Triathlon: Star field puts Brown on notice

Cameron Brown will have to beat one of the strongest international fields in the 21-year history of the New Zealand Ironman triathlon championship in his bid for a record fifth title.

Organisers yesterday released a star-studded list of elite triathletes for the March 5 event in Taupo.

The 28-strong men's field has competitors from eight countries.

Australian Jason Shortis has the credentials to challenge Brown as he attempts to overtake Erin Baker as the most successful competitor in race history.

Baker and Brown have been atop the dais four times in the race, which started in Auckland but in recent years has been held in the central North Island, where Brown has ruled since 2001.

Seven of the top 10 from last year's race will be back in the Bonita-sponsored event. Shortis, a two-time winner and 11 times on the podium in ironman races worldwide, adds to the competitive mix.

Shortis won in Florida in 2002 and in last November's inaugural Western Australian race. He has had five top-three finishes in Ironman Australia but no victories.

Should Brown and Shortis be within sight of each other at the end of the 180km cycle leg, the 42.3km run could produce fireworks.

Shortis, like Brown, has regularly run under 2h 50m for the marathon.

But the chances do not start and end with the transtasman rivals.

Swedes Clas Bjorling and Bjorn Andersson, who chased Brown home last year, will return with their coaching adviser Gordo Byrn, who finished fourth a year ago.

Greg Fraine of Wellington, a former top cyclist and long-time elite ironman competitor who makes light of his 40-something years, returns following his sixth place last year.

He will be joined on the start line by Chris McDonald (Christchurch) and Auckland's Oliver Piggin, who were seventh and eighth respectively.

The best-known competitor will be American superstar Ken Glah, who made a special trip last year for the 20th anniversary race and finished 10th.

"It's a really strong field. We've had world champions like Tim DeBoom, Thomas Hellriegel and Peter Sandvang here before but never a field so deep in talent," said Brown.

"That's the way it should be. I definitely never take anything for granted.

"Jason Shortis is one of the best ironman athletes in the world, the Swedes keep getting stronger and stronger and our own New Zealand athletes continue to improve.

"I know that nothing less then my very best will be enough in Taupo."

A below-par effort in Hawaii last year in which he ran foul of over-zealous officials and a fourth placing in the Tauranga half ironman this month which ended a seven-year winning streak have Brown fired up.

"I am pleased with my training ... I now need to put all the elements together on the day."

The Swedes will again provide an interesting contrast.

Andersson is superb in the water and on the bike. Last year he led Brown by 18 minutes before the run, only to be overtaken before the end of the first of two out-and-back legs from Taupo.

Bjorling, on the other hand, ran 2h 42m last year to charge past his countryman into second place after a slow swim and average cycle.

Other New Zealand contenders include 23-year-old Kieran Doe, who finished second in Tauranga, and globetrotting Stephen Sheldrake.

The women's elite field will be announced this week.

The line-up

The men's elite field for the NZ Ironman Championship:

* Australia: Darren Franken, Kane Malherbe, Jason Shortis, Bradley White.

* Austria: Daniel Niederreiter.

* Britain: Lawrence Oldershaw.

* Canada: Gordo Byrn.

* Japan: Shigenobu Ikegata, Makoto Imaeda, Hiroyuki Nishiuchi, Takumi Obara, Hirokatsu Tayama.

* New Zealand: Clive Asplen, Jeremy Boyd, Cameron Brown, Blair Cox, Brent Foster, Greg Fraine, Mark Fulford, Chris McDonald, John Newsom, Oliver Piggin, Andrew Young.

* Sweden: Bjorn Andersson, Clas Bjorling.

* United States: Ken Glah, Terence Kerrigan, Brent Lorenzen.