Multisports: Silver service

Bevan Docherty leads Chris Gemmell on his way to taking the triathlon silver. Picture / Mark Mitchell

Bevan Docherty is getting a reputation for just missing out.

The bridesmaid in Olympic and now Commonwealth Games triathlons, he was also pipped for the honour of winning New Zealand's 500th Commonwealth Games medal.

Docherty, second to Australian Brad Kahlefeldt after a great race, crossed the finish line at St Kilda Beach just minutes after smallbore shooters Juliet Etherington and Kathryn Mead had claimed bronze on a countback in the prone pairs.

"It seems to be a bit of a trend, the old silver," Docherty joked after the race in which he battled Australian Peter Robertson throughout the 10km run. "It was a bit of a hard chase with the way he runs. The surges he is always putting in make it really hard.

"I was hurting a lot on the run. When Brad put in his surge to get away I couldn't go with him. I don't have a lot of speed. This type of course really suits him.

"But," Docherty warned, "it will be a different story at the World Championships. We knew what we were in for here but personally I like a few more hills. That was as fast a 10km as I could run."

There was another close call in the women's race.

Debbie Tanner finished fourth - pipped by teammate Andrew Hewitt by 0.56s for bronze.

Watching Tanner cross the finish line was older sister Nikki who could share the agony.

Eight years ago at the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games, Nikki Tanner finished fourth by almost exactly the same margin in the 200m backstroke final.