Link: http://www.triathlon-professionals.org/organisation/index.php?id=126&module=presse-01-content&pid=0&mid=2
Media Presse
2006-02-27 | 16:49:20
Ironman New Zeeland, press release
Triathlon stars Cameron Brown and Jo Lawn face their toughest test if they are to further embellish their remarkable records in the 22nd annual Bonita Ironman New Zealand.
Brown, who is chasing a world first six straight victories, will face the current world champion and some talented international champions at Taupo on 4 March. And Lawn, hoping to emulate the great Erin Baker’s four-win record, takes on a host of Ironman winners including Australian rival Kate Major.
Brown, 33, can fairly lay claim to the world’s top ranked Ironman over the past five years, which has included four podium finishes at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. While he has been the bridesmaid at Hawaii and the prestigious Ironman Germany, Brown has owned New Zealand since his first victory there in 2001.
He will need to be on song himself to make it six of the best in Taupo in March.
The main challenge will come from the outstanding Ukraine triathlete Victor Zyemtsev, who is making his first venture to the southern hemisphere. Zyemtsev is the current ITU World Long Distance Champion and won Ironman USA in Idaho. He has also won Ironman Austria three times in a row – with all his victories, like Brown, with tremendous runs. He has run under 2hrs 50min for each of his wins including a brilliant 2:41 best in Austria.
There will be some tough nuts on the bike like Sweden’s Bjorn Andersson, who was third in 2004, and Estonia’s Ain Alar Juhanson, the of winner Ironman Lanzarote, considered a brut of a test. And some talented all rounders like Frenchman Gael Mainard, fourth last year and Jonathan Caron, second in Korea.
The Kiwi competition will come from Kieran Doe, 25, who was sixth last year, the much improved international Chris McDonald and swim record holder Brent Foster, who went top 20 in Hawaii.
The Aussie charge comes from Luke McKenzie, a super talented youngster up from the Olympic distance ranks.
``This is the deepest and strongest field that I have come up against in the last five years in Taupo,’’ Brown said. ``I can’t worry about them though. I have got to run my own race.
``I will need to have the perfect day like last year, to get out of the swim near Kieran Doe and Bjorn Andersson. That will be a key for me to be able to get with them out of the water and on the bike. Then it will be up to the Europeans to try to run me down from behind.’’
Lawn has the chance to grow her impressive record of three wins in succession and join the great Baker as a four time winner in New Zealand.
Standing in her way is her great rival, the ebullient Major who has pipped Lawn at the last two Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. |
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