There isn't much room in life for anything outside of sport for this triathlete
Kris Gemmell and Bevan Docherty are great friends and keen training partners but that friendship will again go on hold on Sunday when they line up for the Contact Tri-Series race in Takapuna.
Palmerston North-based Gemmell welcomes the chance to race at home but as he told Terry Maddaford his focus is very much on the 2012 London Olympics especially as triathlon has been ruled out of this year's Commonwealth Games because of water conditions in New Delhi.
What are your aims for the rest of the year?
I want to perform well on the world circuit. There is a new format with the World Champs now decided over a series. Going into the last race last year I was third, but then had a bad race, finished 15th and dropped to eighth.
What inspired you to embark on a career in sport?
Probably my parents. Both were involved in sport. Like me, dad is an avid TV sports fan.
When you were 13 years old what sport did you fancy yourself as a future star in?
I never really had any great aim. I was a Michael Jordan fan and thought about basketball but then I stopped growing. I soon found I was quite individualistic even in team sports.
Describe your job?
I definitely consider myself as being self-employed. I have to train and work for my sponsors and supporters but there are only so many hours in a day.
What's the best thing about your job?
The people you meet and the countries you go to. I have lost count of how many.
And the worst thing?
Probably the travel and spending time away from friends and family. It is a 50-50 split for me during the year with just being at home from November to April.
How much control do you have over whether you win or lose?
Our sport has a lot of variables. A lot of the time you make your own luck.
Do you feel your sport gets the amount of public attention it deserves?
I think so. Triathlon is in the hearts and minds of a lot of New Zealanders. We have had a lot of top performers in New Zealand. It is seen as the fastest-growing participation sport in New Zealand.
Does rugby get too much attention in New Zealand?
No. Every sport deserves what they get. I know the rugby guys put up with a lot more than I do.
What are the proudest achievements of your sporting life?
Becoming an Olympian in Beijing after going so close in Athens four years earlier when I was the official reserve but did not get to compete. Being an Olympian was part of what I had long dreamed about.
And the worst?
Definitely the nightmare before Beijing. I was in the best form of my life, but I cut my foot in an accident (not my fault) in my last lead-up race and finished up with 16 stitches. I finished 33rd but what made it worse was that the guy I had flatted with in Germany for three years won - and I had beaten him both in races and training.
Name the one career ambition you want to realise before you retire?
Having fun. My driven goal is to win Olympic gold. I'm looking towards London.
If you weren't a triathlete what would you be doing?
I would like to say I was a tennis player. It is one of the sports where they deserve everything they get, but my real passion is motor racing.
Name the most inspirational coach you have worked with?
Only had two. John Hellemans who found me through the triathlon ID process and started everything. Since he retired, I have been lucky enough to work with Chris Pilone.
Who would you play in a movie?
Jim Carey.
What's your favourite place to race?
Hamburg for sure - 600,000 Germans screaming. You can't hear the person next to you breathing.
What's your hobby to get away from your sport?
I have a passion for sport in general. I'm struggling to keep up at the moment with six channels of Winter Olympics.
What is your strongest of the three triathlon disciplines?
That changes as our sport continues to evolve. At the moment it is running - that's where the finishing line is. I'm lucky, cycling comes naturally.
Which is the hardest transition?
Probably swim to bike - muscle-wise.
What is your best 10km time (at the end of a triathlon)?
29m 40s. I enjoy running. I ran in the NZ trial for the world cross-country championships and am entered for the 5000m at the national track and field championships in Christchurch.
Who has been your fiercest rival?
Bevan Docherty - it is definitely a healthy and friendly rivalry.
Can you make a decent living out of triathlon?
For sure if you are winning and racing well.
How many races do you plan to contest this year?
Fifteen - I see that as the optimum with five or six ... major events. The rest will be sprint distance. You can only peak three or four times a year.
What is the longest race you have done?
A half-ironman. I won it so I'm undefeated. Maybe one day I will do Tauranga but at present it doesn't fit into my programme.
What about stepping up to the Ironman distance?
If you had asked me before I went to Kona last year it would have been an emphatic no. My view has changed slightly since then, as I coached Andreas Raelert who finished third.
When do you think it will be time to say "that's it, I quit"?
At present everything is aimed towards London.
What will you do when your competitive days are over?
Not sure. There a lot of opportunities. Maybe a governance role within sport.
How good was Hamish Carter?
Very good. He was years before his time.
And a good guy?
Yes. He was very focused in what is a very individual sport.
Who is going to win on Sunday?
Me, but there are a few blokes who want to win. It won't be just me and Bevan. It is a short race. Anything can happen.
CV
DOB: April 28, 1977.
Born: Napier.
School: Awatapu College (Palmerston North), Canterbury University.
First represented NZ: Junior World Triathlon Championships, Perth, 1997.
Olympic Games: 2008 Beijing; 2004 Athens (reserve, did not compete).
Commonwealth Games: 2002 Manchester; 2006 Melbourne.
World Championship placings: 4th (2006), 6th (2008).
Honours: Won four World Cup races and had 14 podium finishes.
