Triathlon: Gemmell seeks early points in first event of championship

Kris Gemmell. Photo / Mike Heydon

Kris Gemmell hopes to set down an early marker for his tilt at triathlon's world championships series this weekend at a location that inspired him to persevere as a multisport athlete.

A decade ago, Gemmell sat sofa-bound in Palmerston North enthralled as Canada's Simon Whitfield claimed triathlon's first men's Olympic gold medal outside Sydney's Opera House.

Whitfield's exploits were instrumental in firing Gemmell's enthusiasm shortly after graduating to the sport's elite level.

"I was barely getting into the sport at that stage and I remember thinking it would be pretty cool to go to an Olympics," he said.

Gemmell, who eventually fulfilled his Olympic ambition at Beijing, will be among 57 competitors, including Whitfield, on Sunday when top-quality triathlon returns to Sydney Harbour for the first time since 2000.

Sydney is the first stop on a seven-leg world championships series which culminates in the Hungarian capital of Budapest in September.

With points accumulation crucial before the grand final in Hungary, Gemmell and double Olympic medal-winning compatriot Bevan Docherty are anxious to make a solid start, given the world's top-ranked trio are absent.

Reigning series champion Alistair Brownlee of Britain, Spaniard Javier Gomez and Maik Petzold of Germany enter the series next month at Seoul, meaning Gemmell and Docherty may be able to secure an early advantage.

"It'll pay for us to get us some early points on the board. In the middle of the season the European guys heat up and we have to try to hang on to our form," said Gemmell, who was eighth in the inaugural series last year.

"The series is a bit of a balancing act. You have to peak at the right time to maximise your points. The grand final is important, but you still have to be in the race to get there."

Docherty found consistency elusive last season, a year after winning the Olympic bronze medal in Beijing.

"Last year was poor, I reckon I did most things at no more than 95 per cent and I had a few injury and illness issues," Docherty said.

Now based in the United States, Docherty was 29th in last year's grand final on the Gold Coast while a return home in February was marred by a puncture when competing in the national series in Auckland.

Since then, he has contested a low-key event in Maine before focusing on training. "I'm in good shape; the old Kiwi guy seems to be holding together," the 33-year-old said.

"I can tell you right now I will have a better season this year."

Although three of the leading men are either nursing niggles or preparing for Seoul, the men's field still boasts the class of current Olympic champion and world No 4 Jan Frodeno of Germany, Commonwealth champion Brad Kahlefeldt of Australia and Frenchman Laurent Vidal, who beat Gemmell into second at the Oceania championships in Wellington last month.

Vidal will also have a bearing on New Zealand's hopes in the women's race - as coach of world No 3 Andrea Hewitt. The duo has been working on Hewitt's run, a facet she has to improve on to keep pace with Australian series champion Emma Moffat.

"I've been trying to improve on my run," Hewitt said. "In some of those [races last year] Emma has gone so fast at the start it's hard to hold on."

Hewitt spearheads a six-strong New Zealand women's contingent featuring fellow Olympian Debbie Tanner.

New Zealand competitors

Men: Kris Gemmell, Bevan Docherty, Clark Ellice, Martin van Barneveld, James Elvery, Callum Millward, Ryan Sissons, Ben Pattle, Tony Dodds.

Women: Andrea Hewitt, Debbie Tanner, Kate McIlroy, Nicky Samuels, Teresa Adam, Rebecca Kingsford.

- NZPA