Athletics: Three world champions in a day

Jonathan Wyatt(left), Kate McIlroy and Rebecca Spence. Wyatt made it an unprecedented fifth world title while Spence won the junior duathlon title in Australia. Pictures (left, centre) Marty Melville / Getty Images

New Zealand beat the world yesterday when Jonathan Wyatt and Kate McIlroy won the men's and women's mountain running titles in Wellington and Rebecca Spence claimed the elite junior duathlon title in Australia.

Wyatt made it an unprecedented fifth world title, his first back-to-back win and the first time on an up and down course.

He made it look so easy, scrambling into the lead on the first climb, to the top of Mt Victoria, and went on to consolidate his lead to finish the 13.5km journey in 53m 23s, more than two minutes ahead of a string of Italians led by Gabriele Abate.

"I decided to go for a strong first lap, and I was amazed that I got such an early lead. It was just a matter of holding together and not going into oxygen debt," said a delighted Wyatt.

"I wanted to be number one in front of the home crowd. I was very surprised it was not a lot closer on an up and down course.

"That was right up there as one of the best crowds at a world championship."

Wyatt said that it was special doing it in Wellington.

"I was so focused, stuck to my plan and with the crowd four deep on the mountain and 10 deep in the finishing straight I knew it was time to do my job," he added.

"The finish was right up there with the Olympic Games."

Abate, when asked what he thought of Wyatt's run, said he didn't know because he did not see him.

Dale Warrander, after a slow start, ran a superb race to come through to sixth and help New Zealand finish second in the teams race behind Italy.

"I got caught up in the traffic at the start, but I tried not to panic. There was a lot of pushing and shoving on the first uphill, but I used my strength to gain quite a few placings," said Warrander.

McIlroy, inspired by Wyatt's win, adopted the same tactics and was clear of any early trouble as she dominated the first climb.

The 24-year-old went on to parallel Wyatt's winning margin, clocking in two minutes clear of Tracey Brindley, of Scotland. Anna Pichrtova of Czech Republic was third.

"The last time up the hill was really tough and I thought I was losing time and the rest were catching me. It was a relief to get to the top and I dug in hard over the last part, it really hurt," said McIlroy.

"The support all the way blew me away," she added.

McIlroy's coach, John Bowden, of Auckland, said that her training indicated a realistic chance of winning.

"There was plenty of free running on this course which suited Kate," said Bowden.

McIlroy's next goal is the 5000m at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

Ruth Croft, a 16-year-old from Canterbury, was a creditable sixth in the junior women's championship, won by defending champion Jioulia Mochalova of Russia.

Mochalova had been delayed in Sydney and arrived in Wellington at only midnight on Saturday.

Vedat Gunen of Turkey won the junior men's title and led Turkey to victory in the teams race.