Wells unbeaten after four triathlons

Press, 20 January 1986, Page 21

Wells unbeaten after four triathlons

PA Wellington Richard Wells, of Auckland, led from the start to head off his principal rival, Brett Marshall, of Dunedin, by 2min 8s and retain his unbeaten run after the fourth leg of the Steinlager national triathlon series in Wellington on Saturday.

Wells, the national triathlon champion, appeared to be comfortable throughout the event, but he said later that he had been pushed by Marshall in completing the I.skm ocean swim, 40km cycle section, and 10km run in Ihr 55min 10s.

“Brett’s improving all the time. I was aware I could not let up to head him off,” said Wells, a part-time swimming instructor, who is devoting himself increas-

ingly to triathlons. “I felt good though. This was one of my better efforts.”

Wells, aged 24, a former New Zealand Commonwealth Games freestyle swimmer and a national surf life-saving representative, finished the swim 143 s clear of Marshall.

After the cycling leg, the gap had increased to 2min and the tall Wells, who runs rather like the long-legged Kenyans, maintained that margin.

After winning at Mount Manuganui, the Bay of Islands, New Plymouth, and now Wellington, Wells looks the logical recipient of the first prize over all of return airfares to the United States to compete in their series. Two legs remain, in

Dunedin on Janurary 26, and Auckland on February 2.

Wells will now concentrate his training towards Auckland where the distances to be covered are double those of Saturday. Marshall, aged 25, a parttime dentist and New Zealand surf life-saving representative, said he had found cycling into a head wind a tough task. “That is where I lost it,” said Marshall, who has been second to Wells in the four legs so far.

The first woman home was Sue Smith, of Auckland, who was in a class of her own without competition from Allison Roe, a late withdrawal. Smith finished impressively 44th over all in 2hr 19min 495.