McLean’s triathlon master stroke
A SUPERB effort in the swim saw defending female champion Rachel McLean take out the 2017 Northern Territory Sprint Distance Championships at East Point recently.
Conducted over a 750m swim, 26km bike, 5km run course, the race was also the third of Darwin Triathlon Club’s annual Sprint Series.
McLean was again superb, setting up her second title with a monster lead over the rest of the field in the swim. She then cycled strongly and cruised home in the run to record a time of 1hr 11min 17sec.
Hannah Donaldson, in her first NT event, showed good form to take second place in 1:13.58, followed by series winner Ali Fitch (1:6.03).
Winner of race one, Luke Fonsko, bounced back from injury which saw him withdraw from race two while in the lead.
He took line honours and the champion male title in 1:10.46.
Other placegetters were series winner Matt King (1:15.44) and Jason Hamilton (1:16.04).
Triathlon continues at the Waterfront Lagoon today, with the NT Junior Triathlon Championships, a kids’ triathlon (for ages 5-15 years) and the Darwin Triathlon (open to all ages). AUSTRALIAN surfing star Sally Fitzgibbons has overcome her badly-cut left foot to reach the quarter finals at Bells Beach.
Compatriot Stephanie Gilmore also survived her elimination round-four heat yesterday, but only just — a wave score of 4.77 in the last minute gave the six-time world champion the tightest of wins.
Fitzgibbons, a two-time Rip Curl Pro winner, beat Hawaiian Tatiana Weston-Webb just three days after suffering a deep cut that needed three stitches.
“I’ve got the nickname ‘Rocky’ at home — that’s what you have to do,” Fitzgibbons said. “If you’re passionate about it, you’re hungry, nothing is going to stand in your way.”
Fitzgibbons was on the last wave of the opening day’s competition when she fell awkwardly and the fin of her board punctured her foot. She had to be carried off the beach.
Fitzgibbons wore a boot over her foot and was limping noticeably yesterday but was rapt to win.
“I copped a big blow from my fin to the top of my foot and it was a bit of a shock - there was a lot of blood and just hitting right on that bone, it sent panic buttons going off everywhere,” she said.
“I was in a world of hurt (on Wednesday) — (but) it’s amazing, I love the experiences.
“It makes you pull out and dig deep, it took a lot to get back out on the water today.”
World surfing champion John John Florence and Brazilian Filipe Toledo lit up Bells Beach with aerial moves to highlight the start of the men’s event.
Florence and Toledo easily won their round-one heats yesterday, putting them in to round three.
Florence wowed the Rip Curl Pro crowd with an aerial move late in his openinground heat.
It gave Florence a 9.03 wave score and a heat total of 17.20. Toledo then upstaged Florence, posting the first perfect 10 wave score of this year’s event with a ride that featured two aerial moves.
Toledo’s outstanding heat also featured a 9.7 wave for a near perfect total score of 19.70.
After five of the 12 heats, organisers moved the location from the Bowl to nearby Winkipop because of the conditions.
Florence, Jeremy Flores of France and Australian Glyndyn Ringrose were the first heat at Winkipop.
Flores took the lead late in the heat and Florence needed a 5.13 wave score with just over a minute left.