Rotorua triathlete takes Kinloch title

Sam Osborne takes the title in Kinloch. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Rotorua's Sam Osborne and Sophie Corbidge of Auckland stole the show at the Oceania and New Zealand Sprint Triathlon Championships in Kinloch today, each racing to an equally impressive victory at the Sovereign Tri Series event.

Both had to contend with tricky conditions, with light rain falling consistently throughout both races, making the technical bike course as much a bike handling exercise as it was a question of speed and power.

Osborne was beaming while reflecting on his win.

"That was fantastic, I have never come close to winning one of these, and today it all came together. Last year I had a lot of bad luck here at Kinloch but that feeling today was fantastic. It was tricky today, the descent was a bit scary really, I was nervous about coming down and I saw one of the boys who looked to have had a rough fall. Tayler was super strong up the hill every time, I don't think we quite had enough to stay away though."

Luke Willian tried but couldn't go with the powerful Kiwi.

"Sam had the legs today on the hills, I was a bit tired and Sam has that over me at the moment but I will keep working hard and make sure it doesn't happen again. My big goal is to make the junior team to compete in Chicago at the World Champs in September."

Tayler Reid loved every minute of the race in the tough conditions, the teenager earning third overall prize money and a silver medal in the U23 category behind Willian.

"That was so fun, it was great. The plan was to push, smash it up the hill, we got a couple of breaks each time but we kept getting caught. I probably spent too much time at the front and that might have come back to me later on and I took a tumble on the second last lap, I pretty much bounced off, smashed the hoods on the brakes back in the right position and got back on, that is the way we do it Gisborne style I guess, smash it all day!"

Corbidge was in the lead group out of the water and along with fellow Kiwis Kate McIlroy (Wellington), Rebecca Kingsford (Tirau) and Simone Ackermann (Whangarei) proceeded to push the pace, asking big questions of former world champion Lisa Norden (Sweden) and Grace Musgrove (Australia) as they too looked to keep in contact with the leaders over the 20km bike leg.

McIlroy was the first to suffer but it wasn't through any physical failing, the London Olympian dropped her chain on the final lap and lost a vital 30 seconds coming into transition, allowing Corbidge, Kingsford, Norden and Musgrove the chance to move away at a vital time.

Meanwhile Brett Tingay (Canterbury) and Sam Warriner (Taupo) were dominant winners in the Tri-Sport Taupo Erin Baker Tropy race over the standard distance.

Full results, including those for all age groups and short distance racing can be found at www.triseries.kiwi.