Underdogs rule the day

29/01/2001

THE underdogs ruled the day as champions and favourites found the going
too hot at the 2001 Malaysia Ironman Triathlon in Langkawi yesterday.
In the men's professional category, `Birthday Boy' Bryan Rhodes from New
Zealand who turned 28 yesterday, pipped the world's best, and the only man
to have dipped below 8 hours in triathlon, Lother Leder of Germany for the
crown.
Rhodes clocked a total of 8:43:54 in the swim (3.8km), cycle (180.2) and
marathon (42.2km).
"The number 28 has been lucky for me, as today was my 28th birthday and
the race was also on the 28th of January."
Leder followed the Kiwi closely throughout the race but never got a
chance to overtake him and finished second in 8:47:25.
In the women's professional category, Belinda Cheney from Australia
surprised all when she clocked 9:44:12 to beat a tired looking world
champion Natascha Badmann from Switzerland, who clocked 9:57:25.
On the Malaysian front, Mohamed Razani Husain carried the Jalur Gemilang
high when he completed the race in 10:31:42 to become the 21st finisher in
the men's category. Overall he finished 24th because three women overtook
him in the marathon run.
"I had a good feeling throughout the day, but in the second half of the
marathon I started having slight cramps and walked quite a distance before
I could continue running again. If not, I would have met my target of
finishing in 9 hours and 30 minutes," said the first timer in the Ironman.
Razani, who has taken part in numerous half-marathons, said he did not
feel too tired after the race and he never thought about quitting.
"All along the route I kept saying to myself that I have to finish the
race no matter what happened, and I achieved it in good time too.
"Next year I will be better prepared and hope to clock a better time but
I need professional coaching and if possible some monetary help so that i
can train fulltime without worrying about my bread and butter," said
Razani.
Belinda, also a newcomer, won the coveted ticket to Kona, Hawaii on
sheer determination.
"I never thought of winning, not with Natascha in the same race, but
strange things do happen in this endurance sport as I overcame pain and
mental fatigue along the way for a sweet victory."
Champions don't always win in triathlons, and the legendary islands of
Mahsuri is testimony to that.
Results: Swimming - 1 Bryan Rhodes (NZ) 48 minutes 45 seconds, 2 Glen
Gore (S Africa) 48:49, 3 Andrew Robertson (Aus) 51:20, 4 Lothar Leder
(Ger) 51:26, 5 Jane Fardell (Aus) 51:28, 6 Raynard Tissink (S Africa)
51:30, 7 Belinda Cheney (Aus) 51:32, 8 Jamie Patrick (US) 51:35, 9 Jason
Shortis (Aus) 51:37, 10 Matt Stephens (Aus) 52:225, 11 Stephen Farrell
(NZ) 54:59, 12 David Herman (US) 55:11, 13 Alfi Caprez (Swit) 55:13, 14
Kaoru Matsuda (Jpn) 55:17, 15 Matt Koorey (Aus) 55:20.
Cycling - 1 Rhodes 5 hours 36 minutes and 14 seconds, 2 Tissink 5:38:03,
3 Shortis 5:43:54, 4 Garrett MacFadyen (Can) 5:43:55, 5 Leder 5:44:06, 6
Robertson 5:44:58, 7 Stephens 5:47:41, 8 Farrell 5:52:41, 9 Glen Gore (S
Africa) 5:58:41, 10 Caprez 5:58:41, 11 Matsuda 6:05:07, 12 Konrad von
Allmen (Swit), 13 Belinda 6:08:25, 14 Jerome Prigent (Fra) 6:08:32, 15
Florian Balluais (Fra) 6:09:42.
Marathon - 1 Rhodes 3:07:40, 2 Leder 3:03:19, 3 Tissink 3:18:06, 4
Macfadyen 3:14:51, 5 Glen Gore (S Africa) 3:03:26, 6 Robertson 3:40:40, 7
Stephens 3:38:31, 8 Balluais 3:08:44, 9 Von Allmen 3:04:12, 10 Belinda
3:35:47.
Overall men - 1 Rhodes 8:43:54, 2 Leder 8:47:25, 3 Tissink 8:56:08, 4
McFadyen 8:58:45, 5 Gore 9:02:07, 6 Von Allmen 9:12:21, 7 Balluais
9:18:26, 8 Robertson 9:25:38, 9 Stephens 9:26:21, 10 Nobutaka Maki (Jpn)
9:39:47.
Overall women - 1 Belinda 9:44:2, 2 Natascha 9:57:25, 3 Susan Peter
(Aus) 10:26:53, 4 Clara Roldan (Sp) 10:52:24, 5 Florens Daniel (Mari)
10:52:30.
(END)