Multisports: Returning champ Brown reveals aspirations

Cameron Brown. File picture / Rotorua Daily Post

New European ironman champion Cameron Brown returned home to Auckland today aiming to complete a significant hat-trick in the next eight months.

Brown, 34, won his first ironman triathlon outside New Zealand at the Ironman Germany event in Frankfurt on Monday (NZ time).

He now has his sights fixed success on the world championship in Hawaii in October, then to regain his Ironman New Zealand crown in Taupo in March.

In Germany he accounted for a strong field, including 2004 world champion Normann Stadler, after finishing runner-up in each of the last three years in what is regarded as the toughest ironman outside of Hawaii.

Brown, who has been on the podium in Hawaii three times in the last four years, believes he can go one better and add the world championship title to his collection.

He also desperately wants to regain the New Zealand title he won five years in succession row before finishing second behind Estonia's Ain Juhanson this year.

Brown confirmed today he had signed a deal to compete in Ironman New Zealand for the next two years.

" ... I really want to support what is a very special event for me. It's my one chance to race in front of my New Zealand sponsors, family and supporters and it is a race that I love."

Brown said he hoped Juhanson would return so they could have a rematch over the full ironman triathlon distance after this year's race was reduced to a short course event by a violent storm.

Brown said he was buoyed by his performances in Germany, when he overcame heavy rain and a crash on the bike to claim the title.

A key to his victory was his eight-week build-up at Triathlon New Zealand's Northern Hemisphere training base in France.

"It made such a difference. The region is great for training, especially for biking," he said.

"And it was great to train with other New Zealanders. It certainly made a difference with swimming because it's hard to get water space in France."

- NZPA