Multisports: Docherty's silver salvo

Like a big-hearted boxer, Bevan Docherty kept climbing off the ropes to secure his second silver medal in two years.

The Taupo runner engaged in an epic battle for second with Australian three-time world champion Peter Robertson before felling him with a final surge in the last 500m.

It wasn't enough to catch Australian Brad Kahlefeldt, however, leaving New Zealand with a silver double at the St Kilda foreshore following Sam Warriner's second-placing earlier in the day.

"Actually just getting into that medal position was a fantastic feeling," Docherty said. "To be honest, I was hurting the whole way."

Docherty, who won Olympic silver in Athens in 2004, said he was now going to start working on gold.

"It was great to win that little battle. It's fantastic but it seems to be a bit of a trend at the moment. I'll work on gold later on.

"The world championships are in Switzerland and the course will be a bit hillier. Hopefully I'll get a gold rather than a silver."

The flat bike leg played into Kahlefeldt's hands as the strongest runner but Docherty wasn't about to criticise the soft nature of the course.

"It's OK for the sport," he said. "A few more hills wouldn't have gone amiss, that would suit me perfectly. Everybody enjoyed the race as they got to see the athletes so many times and we have to learn to adapt. If you're on top of the game you're still going to do reasonably well."

When Kahlefeldt, who won in 1h 49m 16s, broke clear with 4.5km to go, Docherty was resigned to racing for the minor medals.

"I thought this is the money shot, so to speak but didn't want to push too hard. He [Kahlefeldt] was certainly in intimidating running shape today. The race certainly went his way and good on him for making the most of it."

Kris Gemmell was the best-placed New Zealander leaving the water and by the time he left the bike transition area, he was in second place behind England's Tim Don.

Carter and Docherty were eight and nine seconds behind in 13th and 15th place respectively.

The three Kiwis were content to play a sitting role in the bunch, a bunch that consisted of more than half the 32-strong field.

Olympic champion Carter had a sensational transition from bike to run, wearing flats on the bike in the expectation that the bike leg wouldn't prove decisive.

He seemed to lose his legs shortly into the run, settling in seventh. Docherty and Gemmell moved in front of him and were part of the bunch that reeled in Robertson 2km into the 10km run.

Soon Englishman Bill Clarke joined Carter in being dropped.

When Gemmell was dropped just shy of the 5km mark, Docherty was the lone Kiwi in a lead bunch of four that included Robertson, Don and Kahlefeldt.

Gemmell said he was almost dropped five times as he struggled to hold on to Robertson.

"It changes the race. If he wasn't there, I guarantee someone would have run at the front, Sticksy [Kahlefeldt] wouldn't have gone so early ... it just changed the whole race and full credit to Robbo. That's what he does, he messes other people's races up," Gemmell said.

"You're running 2m 50s for a K [kilometre] and then you've got to run 2m 35s to get back on, it's ridiculous.

"It's the way the sport's going. Now you're running 30m and not making the top five."

-HERALD ON SUNDAY