Triathlon: Gemmell pipped for podium spot

New Zealand triathlete Kris Gemmell adopted aggressive tactics to finish fourth in a bunched finish in the World Cup race at Des Moines in the United States today.

Gemmell was just 2m from the lead after six athletes converged on the finish line tape together.

At one point he looked to grab the lead midway through the 40km bike section but in the end had to be content with fourth behind Canadian Simon Whitfield, Brad Kahlefeldt, of Australian, and German Jan Frodeno, the 2008 Olympic champion.

Gemmell finished narrowly ahead of multiple world champion Javier Gomez, of Spain.

The New Zealander was not done any favours in the sprint finish as a number of changes in direction were required to reach the line, with Gemmell and Frodeno having to chop stride, losing valuable time in a race won by centimetres.

While being pipped for a podium placing, Gemmell still won US$20,000 ($31,500) for his efforts, welcome income for the 32-year-old after a year dominated by crashes, illness and injury.

"I raced about as well as I could race today, I felt great throughout and mixed it up at the front of the field, covered all the breaks on the bike and felt strong on the run," Gemmell said.

"It is just a little tough to take that six tenths of a second means the difference between first and fourth and costs me US$180,000.

"The finish was a little too tight and had been mentioned by the athletes yesterday as a concern but to be fair no one thought we would have six of us running side by side for the tape.

"There was no room to move, a couple of us clipped heels and myself and Frodo (Jan Frodeno) came off worst, that is racing I guess."

Fellow New Zealander Bevan Docherty was forced to withdraw early on the run, still troubled by an illness that also forced him out of a race in Washington a week ago.

Of the other New Zealanders, Clark Ellice was 15th, Graham O'Grady 27th, Ryan Sissons 37th, Callum Millward 38th, Martin Van Barneveld 40th and Tony Dodds 55th.

New Zealand's Andrea Hewitt performed strongly to finish sixth in the women's race, won by Australian Amma Moffatt.

Hewitt battled shoulder to shoulder with Moffatt for half of the run before the Australian pulled away and Hewitt was dragged in by a chase group.

- NZPA