New Zealand enjoyed one of its best days in Triathlon with Bevan Docherty and Kris Gemmell first and fourth respectively in the opening round of the Dextro Energy ITU World Championship Series in Tongyeong Korea today.
Both Kiwis had work to do heading into the final 10km run leg, giving up almost 30 seconds to Russians Dmitry Polyansky and Alexander Brukhankov and well performed Frenchman Frederic Belubeare. Alongside the Kiwis out of the final transition was Olympic silver medalist Simon Whitfield (CAN) and dangerous Australian pair of Courtney Atkinson and Brad Kahlefeldt.
Neither Kiwi panicked though and slowly but surely moved to the front of the race, hauling in the leaders with one 2.5km lap to go, in the process leaving their much vaunted rivals behind - well most of them anyway.
Kahlefeldt could not be shaken and Polyansky stuck grimly to his task in keeping out a fast-finishing Gemmell and the chasing pack. Docherty showed his tenacity and conditioning in out sprinting Kahlefeldt in one of the closest finishes in the history of the sport and one that will take some beating in the remaining 6 World Champs Series races this year.
Docherty's form was simply stunning as he outran the best in the sport, leaving the likes of Whitfield, Atkinson, Tim Don (GBR) and a host of others behind him, including his good mate and great rival Gemmell.
For Gemmell it was an amazing turnaround to race so strongly at the head of the field in the first ever World Championship Series race, just a month after falling heavily at the New Plymouth Continental Cup race, losing 9 days of swim training and suffering heavy bruising and grazing.
Further details have since emerged on yesterday's women's race won by Australian Emma Snowsill with Sam Warriner the best of the Kiwis in 8th. Both Warriner and Hewitt (39th) fell during the bike, with Hewitt in particular taking a heavy blow. Both are suffering from heavy bruising and grazing but are otherwise okay.
