Ussher on the brink of history
The Coast to Coast record books will be in line for a rewrite if Elina Ussher nabs another longest day title today.
Four-time champion Ussher is one win away from equalling multisport legend Kathy Lynch (five) for women’s titles, and will also complete a hat-trick of wins if she crosses the line first in New Brighton.
The 41-year-old will line up in the annual 243km run, cycle and kayak across the South Island for the 13th time, and has won it three of the past six years.
Ussher used a powerful cycle on the final leg – the 69.5km cycle across the Canterbury Plains – to surge past South African Robyn Owen and romp home by more than 18 minutes last year, but expects a different story this year.
Much has been made of the women’s field this year, with many tipping the women’s race to provide a more interesting race than the men’s, which is lacking three-time winner Braden Currie.
‘‘It’s a super strong women’s field this year and I’ll be racing against young, determined girls, so it will be a tough one but I have a lot of experience about the race – that’s definitely one of my strengths,’’ Ussher said.
‘‘I think it will be a tough day on Saturday, a real catfight. I have a few different race plans on my mind but most often you just have to listen to your body and race smart and by doing that you most likely get the best result out of yourself.’’
Ussher, who is married to departing race director Richard Ussher, fronted a large crowd at the Kumara Racecourse on Thursday and told them she keeps coming back each year because she simply enjoys it, rather than chasing records.
In addition to Ussher and Owen, who has been concentrating on improving her form on the bike, two-time champion Sophie Hart and Christchurch-based German Simon Maier (second in 2015) are also expected to be in the running.
Hart, who won the last of her titles in 2013, became a mum earlier last year and only returned to racing in September, when she competed in the Spring Challenge in Geraldine.
Former Olympian and world champion kayaker Teneal Hatton, Whakatane’s Corrine O’Donnell and 2016 women’s two-day winner Anna Barret also shouldn’t be underestimated.
The women’s and men’s longest day competitors will set off from Kumara Beach on the West Coast at 6am today.
In the two-day race, Tony Phillips (5hr 16min 28sec) and Florence van Dyke (5hr 48min 43sec) lead the men’s and women’s races after day one respectively.
Having completed the first two stages, they’ll resume with a 15.5km cycle this morning, before jumping in the kayak for 70km and finally cycling the final 69.5km to Christchurch.