KEY POINTS:
Cameron Brown cruised but Joanna Lawn had to dig in furiously to continue their record-breaking mastery of Ironman New Zealand in Taupo today.
The Auckland pair cut contrasting figures after crossing the line in pouring rain, with Brown having defied predictions his crown was under threat to claim a seventh title but Lawn emerging from the fight of her life to claim a sixth-straight triumph.
Both set world records for domination of an Ironman event.
Before today nobody had won any Ironman more than six times while no woman had ever won six consecutive titles.
It was Brown who was expected to come under most pressure but he effortlessly glided past compatriot Kieran Doe early in the marathon run leg and cleared away.
He was a picture of freshness over the line, unlike his victory last year when a virus disrupted his buildup.
Predictions had Lawn as clear favourite and that seemed justified as she powered clear early in the 180km cycle leg to be four minutes in front at the final transition.
However, nuggety young Australian Kate Bevilaqua disobeyed the script with a lightning start to her run, gradually hauling in Lawn until they were level with 28km of the 42.2km marathon-distance leg completed.
Lawn's fighting qualities then came to the fore as she stuck with Bevilaqua for the next 10km before storming back in front with 6km remaining and clearing away to win by just over 4min. Japan's Emi Shiono was third, a further 3-1/2min back.
It was a reversal from the last time the pair clashed two months ago, when the Australian won a terrific running duel to upset Lawn by 10 seconds in the Port of Tauranga half ironman.
Swathed in coloured ticker-tape, Lawn was a mix of exhaustion and relief after claiming the toughest title of her six-year reign.
The key was keeping focus when Bevilaqua eased up alongside her.
"That's what it's all about in Ironman, losing it mentally. I could have easily given up," Lawn said.
"She's a faster runner than me but she's not a tougher runner. Ironman is all about being tough."
Lawn suspected her rival may be faltering when she started drinking and eating at every aid station.
"Suddenly my brain just clicked. I didn't mean to push from there, 6km is quite a way to go," Lawn said.
"But there was no way I could lose it coming back into town. You're just running 2m off the ground here, the crowd support is so special."
Considering the steady rain and gusty winds that struck the race at the midway point, it was remarkable Lawn was able to achieve a course record time of nine hours 16 minutes, nearly 2min quicker than her own four-year-old mark.
She said she couldn't afford to think about her world record before today but it was to the forefront of her mind when the starting gun went at 7am, sparking an outstanding sub-50min swim over the 3.8km Lake Taupo course.
Her time of 5hr 7min 48sec in the 180km cycle was solid considering the conditions but her 4min lead at that stage was one of the smallest in her Taupo history.
Bevilaqua's performance was outstanding as she was forced to serve a 4min penalty for illegally drafting early in the cycle leg. She still produced the second-quickest cycle of the day behind Shiono.
Earlier Brown was a picture of composure throughout, never looking flustered as Doe emerged first from the water and powered through the early part of the cycle to put 2min on the field.
Rising star Doe, 26, said he struggled for rhythm on the bike and only found his "cycling legs" over the final 40km, opening up a 7min lead that was never likely to be enough.
Running maestro Brown ate into that advantage quickly, his first 10km taking just 37min and he hit the front almost exactly at the halfway point, timing it to take place in front of a dense crowd in Taupo central at the end of the first lap.
The result was then a foregone conclusion for Brown, who said he never experienced any anxious moments.
"Not really, it was a great day, I felt in control," he said after crossing the line, having delivered high-fives to most of the crowd on the final stretch and gone back to thank anyone he missed.
Enjoyment was the key this year after grinding out victory 12 months ago.
"You're still running scared because anything could happen, but I really wanted to enjoy it."
Brown's winning time of 8hr 24min 49sec was nearly 7min clear of surprise Belgian Frederik Van Lierde, the European long-distance triathlon champion contesting his first Ironman.
Doe was another 2min back in third.
Brown's prospects improved markedly midway through the cycle when Australian Luke Bell, who pushed him close last year, pulled out soon after receiving a 4min drafting penalty.
Much interest surrounded the performance of world-class New Zealand adventure racer Richard Ussher, who exceeded all his own expectations in finishing seventh, 23min behind Brown.
The three-time Coast to Coast winner was fatigued but said he wouldn't rule out competing in more Ironman events.
LEADING RESULTS
Men
Cameron Brown (NZ) 8hr 24min 49sec (47.18 swim, 4:43.15 bike, 2:49.36 run) 1, Frederik Van Lierde (Belgium) 8:31.35 (47.09, 4:43.43, 2:56.19) 2, Kieran Doe (NZ) (45.02, 4:38.25, 3:05.47) 3, Stephen Bayliss (NZ) 8:37.03 4, Pete Jacobs (Australia) 8:47.03 5, Hubert Hammerl (Germany) 8:47.36 6, Richard Ussher (NZ) 8:48.10 7, Duncan Milne (NZ) 8:56.30 8, Daniel Niederreiter (Austria) 8:57.51 9, Scott Neyedli (Great Britain) 9:00.17 10
Women
Joanna Lawn (NZ) 9:16.00 (49.56, 5:07.48, 3:13.05) 1, Kate Bevilaqua (Australia) 9:20.06 (55.01, 5:06.56, 3:12.39) 2, Emi Shiono (Japan) 9:23.26 (1:00.36, 5:01.17, 3:16.12) 3, Bella Comerford (Scotland) 9:25.33 4, Gina Ferguson (NZ) 9:33.29 5, Fiona Docherty (NZ) 9:41.56 6, Joanne Bennett (Australia) 9:47.27 7, Emma Weitnauer (Australia) 10:01.56 8, Sue Mellsop (NZ) 10:08.27 9, Elly Franks (Australia) 10:10.37 10.
- NZPA
