KEY POINTS:
Top Australian triathlete Luke Bell will battle New Zealander Cameron Brown in next March's Taupo Ironman, event organisers said today.
Bell beat Brown in the recent world ironman championships in Hawaii.
Taupo ironman event director Jane Patterson said the match-up between the two at Taupo should be a "fantastic showdown".
Patterson said Bell had long regarded Taupo as a "must-do" race.
Bell has nine half-ironman wins to his credit, and took second in both Ironman Brazil and Australia last year.
Brown last month finished eighth in the ironman triathlon world championship in Hawaii, clocking eight hours 25 minutes 22 seconds after a mix-up with his nutrition hit him hard in the closing stages.
Brown and Bell came off the bike together and ran shoulder-to-shoulder for most of the way until the Australian edged ahead with 10km remaining.
Bell finished in seventh place, nearly a minute ahead of Brown.
"I managed to close the gap at the end. He is going to pose a real threat and I'm keen to reverse that placing from Hawaii this year," Brown said.
"Luke is consistently one of the best ironman athletes in the world and he poses a big threat to me in Taupo.
"He only races two ironman races a year and he'll be coming here in top shape. So if I'm not at my best, I'll get beaten."
Brown said Bell had no weaknesses.
"He's is a very strong swimmer and biker. His running strength has been over the half ironman distance, but then again he ran away from me in Hawaii this year."
Brown has resumed light training after the rigours of Hawaii late last month, and said he was enjoying "my first really good break all year".
- NZPA
