Chch triathlete wins

Press, 28 November 1988, Page 44

Chch triathlete wins

PA Auckland A fall at the end of the cycle section did not prevent John Hellemans, of Christchurch, from carrying on and winning, for the second year in a row, the City of Auckland triathlon yesterday. Sporting badly bruised arms from where he had fallen on to ropes at the end of the 40km cycle section, Hellemans said he did not have brakes on his cycle and he had misjudged the finish. However, his legs not affected, he carried on to run the final 10km in 34min 50s for a total time of Ihr 58min 5s for the Grapes Niteclub-spon-

sored event. Last year Hellemans had to fight out the race with Brett Marshall over the run section. “I didn’t want to leave it that late this year,” Hellemans said. Marshall led the 1500 m swim, powering through the choppy seas in 20min 425, Scott Unsworth second with Hellemans third in 22min ss. Into the final circuit of the cycle course, the 35-year-old doctor gained the lead and the rest were left to fight for second. It was a relative newcomer to triathlons, 21-year-old lan Edmond, who surprised all with his

second placing in just a tick over two hours. Well back in the swim, Edmond moved through to fourth at the end of the cycle section and with a 34min 22s run gathered in first Jackson Foster then Marshall. The Dunedin physical education student has taken up triathlons fulltime and has moved to Auckland to take part in the northern circuit of. events this summer. Erin Christie, second in the women’s section for the last two years, had the satisfaction of victory this year, recording a time of 2hr 14min 16s.