Multisport: Bozzone third in California

Auckland triathlete Terenzo Bozzone continued his impressive international form to finish third in the prestigious Wildflower half ironman in California today.

Bozzone, 20, crossed the finish line after the 2km swim, 90km cycle, 21km run event ahead of a host of world class triathletes in his first tilt at a major international half ironman distance event in elite company.

The top-rated United States race, which drew a top-class field, was won by four-time world Olympic distance champion Simon Lessing, of Britain.

Second was Denmark's Torbjorn Sindballe, who won the recent California half ironman and was sixth in the ironman world championships last year.

Bozzone, fourth in his debut in the International Triathlon Union's (ITU) World Cup series over the Olympic distance last month in Hawaii, beat home current ironman world champion Normann Stadler, of Germany, two-time ironman winner Chris Legh, of Australia, and former world No 1 Olympic distance competitor Andrew Johns, of Britain.

A key to the rapid rise in his first season in the elite ranks for the two-time world junior triathlon champion Bozzone is his much improved swimming ability.

He was out of the 2km swim just 18 seconds behind Lessing, rated one of the premier swimmers in the sport.

Bozzone keyed off Lessing as the pair let Sindballe and Stadler power past them on the 90km cycle, giving the Dane a lead of more than four minutes off the bike.

Lessing then showed his class with a superb split of one hour 14 minutes 28 seconds for the 21km run to win in 3hr 59min 33sec, nearly 2min clear of Sindballe.

Bozzone produced the third best run split of 1hr 18min 57sec to pass Stadler and come within 350m of Sindballe at the finish.

Bozzone will base himself overseas for six months, hoping to culminate his first season in the elite ranks at the ITU world championships in Japan in september.

Leading results of the Wildflower half ironman in California today (2km swim, 90km bike, 21km run):-

Results:
Simon Lessing (Britain) 3hr 59min 33sec 1, Torbjorn Sindballe (Denmark) 4:01.16 2, TERENZO BOZZONE (NZ) 4:04.16 3, Normann Stadler (Germany) 4:05.07 4, Chris Legh (Australia) 4:08.27 5.

- NZPA