There is no official world championship for the infant sport of triathlons, but in 1985 a Christchurch woman, Erin Baker, established herself as the best woman triathlete in the world. In April, Baker competed in the Tooheys Great Lakes triathlon at Forster New South Wales. The event was over the longest of the recognised triathlon courses — a 3.8km swim, a 180km bicycle ride and a 42km run. She finished the race in 9hr 53min-455. She became the first woman in the, world to break 10 hours for the distance and finished more than 30 minutes ahead of the next two women, the French-Canadian twins, Sylviane and Patricia Puntous, who were favoured to win. Both were ranked in the top 10 in the United States in 1984. The success at Forster firmly established Baker as one of the world’s top five women triathletes. She was again, denied the opportunity during the year to meet the top Americans on their home turf. A conviction relating to the Springbok tour in: 1981 has prevented her obtaining a visa to enter the United States. Baker finally got the chance she had been waiting for in October, when she met the best Americans at Nice in what was regarded at the world championship of the sport. The confident Americans were soundly beaten by the Christchurch 23-year-old. She was 10 minutes clear of Linda Buchanan of the United States and won the race in 6hr 35min. Baker lost her lead 20km from the end of the 160 km cycle leg when her cycle punctured. Her tyre change took five minutes — longer than the normal three minutes — but 3km into the 32km running leg Baker had regained her lead from Buchanan and finished more than a kilometre ahead of her rival.

Press, 27 December 1985, Page 17

There is no official world championship for the infant sport of triathlons, but in 1985 a Christchurch woman, Erin Baker, established herself as the best woman triathlete in the world. In April, Baker competed in the Tooheys Great Lakes triathlon at Forster New South Wales. The event was over the longest of the recognised triathlon courses — a 3.8km swim, a 180km bicycle ride and a 42km run. She finished the race in 9hr 53min--455. She became the first woman in the, world to break 10 hours for the distance and finished more than 30 minutes ahead of the next two women, the French-Canadian twins, Sylviane and Patricia Puntous, who were favoured to win. Both were ranked in the top 10 in the United States in 1984. The success at Forster firmly established Baker as one of the world’s top five women triathletes. She was again, denied the opportunity during the year to meet the top Americans on their home turf. A conviction relating to the Springbok tour in : 1981 has prevented her obtaining a visa to enter the United States. Baker finally got the chance she had been waiting for in October, when she met the best Americans at Nice in what was regarded at the world championship of the sport. The confident Americans were soundly beaten by the Christchurch 23-year-old. She was 10 minutes clear of Linda Buchanan of the United States and won the race in 6hr 35min. Baker lost her lead 20km from the end of the 160 km cycle leg when her cycle punctured. Her tyre change took five minutes — longer than the normal three minutes — but 3km into the 32km running leg Baker had regained her lead from Buchanan and finished more than a kilometre ahead of her rival.