Multisports: Hamish Carter wins in Canada

Hamish Carter

Olympic triathlon champion Hamish Carter recovered from a time penalty to win the sixth round of the World Cup series in Edmonton, Canada, today.

Carter, 35, showed strong form as he prepares for the world championships in September after taking charge midway through the run to hold off Americans Jarrod Shoemaker and world No 1 Hunter Kemper.

It was the ninth World Cup title of Carter's career.

Fellow New Zealander Samantha Warriner finished third in the women's race behind world champion Emma Snowsill, of Australia, and her compatriot Emma Moffatt.

It marked a good weekend for New Zealand triathletes, with Carmel Hanly winning the International Triathlon Union points race in Echternach, Luxembourg.

Carter and 2006 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Bevan Docherty were given a 15-seconds time penalty for missing the pre-race briefing, pushing them back to the second pack on the bike.

Docherty's bike later punctured, forcing his withdrawal, but Carter joined 34 riders in the lead pack as they moved tentatively on the eight lap, 40km cycle after rain shortly before the start of the men's race.

Carter moved to the front at the 6km mark of the 10km run and held off world under-23 champion Shoemaker and Kemper for the victory in his first World Cup race since the same race last year.

Two-time world junior champion Terenzo Bozzone was the second New Zealander home in ninth, with Shane Reed 15th and Graham O'Grady 23rd.

"That felt so good. There is still a few tricks left in the old boy," Carter said.

"I was not surprised because I have been training really well in Boulder, Colorado. Some days you can feel great and get fifth but today it was my day."

Carter, Docherty, Bozzone and Warriner will contest the Lifetime Fitness race in Indianapolis next week, which pits men against women in a handicap event offering the overall winner $400,000.

Carter will then return to altitude for his final preparations for the world championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, on September 2.

Warriner, who had a disappointing 13th placing in the last World Cup race in South Africa, was prominent throughout the women's race.

She had a strong swim, remained in the lead pack on the bike and quickly moved to the front group on the run.

She moved briefly into second behind Snowsill but settled for a confidence-boosting third place.


RESULTS

From the ITU World Cup triathlon in Edmonton, Canada, today (1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run):

Women: Emma Snowsill (Australia) 1hr 56min 49sec 1, Emma Moffatt (Australia) 1:57.38 2, Samantha Warriner (NZ) 1:57.51 3.

Men: Hamish Carter (NZ) 1:47.32 1, Jarrod Shoemaker (US) 1:47.36 2, Hunter Kemper (US) 1:47.39 3. Other New Zealanders: Terenzo Bozzone 1:48.24 9, Shane Reed 1:49.07 15, Graham O'Grady 1:49.44 23, Bevan Docherty dnf.

* * *

Results from the International Triathlon Union points race at Echternach, Luxembourg:

Women: Carmel Hanly (NZ) 2:07.19 1, Sibylle Matter (Switzerland) 2:07.23 2, Ewa Dedenko (Ukraine) 2:07.26 3. Other New Zealanders: Taryn McLeod 2:09.36 5, Jenny Cooper 2:14.58 8, Brooke Pattle 2:21.15 11.

Men: Matthew Murphy (Australia) 1:52.57 1, Andrew Margus (Britain) 1:53.18 2, Ruedi Wild (Switzerland) 1:53.34 3. New Zealanders: James Elvery 1:54.18 8, Liam Scopes 1:56.59 20, Thiys Hubber 2:00.22 28.

- NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB