Leading New Zealand triathletes Bevan Docherty and Kris Gemmell are racing for valuable world ranking points in the penultimate round of the ITU World Championship Series in Yokohama this weekend, knowing that each needs a strong result to be in medal contention at the season ending finale on the Gold Coast next month.
With athletes this season counting their best four results of the eight events in the series to decide world championship status, (including the higher points value Gold Coast finale), both Kiwis know they have no leeway left for an ‘off day’, in particular Docherty whose season has been affected by illness and accidents.
Heading into Yokohama Gemmell is in sixth place overall but with a ‘worst’ counting result of ninth; a podium finish will boost that ranking further ahead of the Gold Coast. The Palmerston North triathlete has been consistent without quite nailing the big result, he backs up after a third place in London last weekend in search of just that in Yokohama.
Docherty however has just the three counting results and ironically if he can win or podium in Yokohama might yet be current series leader Alistair Brownlee’s (GBR) biggest threat heading into Australia. At thirteenth currently on the rankings, he is the only athlete in the top twenty with just the three counting results this year.
Those results include a victory at Tongyeong in race one and a fifth place in Hamburg so a strong result in Yokohama will propel the double Olympic medalist up the rankings and into contention should he race well on the Gold Coast where points are further multiplied to enhance its season ending status.
The only other Kiwi in the field this weekend in the men’s race is Ben Pattle, in a debut appearance for the Aucklander to race in a World Series event, Pattle will have aims of finishing as high as possible in the toughest test of his career so far.
Of the internationals, reigning world champion Javier Gomez is in doubt after a crash on the bike in London left the Spaniard with road rash to his back, leaving a question mark over his fitness.
Jarrod Shoemaker from the USA made an early exit in London with a puncture on the bike, but the Hamburg winner has shown real class this year and will be one of the ones to beat should he start the run at the head of the race.
One man with an exceptional history of competing in Japan is Australia's Courtney Atkinson who has won the Ishigaki World Cup a record five times. The man from Down Under has enjoyed a good year with second place in Madrid, and a seventh place finish in London will give him hope for Yokohama.
One man that can not be forgotten is Olympic champion Jan Frodeno, who returns to action having missed London. The Beijing star has been consistent throughout 2009, but is yet to win a World Series race. Fellow German Maik Petzold also heads to Japan with his sights on retaining his second place standing for Gold Coast. They will be joined by 2007 world champion and new father Daniel Unger, who is always a threat for the podium.
