are ITU’s No. 2-ranked Loretta Harrop, and Belgium’s Mieke Suys. The No. 10-ranked Belgian crashed her bike on an oil spot while training and likely has cracked her tailbone.

Two notable absences from the field are No. 1 Michellie Jones and No. 22 Brad Beven, who is scrambling to join four other active Australians (plus the retired Greg Welch) among the ITU’s top-12. Jones and Beven will both race in the April 1 World Cup at Kona, Hawaii.

Here are the Mooloolaba fields:

- Men from Australia: Craig Alexander, Cameron Anderson, Courtney Atkinson, Glenn Bennett, Greg Bennett, Jarrod Brauer, Darren Carnell, Boyd Conrick, Steve Croft, David Dellow, Paul Dodd, Lee Dryden, Paul Gardner, Robert Harris, Blyth Hartnett, Patrick Hofer, Brad Kahlefeldt, St John Lord, Paul Mackay, Nick Marland, Chris McCormack, Troy McKinna, Chris Moffatt, Jan Muhlenberg, Callum Neilson, Eamon Nunn, Anthony Parish, Joshua Rix, Miles Stewart, Peter Robertson
- Men from Canada: Jeff Beech, Kelly Guest
- Men from Finland: Arto Lindholm
- Men from France: Olivier Marceau
- Men from Germany: Abel Torsten
- Men from Great Britain: Chris Lee
- Men from Mexico: Felix Molina, Allan Villaneuva
- Men from New Zealand: Hamish Carter, Shane Reed, Craig Watson
- Men from Sweden: Erik Soderstrom,
- Men from Switzerland: Reto Hug,
- Men from Ukraine: Andrey Gluschenko, Andrey Polikarpenko,

- Women from Australia: Melissa Ashton, Andrea Boyle, Emma Carney, Sally Carter, Jackie Gallagher, Nicole Hackett, Tracy Hargreaves, Rebekah Keat, Joanne King, Kirsten Molloy, Erin Philp, Raeleigh Tennant
- Women from Belgium: Kathleen Smet
- Women from France: Helene Salomon
- Women from Great Britain: Leanda Cave, Michelle Dillon
- Women from New Zealand: Shanelle Barrett, Megan Hall, Rina Hill,
- Women from United States: Barb Lindquist, Susanne Martineau, Jill Newman, Marci Steelman

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Record pace for winning Hill and Jones

March 15, 2000, Canberra, ACT, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Two of the very top Australians, Chris Hill and Michellie Jones, turned back international fields in winning the Canberra stop of the St. George Triathlon Australia Series on Sunday.

By winning in 1:48:10 and 1:57:57 respectively, they also established “Timex Certified Best Times,” a new facet to racing that Triathlon Australia implemented this season. This was the fourth of the five high-profile Triathlon Australia Series events, which end on March 25 in Mooloolaba, Queensland, with the national-championship race.

Both Hill and Jones beat back foreign challengers: Hill beat the Czech Republic’s Jan Rehula, and Jones beat Japan’s Akiko Hirao. Although some "name" Australians were missing, apparently staying away in deference to training for the even-bigger races over the next seven weeks, quite a few internationals turned up in the hunt for ITU world-ranking points.

They made quite a race -- Canada's Simon Whitfield got third, for example, and Scotland's Steph Forrester took third behind the at-home Jackie Gallagher. But all eyes were initially focused on four former world champions -- Jones (1992, 1993), Gallagher (1996), Emma Carney (1994, 1997) and Joanne King (1998). They were all lining up since they raced together as Team Australia last September at the Montreal Worlds.

The race ended poorly for a few of the world champs in the field, namely Chris McCormack (also 1997), who DNFed for unknown reasons, and Carney, who appeared to incur an injury on the run. On the bike, three women crashed -- King, Cheney and Kargotich; only King got up and finished.

Further ahead, Jones was having the fully-flat race course to herself. She got off the bike a good 45 seconds ahead of her challengers, and didn't need to push on the run to win. Behind her, Hirao and Gallagher were committed to a sprint some 200 meters out. In the end, Hirao's run (35:48) was the fastest of all, some two seconds better than Gallagher's - as was her final time.

Chris Hill's 31:54 run split was also the day's fastest, allowing him a 35-second win over Rehula.

(RESULTS)

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Can't get better than Canberra!

March 10, 2000, Canberra, ACT, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Competitive fields for non-championship events don't get much better than this: Four of the world's top six women -- all Australian, naturally -- are set to race on Sunday in the Capital Triathlon in Australia's capital city.

Michellie Jones (ITU-ranked No. 1), Emma Carney (ITU No. 3), Jackie Gallagher (ITU No. 4) and Joanne King (ITU No. 6) are leading the field for the race that has ITU Points Race status. It will be only the third-ever ITU Points Race for Jones since the ITU starting counting them toward Olympic qualification in 1997.

Only Loretta Harrop, the current world champion, is missing from the lineup this weekend. She won't meet the others until March 26 and the Australian Triathlon Championships at Mooloolaba, also an ITU Points Race and the St. George Triathlon Australia series finale.

Filling out the women's field are internationals Michelle Dillon and Steph Forrester, both from Britain; Canada's Sharon Donnelly; America's Jill Newman and Belgium's Kathleen Smet.

Greg Bennett (ITU No. 4), Chris McCormack (ITU No. 5) and Chris Hill (ITU No. 12) are the men's favorites. Germany's Abel Torsten and Finland's Arto Lindholm are two of the international racers.

The final fields should tally 60 elite men and 40 elite women.

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Amey, Harrop take Devonport

February 28, 2000, Devonport, Tasmania, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

New Zealand's Paul Amey may have surprised the strongest field all season, but Australia's Loretta Harrop didn't surprise anyone, when they were the winners Saturday in the ITU Points Race at Devonport on Saturday.

Amey, who missed much of last season with injury, proved he will be a prime contender for the New Zealand team for Sydney. After missing last year's world championships in Montreal, Amey won the prestigious French Iron Tour before moving to the Gold Coast as a training base. He also used the recent and lucrative Formula One Australian series as a buildup to the pending World Cup, according to Triathlon New Zealand's Ian Hepenstall.

Amey's time of 1:48:20 topped the international field, including runner-up Simon Whitfield of Canada and third-finishing Swiss star Marcus Keller.

Hometown favourite Craig Walton led the swim, breaking away with France's Ben Sanson early in the bike leg. Walton was caught by the bunch on the bike that included Amey, and Australians Brad Beven and Craig Alexander.

Never far from the leaders on the run, Amey bided his time, surging strongly in the third and last lap to beat Whitfield by 13 seconds.

Harrop led from the start, challenged only by American Barb Lindquist. The two -- who have been training partners the last few months -- finished 1-2, with Great Britain's Michelle Dillon running her way to third.

Would-be Kiwi Rina Hill, who had her citizenship application turned down last week, placed a disappointing 10th. Hill, who suffered from a sinus attack, said the recent citizenship problems also created some stress.

(RESULTS)

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ITU Points Race reads like a World Cup field

February 24, 2000, Devonport, Tasmania, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

The ITU Points Race at Devonport on Saturday has attracted its best-ever field in its 16 years -- and its top-end reads like a World Cup field.

There will be Aus $30,000 in prize money -- but precious ITU points only for the top 10.

A twilight format, the race commences at 4.30 pm local time. The event traditionally attracts a large crowd with annual estimates between 6000 to 8000 -- from a city and surrounding area with a population base of around 40,000.

The event is oragnised by the Devonport Triathlon Association, which has negotiated a three-year plan with the Tasmanian government to move the race level.

Here are the starters (Australian unless otherwise noted).

Men - Peter Alder (SUI), Craig Alexander, Paul Amey (NZL), Cameron
Anderson, Courtney Atkinson, Tim Bentley, Brad Beven, Ben Bright (NZL),
Darren Carnell, Jai Forster, Ed Froeliger (USA), Hideo Fukui (JPN), Jamie
Hunt (NZL), Andrew Johns (GBR), Brad Kahlefeldt, Marcus Keller (SUI), Jiro
Kijuchi (JPN), Vasillas Krommides (GRE), Chris Lee, Marc Lees, Arto
Lindholm (FIN), Dennis Looze (NED), Olivier Marceau (FRA), Levi Maxwell,
Shoichi Nii (JPN), Hiroyuki Nishiuchi (JPN), Michael Pierce, Bryce Quirk,
Steven Rankine, Matt Reed (NZL), Hiroteru Saito (JPN), Ben Sanson (FRA),
Stephen Sheldrake (NZL), Teppei Takeuchi (JPN), Shingo Tani (JPN), Simon
Thompson, Lach Vollmerhause (CAN), Craig Walton, Simon Whitfield (CAN),
Jun-Ichi Yamamoto (JPN).

Women - Melissa Ashton, Shanelle Barrett (NZL), Andrea Boyle, Tania
Brannan, Emma Carney, Louise Davoren, Michelle Dillon (GBR), Steph
Forrester (GBR), Danielle Glass, Katie Gold, Nicole Hackett, Tracy
Hargreaves, Loretta Harrop, Rina Hill (NZL), Akiko Hirao (JPN), Lauren
Jensen (USA), Sarah Johnson, Rebekah Keat, Yukie Koumegawa (JPN), Barb
Lindquist (USA), Rebecca Locke, Jill Newman (USA), Kiyyomi Niwata (JPN),
Hiromi Okawara (JPN), Kathleen Smet (BEL), Marci Steelman (USA), Raeleigh
Tennant, Melinda Walsh.

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Sprinting toward Sydney: Titles to Walton and Carney

February 13, 2000, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Craig Walton and Emma Carney took the titles on Sunday in the Australian Sprint Triathlon Championships as they fine-tuned their fitness on their ways to the Sydney World Cup on April 16 -- one of the two Olympic-team deciders for the Australians.

Walton wasn´t the only one using the sprint race as a test of his sharpness. The St. George Cup Race also drew several international athletes who are training in Australia in advance of the World Cup -- and Olympic season.

Junior titles went to Michael McCann and Rebecca Locke.

(RESULTS)

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Hell of the West

February 8, 2000, Gooniwindi, Queensland, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

What used to be a sleepy, hot, dusty, rural race -- the "Hell of the West" Triathlon -- was transformed into an international, telling leadup to the next two Ironmans, in New Zealand (March 4) and Australia (April 9).

The Hell of the West has carried on quietly with modest prize money, a small, age-group oriented field and a three-time winner in Des Besenko. But last Sunday, along came coach Lance Watson and his group of Canadians, who dominated and may have forever changed the reputation of this event.

Canada's Jamie Cleveland, preparing for Ironman New Zealand, was the men's winner over Jarod Brauer, a local half-Ironman hotshot who is looking toward Australia as his Ironman debut. And two women from Watson's "winter" training camp in Queensland, Lisa Bentley and Louise Powell, went 1-2 in their races.

Course records went by the wayside as the Canadians cleared them out: Cleveland's 3:41:59 was eight minutes faster than what Besenko posted last year. And Bentley's 4:10:06 was three minutes faster than what Angela O'Conner raced in last year. This time, O'Conner was third in 4:16:37.

(RESULTS)

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They are the champions: Stewart and Hackett

February 6, 2000, Manly, Sydney, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Like last year, Nicole Hackett wrapped up the overall women's title in the St.George Formula 1 Triathlon Series on Sunday. But unlike the last six years, someone else besides Brad Beven won the men's title.

That was Miles Stewart, who -- like Hackett -- won the fifth and final race at Manly Beach, Sydney. Both Hackett and Stewart had actually won their overall titles after Race 4 in Adelaide, so their wins weren't exactly a surprise in Sydney. But the racing was hot and fast all the same, with the pair proving themselves worthy overall champs by winning again.

Stewart, Brad Beven, Peter Robertson, Chris Hill and Courtney Atkinson slugged it out on the final 2-kilometer run leg of the Enduro format (300m swim, 7km bike, 2km run twice through) at Manly Beach.

"It was a tough race and that hurt more than any of the others," Stewart said. "But this is the way I wanted to win, running off the front, not just sitting on and sprinting. It is a really good sign for the Olympic trials that I am coming home at a rapid rate and not tiring out and dropping back in the run."

Stewart edged out training partner Hill, with Beven's welcome return to the podium holding off Robertson. Atkinson retained his second place overall, with Robertson third and Hill fourth in the F1 series standings.

Nicole Hackett's rule as the Queen of F1 continued when she teamed with USA's Barb Lindquist to hand out a lesson in short-course triathlon racing. But Hackett had no mercy for her training partner, dropping Lindquist on the final 2km run.

"Barb is not an Australian and she is not going to affect my qualifying for the World champs or the Olympics. Sydney World Cup is my only chance to qualify, so I have to give it everything in Sydney in April. Hopefully if I do well enough I'll get a crack at the World Champs," Hackett said.

Lindquist's second place gave her fourth place overall. Michellie Jones beat Loretta Harrop for third place in a sprint finish which had the organisers diving for their calculators to determine final series standings. Jones and Harrop finished the series equal on 74 points, but Harrop was awarded second place overall after a countback.

Switzerland's Magali Messmer, who finished fifth in the series, secured the Rookie of the Year honors. Canada's Simon Whitfield, ninth in the series, won the award for men.

(RESULTS)

Men's Final Series Standings (top 10 win contracts for next year's series):

1. Miles Stewart (AUS) 82,
2. Courtney Atkinson (AUS) 73,
3. PeterRobertson (AUS) 68,
4. Chris Hill (AUS) 66,
5. Chris McCormack (AUS) 65,
6.Paul Amey (NZL) 63,
7. Marc Lees (AUS) 58,
8. Levi Maxwell (AUS) 55,
9.Simon Whitfield (CAN) 55,
10. Shane Reed (NZL) 45; 11. Brad Beven (AUS) 43;
12. Kris Gemmell (NZL) 43;
13. Craig Alexander (AUS) 38;
14. Bryce Quirk(AUS) 29;
15. Simon Thompson (AUS) 28;
16. Ben Sanson (FRA) 27;
17.Jean-Christophe Guinchard (SUI) 21;
18. Jan Rehula (CZE) 20;
19. TroyMcKinna (AUS) 15;
20. Luke Harrop (AUS) 13;
21. Gilberto Gonzalez (VEN) 9;
22. Craig Watson (NZL) 7.

Women's Final Series Standings (top 10 win contracts for next year's series):

1. Nicole Hackett (AUS) 84;
2. Loretta Harrop (AUS) 74;
3. Michellie Jones(AUS) 74;
4. Barb Lindquist (USA) 73;
5. Magali Messmer (SUI) 66;
6.Melissa Ashton (AUS) 61;
7. Ute Muckel (GER) 54;
8. Pip Taylor (AUS) 50;
9.Michelle Dillon (GBR) 50;
10. Steph Forrester (SCO) 43;
11. MelanieMitchell (AUS) 43;
12. Siri Lindley (USA) 42;
13. Josie Loane (AUS) 40;
14.Tracy Hargreaves (AUS) 39;
15. Maria Kosztovits (AUS) 33;
16. GailLaurence (USA) 22;
17. Erin Philp (AUS) 20;
18. Belinda King (AUS) 17;
19.Annabel Luxford (AUS) 16;
20. Jane Kargotich (AUS) 4.

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Party time in Manly for F1

February 4, 2000, Manly, Sydney, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Saturday and Sunday mark the final of the five-round St.George Formula 1 Triathlon Series -- but the winners have already won. When Miles Stewart and Nicole Hackett line up with the rest of the racers for Saturday's heats, they'll be racing mostly for pride.

But the rest of the invited fields will be racing for places -- that is, guaranteed contracts for racing in next year's Formula 1 series.

Stewart, who broke Brad Beven's six-year hold on the title, and Hackett both secured their overall series title by racing well the last time out, January 22-23 in Adelaide.

Contracts will go to the top-10 finishers, so it will be a scramble for everyone else who is not Stewart or Hackett to race to the very end. With both personal sponsors and Olympic selectors to impress as well, the athletes are all fired up -- Stewart and Hackett included.

"Having taken so long to win the F1 title, there is no way that I am going to end the series on a downer," Stewart said.

And Hackett, after winning the first three races, was a little disappointed with her third placing in Adelaide. She is out to make amends.

"I was very happy to win back-to-back F1 titles but the third placing last race wasn't how I wanted to do it. I really want to end the series on a high," she said.

Top 10 Series Standings entering final round of St.George F1 Triathlon:

MEN: Miles Stewart (AUS/79), Courtney Atkinson (AUS/73), Chris McCormack (AUS/65), Peter Robertson (AUS/61), Paul Amey (NZL/61), Chris Hill (AUS/57), Simon Whitfield (CAN/55), Marc Lees (AUS/54), Levi Maxwell (AUS/50), Shane Reed (NZL/45).

WOMEN: Nicole Hackett (AUS/81), Michellie Jones (AUS/73), Barb Lindquist (USA/71), Magali Messmer (SUI/66), Melissa Ashton (AUS/59), Loretta Harrop (AUS/57), Michelle Dillon (GBR/50), Ute Muckel (GER/49), Pip Taylor (AUS/45), Melanie Mitchell (AUS/43).

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Sunday's F1 finale a showcase for series' best

February 5, 2000, Manly, Sydney, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Sunday's final round of the fifth and last Formula 1 race for the season will feature all the series' big names, short of Chris McCormack, who failed to pass through Saturday's heats on hot Manly Beach.

The 20,000 spectators who turned up for the last OneSummer sports festival of the summer are expected back for the final, which will showcase series champ Nicole Hackett, world champs Loretta Harrop and Michellie Jones, men's series winner Miles Stewart, plus Brad Beven, Courtney Atkinson and Peter Robertson. The only casualty among favorites for the final was McCormack, who could only manage seventh in his heat.

Though he has already tied up the series title, Stewart will have to contend with his old adversary in Beven -- six times the series champion, but not this year -- and series No. 2 Atkinson. Both are keen to make things as difficult as possible for Stewart over the tough Enduro format (300m swim/ 7km cycle/
2km run, twice through).

Qualifying wasn't so easy for Michellie Jones who crashed mid-way through
the 7km bike, losing vital places. She recovered quickly and used her
strong run to cement second place in her heat.

"On the off-camber corner, I turned my wheel a little bit too much," Jones said. "I knew it was going to happen but that is racing. Other than that I can't complain. I'm just relieved to make it through to the final."

St.George Formula 1 Triathlon: Saturday's Heats
February 5, Manly, Sydney, Australia
300m S, 7k B, 2k R: Top five per heat make Sunday's final

Men: Heat 1
1. Miles Stewart (AUS), 21:19
2. Chris Hill (AUS), 21:20
3. Peter Robertson (AUS), 21:29
4. Levi Maxwell (AUS), 21:35
5. Bryce Quirk (AUS), 21:36
---
6. Jean-Christophe Guinchard (SUI), 21:52
7. Jan Rehula (CZE), 21:55
8. Shane Reed (NZL), 21:59
9. Ben Sanson (FRA), 22:19
10. Simon Whitfield (CAN), 22:49

Men: Heat 2
1. Courtney Atkinson (AUS), 21:20
2. Paul Amey (NZL), 21:21
3. Brad Beven (AUS), 21:23
4. Kris Gemmel (NZL), 21:26
5. Marc Lees (AUS), 21:28
---
6. Simon Thompson (AUS), 21:46
7. Chris McCormack (AUS), 22:01
8. Craig Alexander (AUS), 22:07
9. Troy McKinna (AUS), 22:37
10. Luke Harrop (AUS), 22:50


Women: Heat 1
1. Nicole Hackett (AUS), 23:32
2. Magali Messmer (SUI), 23:33
3. Loretta Harrop (AUS), 23:35
4. Maria Kosztovits (AUS), 24:19
5. Ute Muckel (GER), 24:28
---
6. Melanie Mitchell (AUS), 25:10
7. Belinda King (AUS), 25:54
DNF. Steph Forrester (SCO).
DNS. Michelle Dillon (GBR).

Women: Heat 2
1. Barb Lindquist (USA), 23:13
2. Michellie Jones (AUS), 23:24
3. Melissa Ashton (AUS), 23:39
4. Josie Loane (AUS), 23:54
5. Pip Taylor (AUS), 24:01
---
6. Siri Lindley (USA), 24:09
7. Tracy Hargreaves (AUS), 24:17
8. Gail Laurence (USA), 24:42
9. Erin Philp (AUS), 25:07
10. Annabel Luxford (AUS), 25:17

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Welchy gets a grandstand

February 2, 2000, Perth, Western Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Greg Welch won't be racing in the ITU World Triathlon Championships on April 30, but he will be watching -- from the Greg Welch Grandstand.

The organizing committee of the World Championships have decided to name the 1,000-seat spectator's grandstand at the finish line in honor of Welch, Australia's recently retired, perennial crowd favorite.

Welch made headlines worldwide last month when doctors' decisions forced his early retirement from the sport for a troubling heart condition.

Said Toni O'Donnell, executive director of the event: "Triathlon is a young sport still developing traditions and we wanted to emulate some of the older sporting codes in naming our grandstand after a prominent Australian triathlete. Greg Welch holds a special place in the hearts of Australian sports fans, and we are proud to honour him in this way."

Responded Welch: "It gives me great pleasure for Perth to use my name for the grandstand. This is a great honour and makes me very proud."

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Rehula, Forrester surprise in Geelong

January 30, 2000, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Czech Republic's Jan Rehula and Scotland's Steph Forrester were the surprise winners in the ITU Points Race at Geelong, which was supposed to be a showcase of Australian triathlon talent.

But the best the home team could manage was a pair of runner-up places for Marc Lees and Emma Carney. Even Lees, ranked No. 104 by the ITU, was a surprise finisher over pre-race favorite Brad Beven, who placed third.

The twists in the results show only that no race will be predictable for the next three months, through the ITU World Championships in Perth on April 30. Actually, March and April will provide the real turning points for the ITU world rankings, as only a pair of ITU Points Races will be contested in February: Midmar, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, and Davenport, Tasmania, Australia, both on February 26.

Forrester controlled the women's race from the start. She and Switzerland's Magali Messmer emerged from the swim some 1:15 over Carney. On the run, Messmer was the pacemaker for the first seven kilometers, but then Forrester surged and the other two couldn't respond. Forrester won in 2:02:31, eight seconds ahead of Carney. Messmer took third.

Australia's Craig Walton pushed the pace on both the swim and the bike, but couldn't breakaway on the all-flat course. After about 20 athletes entered the second transition area together, Rehula held on the longest and managed a 10-second margin over Lees.

The consolation for both Lees and Carney is that they are now the points leaders in the St. George Triathlon Australia series that, over five races through March 26, will award the top Australians some A$100,000 in prize money. (RESULTS)

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Gallagher pulls out of Geelong

January 28, 2000, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Jackie Gallagher, a co-favourite for Sunday’s ITU Points Race at Geelong, won’t be racing after all.

She was a late scratch from the field after a slight injury from last weekend has not fully healed.

“I am not racing,” she said on Saturday morning. “I had a bit of a fall last weekend while running on some trails. I still have bruised ribs which are hampering me a bit.

“It’s no big deal, but there is no point in racing when I’m not 100 percent. It is still early days, and there are plenty more races to do.”

She won’t be on the sidelines long, however. She will be ready on February 13 to defend her Australian Sprint Championships title in Wollongong.

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It's Emma vs. Jackie again -- and they're even

January 28, 2000, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Not since May 10, 1998, has the Australian triathlon public been treated to a home-soil matchup of two of its finest female stars, Emma Carney and Jackie Gallagher. The rivalry will be revived on Sunday when the two women both race in the St. George Triathlon Australia Series race at Geelong.

They raced four times in 1999 -- each beating the other twice -- but those races occurred in the United States (two), Canada and Japan.

They raced seven times in 1998, but only twice that year in Australia. Their last such matchup came in the Australian Triathlon Championships at Mooloolaba, where Carney beat Gallagher, 1st place to 2nd. In their other Aussie outing, the ITU World Cup in Sydney in April, Gallagher won while Carney DNFed.

So it's a rare thing for these two women to race at home. When healthy, Carney often lines up for the smaller, state-level races near her home in Melbourne, Victoria. Gallagher does the same up in Queensland. The two generally meet elsewhere 'round the world when the stakes are high -- generally in World Cup or World Championship events.

Whoever wins on Sunday will tip the rivalry in her favor: In the last 14 triathlons they met in, each has won seven times.

The record:

1999
Duathlon Worlds, Oct 17: Gallagher 1st, Carney 2nd
Triathlon Worlds, Sept 13: Gallagher 2nd, Carney 3rd
Mrs. T's Triathlon, Aug 27: Carney 4th, Gallagher 6th
ITU World Cup, Ishigaki, April 11: Carney 4th, Gallagher 5th

1998
Triathlon Worlds, Aug 30: Gallagher 6th, Carney DNF
Goodwill Games, July 25: Gallagher 6th, Carney 7th
ITU World Cup-Gamagori, July 12: Gallagher 7th, Carney 15th
ITU World Cup-Zurich, June 21: Gallagher 1st, Carney DNF
Australian Champs, May 10: Carney 1st, Gallagher 2nd
ITU World Cup-Sydney, April 26: Gallagher 1st, Carney DNF
ITU World Cup-Ishigaki, April 12: Carney 1st, Gallagher 2nd

1997
Triathlon Worlds, Nov 16: Carney 1st, Gallagher 2nd
Noosa Triathlon, Nov 2: Carney 1st, Gallagher 4th
ITU World Cup-Gamagori, July 6: Carney 1st, Gallagher 4th
ITU World Cup-Ishigaki, April 13: Carney 1st, Gallagher 3rd

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Aussies gather in Geelong for ITU points

January 28, 2000, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Australia's top triathletes, plus some of the best international names in the sport, will race Sunday for ITU points and A$20,000 in prize money in the St. George Triathlon Australia Series.

It's a standout lineup for the first of the five St. George races that will culminate March 26 in a points-count for the Australian Triathlete of the Year titles. But foremost on the minds of the three dozen elites in Geelong are the limited ITU points that will boost their world rankings in their efforts to gain selection for the Sydney Olympics.

The men's field features Aussies Brad Beven (ITU-ranked No. 29), Craig Walton (ITU No. 9) and Marc Lees (ITU No. 104). Top visiting contenders are Switzerland's Reto Hug (ITU No. 14) and Czech Republic's Jan Rehula (ITU No. 13). In all, 22 elites will be vying for ITU points for the top-10 only.

The women's race will match at-home rivals Jackie Gallagher (ITU No. 3) and Emma Carney (ITU No. 4). Upstart Melissa Ashton (ITU No. 38), winner of the ITU Oceania Regional Championships on January 3 in New Zealand, is also racing.

The British pair of Steph Forrester (ITU No. 27) and Michelle Dillon (ITU No. 36), plus American Jill Newman (ITU No. 25) and Swiss Magali Messmer (ITU No. 10) also highlight the field.

Here are the starting lists.

Men - Peter Alder (SUI), Cam Anderson (AUS), Tim Bentley (AUS), Brad Beven
(AUS), Darren Carnell (AUS), Boyd Conrick (AUS), Kris Gemmel (NZL),
Jean-Christophe Guinchard (SUI), Reto Hug (SUI), Marc Lees (AUS), Paul
Mackay (AUS), Troy McKinna (AUS), Shoich Nii (JPN), Andrew Noble (AUS),
Eamonn Nunn (AUS), Anthony Parish (AUS), Bryce Quirk (AUS), Matthew Reed (NZL), Jan Rehula (CZE), John Van Wisse (AUS), Lach Vollmerhaus (CAN), Craig Walton (AUS).

Women - Melissa Ashton (AUS), Emma Carney (AUS), Sally Carter (AUS), Leanda Cave (AUS), Michelle Dillon (GBR), Steph Forrester (GBR), Jackie Gallagher (AUS), Sarah Johnson (AUS), Jane Kargotich (AUS), Magali Messmer (SUI), Kirstin Molloy (AUS), Jill Newman (USA), Raeleigh Tennant (AUS).

Also included in the elite wave will be 28 junior boys and nine junior girls.

The girls are Jennifer Beer, Kelly Bird, Liz Blatchford, Jennifer Erskine,
Melissa Godfrey, Annabel Luxford, Tessa Molloy, Christine Stewart and Pip
Taylor.

And the best-known of the 28 junior boys: Jay Bourke, Leigh Chapman, David Clark, Matthew Clark, Christian Kemp, Shaun Logue, Jacob Newell, Ciaran O'Kane and Alex Reithmeier.

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Blind triathlete Ched Towns dies in Nepal

January 23, 2000, Nepean, New South Wales, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Details are still limited, but apparently Ched Towns, Australia's well-known and inspirational blind triathlete, has died of altitude sickness while climbing Mt Everest in Nepal.

The news comes by way of Nick Munting, a race commentator who called for a moment of silence in Towns' honor at the start of the New South Wales Triathlon Championships on Saturday.

Towns was a co-director of the Nepean Triathlon, acknowledged as one of Australia's original triathlons. He raced throughout Australia and the world, drawing attention for his accomplishments in Ironman and other endurance racing. He has competed in the Hawaii Ironman.

"Ched died being the unique adventurer he was," Munting said. "He died in his tent at high altitude. We have lost one of our icons, one of the guys who made us all see that anything is possible. He was a friend, a mentor and a bloody good bloke!"

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Preview of the Formula 1 Race in Adelaide

January 14, 2000, Adelaide, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

The St George Formula 1 triathlon series picks up speed on Saturday with Round 4 set for Adelaide's Glenelg Beach.

The men's event has enjoyed three different winners in the three previous rounds, while, among women, defending series champ Nicole Hackett has won all three outings.

Even though Miles Stewart has ownership of the yellow leader's jersey going into Glenelg, the series' title is still wide open. Brad Beven, the only Formula One overall winner the series has had in its six seasons, is well out of the running, but Chris McCormack, Courtney Atkinson, Marc Lees and Peter Robertson are all keen to upset Stewart.

Said Stewart: "If any of the boys want the leader's jersey, all they have to do is come and get it - catch me if you can!"

But for women, merely a top-five finish for Hackett would sew up the title for her again. Only Michellie Jones (1995) and Jackie Gallagher (1998 have made clean sweeps of the five-round series in past years.

Race format on Saturday, followed by finals on Sunday, is the mixed-up 2k run, 7k bike, 300m swim. The top five from each heat race in Sunday's Endurooo final.

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Stewart Takes Formula 1 Race, Closes in on Overall Title

January 17, 2000, Adelaide, Australia

(www.slowtwitch.com):

Miles Stewart won his second straight St. George Formula 1 race on Sunday as he moved closer to the series' overall title, while Nicole Hackett preserved her series title by finishing third behind winner Loretta Harrop.

Racers in the final went 300m swim, 7k bike, 2k run - twice. Stewart held off Courtney Atkinson and Chris Hill, after expected challenger Peter Robertson was relegated to the consolation round after Saturday's heats.

For women, Harrop beat Michellie Jones by nine seconds, with Hackett in third. By placing in the top five, Hackett assured herself that she retains the overall title heading into the fifth and last round on February 5th and 6th in Manley, Sydney. The rest of the women will all be racing for second overall. Results here.

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Elwood Beach? No thank you!

January 10, 2000

(www.slowtwitch.com) The 42 world-class triathletes competing in the five-race One Summer sports festival across Australia's beaches won't likely be returning next year to Elwood Beach near Melbourne. Although they raced on Sunday in their St. George Formula 1 event, Saturday's festival schedule was interrupted by a most unwelcome development: the discovery of used syringes in the sand where volleyball was to be played.

Organizers of the made-for-television One Summer festival -- which brings together four sports, three of them with Olympic status -- told Monday's editions of The Australian that they probably won't return to the venue after one of Australia's most respected lifesavers stepped on a syringe before the start of his race on Saturday.

"We wanted to bring (One Summer) to Melbourne because it is a major market, but the likelihood of coming back is very minimal," series spokesman Andrew Fraser told The Australian's Nicole Jeffrey. "The safety of the athletes comes first, and daylight second. The last thing the athletes need is a life-threatening distraction, which is what this is."

One Summer officials found 20 syringes on the beach and alongside the pier on Friday and Saturday as they were setting up for the festival, according to The Australian. The discovery of the needles forced the cancellation of the women's volleyball competition on Saturday.

Triathletes in the Formula 1 races on Saturday, with four qualifying heats to determine Sunday's finals lineup, were unaffected: That's because One Summer triathlon used a pool, rather than the ocean, for the swim at Elwood. Organizers tried to move the volleyball competition about 100 yards up the beach, but found the sand there too rough for proper play.

When the event organisers reschedule a Melbourne stop for One Summer in 2001, they will probably bypass Elwood in favour of a return to Portsea, which the ironman (surf-lifesaving) series had visited in previous years. Triathletes who have taken part in the six previous seasons of Formula 1 races are more familiar with nearby St. Kilda, where they ran across the beach without incidents.

The Australian also notes that Fraser would not rule out legal action against the Port Philip Bay Council if the series suffered financial loss because of the syringes on the beach. He said that the council had failed to warn them of the potential danger, and had failed to clean the beach adequately.

Elwood Beach has been the site three times already this season for some triathlons - on November 14, the TGP Tri Series; on November 28, the Look Series; and on December 19, the Melbourne Triathlon Series. Three more dates are still ahead this season for triathlons at Elwood -- a return of the Creative Event Group's Melbourne Triathlon Series (with the Just Tri It races) on February 20; one of Super Sprint Promotion's Gatorade Series events on March 15; and a BRW race, also by Super Sprint, on March 19.

The weekend incident drew considerable media attention focusing on Jonathan Crowe, an Uncle Tobys Super Series veteran competitor. After stepping on a needle buried in the sand, the 31-year-old from Wollongong now faces an agonizing three-month wait to establish if he has been infected by a used syringe. The Australian reports that he told a packed media conference later that he faced a troubling wait to establish if his blood had been infected with HIV or hepatitis. "The chances are minimal of contracting anything but certainly it's a worry. I've spoken a couple of times to my wife (Joanne) and she was really happy I was racing. It's a whole lifestyle thing for the next three months. If I have contracted something I don't want to pass it onto her."

He added that it was the first time in his career that he had heard of a lifesaver stepping on a needle at the beach. He noted as well that he would not consider taking legal action against the One Summer organisers or the local council.

Crowe also seized the moment of national media attention to raise awareness of the need for responsible used syringes. He told the Australian Associated Press: "If there's needle exchanges, then maybe this sort of thing is not going to happen."

The One Summer series draws not just about 130 elite athletes to the beaches; it pulls tens of thousands of spectators. Its premise is about participation and entertainment for the whole family - a celebration of all the elements of the famous Aussie summer lifestyle. Each festival includes -- among the elite athletes' races -- community fitness events, interactive clinics for kids, street theatre, food and wine festival, fitness and fashion parades plus live bands on centre stage.

Two more weekends remain in this series: January 15-16 in Adelaide, South Australia; and February 5-6 in Sydney, New South Wales.

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Aussie Aquathlon Titles to Nunn, Gallagher

January 8, 2000, Queensland, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Eamonn Nunn and Jackie Gallagher were the winners in the Australian Aquathlon Championships over a 2.5k run, 1k swim, 2.5k run course.

Gallagher, using the race as mere training as she focuses on the April 16 Sydney World Cup, lead from start to finish. Nunn, who is best known as a two-time winner of the open Noosa Triathlon, won by two seconds over visiting Canadian Jamie Cleveland.

The Australians have developed the aquathlon format to the point of having hosted the ITU World Aquathlon Championships the last two years at Noosa. But any Australians who wish to challenge for the 2000 world title in the discipline will have to travel to Mexico in October: The ITU has changed the venue for the championships, and it now belongs to Cancun for October 22, one week before the season-ending ITU World Cup in Cancun on October 29.

RESULTS

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Devonport Triathlon to gather Oz's best

January 6, 2000, Devonport, Tasmania, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

The 2000 St George Devonport Triathlon, set for Saturday, February 26, will carry the largest professional prize purse in the event's 16-year history. Some Aus$30,000 will be on offer with the $4,500 for the winners; $3000 for runners-up; and $2000 for those taking third. Equal prize money will be
paid to 15th place.

The race carries ITU points and is the fourth event in the St. George 2000 Triathlon Australia series.

The race traditionally attracts strong and highly competitive women's and men's fields. Since 1994, when Devonport hosted the Australian Championships the winners have been Jacqui Hallam, Jackie Gallagher, Emma Carney (three times), Joanne King, Brad Beven (also a winner in 1991 and 1992), Ben Bright (two times), Andrew Johns and Craig Walton (two times).

This year, the Devonport Triathlon Association have entered into a three-year agreement with the Tasmanian Government. Funding and support will be provided to assist the Association maintain the event's current position as one of the nation's premiere Olympic-distance events. It will help build the race with a view to enhancing its profile on the international triathlon calender.

Further information about the race can be obtained through email .

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Robertson, Ashton win ITU Oceania Regional Triathlon Championships

January 3, 2000, Gisborne, New Zealand (www.slowtwitch.com)

Australians Peter Robertson and Melissa Ashton upset more fancied rivals to win the ITU Oceania triathlon championships in Gisborne, New Zealand, in the first major race of the Olympic year.

In doing so, the pair kept alive their Sydney 2000 hopes. The wins ensure both athletes a confirmed start in the Sydney ITU World Cup race and, accordingly, an opportunity to force late claims for selection in the Australian team.

''I haven't been able to get a World Cup start, so this race has been my priority for the last two months,'' Robertson said. "This is my lifeline. Now I can go back to Australia and prepare for the Sydney race.''

Robertson was part of a bunch of 11 cyclists, but cleared out immediately on the run. He ran a quick 32.01 for the 10km around a windy Gisborne circuit to win by 32 seconds from compatriots Brad Beven and Troy McKinna.

Ben Bright, the leading New Zealander and, as such, the new Kiwi champion, finished fifth.

Ashton also found herself in a lead group of five on the bike, with a 1min 20sec advantage over two-time world champion Emma Carney and American Jill Newman in the chase group. Ashton powered away on the run to win in 2:03.23. Carney, supurb with a 35:07 run, finished one minute behind, just ahead of a tiring Hill.

''I'm absolutely rapt. This was my first standard distance since Noosa (on November 7), and Emma and Rina beat me easily there. So to beat them is a big boost for me,'' Ashton said. "Now I can get a start in Sydney. I will be working hard to make the most of the chance I have to possibly make the Olympics.''

Results here

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Trans Tasman Triathlon Test set for March 26

December 24, 1999, Tauranga, New Zealand (www.slowtwitch.com):

Craig Ross, already known as one of New Zealand's most exciting race directors, has now announced a new race that pulls together Kiwis, Aussies and serious prize money.

The Trans Tasman Triathlon Test, set for March 26, will feature a format of 10 New Zealand elites versus 10 Australian elites. They are all racing in front of television, and for a NZ$225,000 prize pool.

The confirmed (so far) New Zealand athletes include Hamish Carter, Heidi Alexander, Shanelle Barrett, Karyn Mills and Jenny Rose.

Contact Ross for more details.

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Bennett, Carney win the wind-swept Long-Course Champs

December 19, 1999, Callala Bay, NSW, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Greg Bennett and Emma Carney, currently both the world's No. 4-ranked triathletes over the Olympic-distance, both won Australia's long-course titles in the Callala Bay Half-Ironman.

Conditions were very rough for the day, and the 1.9k swim was shortened to just 800m in the interest of safety. Both Carney and Bennett picked up A$3000 apiece, part of a $20,000 prize list that was twice the amount of last year's Australian long-course championships.

click here for results

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St. George Series revitalized, revamped for 2000

December 9, 1999, Canberra, ACT, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Australia's St. George series will be as high-level and competitive as ever in 2000.

That's the word from Triathlon Australia (TA), which is introducing a revamped and new-look national competition program in the countdown to the 2000 Olympics.

According to a TA press release: To be known as the 2000 St George Triathlon Australia Series, the new program will include five special elite events in five separate state and territories, which will commence on 30 January in Geelong, Victoria, and finish with the Australian Triathlon Championships in Mooloolaba, Queensland, on 26 March.

With four of the events in the new Series conducted over the Olympic distance and under international rules, athletes will be in a position to finetune their Olympic preparation and earn ITU Triathlon World Ranking points for the Triathlon World Championships and Olympic Games Qualification -- without having to travel overseas.

In addition, TA will also award national points for each event in the Series. The best three results following the completion of the Series will count towards the new national award of Australian Triathlete of the Year 2000. This award will be presented on 26 March at a gala function following the national titles in Queensland.

Over $180,000 in prize money and national awards will be divided evenly among elite men and elite women during the Series.

2000 St George Triathlon Australia Series Elite Schedule.

Race 1. The St George Geelong Triathlon/ITU Points Race
January 30, Geelong, VIC
Prize money: $20,000.
TV: Channel Nine, scheduled 30 minutes for 20 February

Race 2. St George Illawarra Sprint Triathlon
February 13, Wollongong, NSW
Prize money: $20,000
TV: Channel Nine, scheduled 30 minutes for 27 February

Race 3. The St George Devonport Classic/ITU Points Race
February 26, Devonport, TAS
Prize money: $30,000
TV: Channel Nine, scheduled 30 minutes for 4 March

Race 4. The St George Capital Triathlon/ITU Points Race
March 12, Canberra, ACT
Prize money: $20,000
TV: Channel Nine, scheduled 30 minutes for 25 March

Race 5. The St George Mooloolaba Grand Final/ITU Points Race
March 26, Mooloolaba, QLD
Prize money: $50,000
TV: Channel Nine, scheduled 60 minutes for 1 April

For Australian Triathlete of the Year 2000 Award:
1st Male and Female, $10,000 each
2nd Male and Female, $6,000 each
3rd Male and Female, $3,000 each

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Loretta Harrop is named Queensland Sportsperson of the Year

November 30, 1999, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (www.slowtwitch.com):

Loretta Harrop, the world champion in triathlon, beat an even tougher field when she was named the 1999 Queensland Sportsperson of the Year. In earning the honors in front of a banquet crowd of 900 of Queensland's most important deal-makers in sport, Harrop beat out swimming's Grant Hackett, golf's Karrie Webb and tennis' Pat Rafter for the annual award.

Harrop herself was unable to attend, as she was still grounded at her training base in Switzerland with an ear infection. Her award was proudly received by her family, including father Russell and sister Rebecca.

Now the world No. 2 in triathlon, Harrop won four ITU World Cups in addition to the world championships in 1999.