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ITU
Mooloolaba International: Harrop again, Marceau claims
first title since 2000 Worlds
21
April, 2002: Mooloolaba, AustraliaAustralia's Loretta
Harrop backed up her emotion charged win in the ITU
World Cup in Geelong last week to beat some of Australia's
leading athletes in winning the Mooloolaba Triathlon
Australian Championships today. In doing some she
beat long time friend Nicole Hackett who was hoping
to claim her third straight victory here.
Former
world champion Olivier Marceau of France has made
a dream return to racing after taking a year's break
from triathlon to win, but it was Courtney Atkinson
who was crowned Australian Champion for 2002 after
placing second.
The
course claimed a number of victims in the men's event
with a number of athletes crashing on the bike leg.
Another casualty after lap four on the bike was one
of the favourites Miles Stewart, who has been suffering
from a nasty virus and had to withdraw.
Marceau
was in the first group of swimmers to emerge and was
setting the pace averaging 5 minutes per lap on the
12 lap bike course, which included a hill they would
climb 24 times. The group of ten worked well together
and contained all the favourites, Atkinson, New Zealand's
Shane Reed and Chris Hill.
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Loretta
Harrop (AUS)
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"I
knew that if I made them work hard on the bike then maybe
their legs would be tired for the run and I would have a chance,
Marceau said."
Atkinson
lead them out on the run but with the temperature topping
the high 20's he would have his work cut out for him. In the
final stages Marceau, Atkinson and Reed ran shoulder to shoulder
before Marceau made his move 1km from home to secure the break
and leave Atkinson and Reed to a sprint finish for second
and third spots.
"I
thought my best chance was to make a break early as I wouldn't
be able to out-sprint them."
"I
am very happy to win here and it means a lot to me as I love
Australia and have been training with Col Stewart for nearly
five years. I came back here in January and have just gotten
stronger every race."
"I'm
stuffed, that was the hardest race I've ever done. I knew
I was fading in the last half but it's been a long season.
I'm stoked to win, it's very special to me and has made me
realise that I have so much more to offer as I'm only 23 and
plan to be around for a long time."
In
the women's race it was what we have come to expect when Harrop
and Hackett race together. They got a break in the swim then
consolidated it on the bike, working together like a Swiss
time piece. It wasn't until the end of the first of three
laps on the run that Harrop made her move to slowly pull away
from Hackett with a 12 second buffer. Hackett bravely tried
to reduce the gap but the string had broken. Harrop was to
deny Hackett a trifecta of Australian Titles and win one of
her brother Luke's favourite events. In the end she walked
down the finish chute to acknowledge her father Russell her
sisters and other support crew.
"I
purposely stopped to thank the people that have been so supportive
of me and my family through this painful time following Luke's
death."
"It
was really hard to focus here because I really wanted to win,
when I win people talk about Luke and that helps."
Harrop
and Hackett are already confirmed members of the Australian
team for the Commonwealth Games in Manchester. It also moves
her closer to claiming the world number one stop currently
held by training partner American Siri Lindley.
"Nicky
and I will do exactly the same as we normally do in races
and work together at Manchester. The course is a real obstacle
course though, with train tracks and the like but we will
be travelling there to make sure we know it thoroughly, said
Harrop."
After
a disastrous finish here last year suffering the effects of
severe dehydration Melissa Ashton put in a brilliant run to
pick up place.
Prior to the elite race over 1800 age group individuals and
team members took up the challenge, some here to have fun
while others were out to claim Australian and Queensland Championship
titles. There was some fierce competition among the categories
and the 10 percent increase in entrants this year ensures
a bright future for triathlon. The Mooloolaba Triathlon hails
an unofficial end to the triathlon season as athletes look
to winding down and getting into some serious partying tonight.
This
year Mooloolaba Triathlon celebrated it's tenth anniversary
as the Australian Triathlon Championships and would like to
thank sponsors and competitors for being a part of this growth,
in particular we would like to mention long time supporter
of both Mooloolaba Triathlon and the award winning Noosa Multi
Sport Festival Triathlon Queensland Events Corporation (QEC).
Spanning a decade the event has developed into a three-day
festival encompassing six sporting events and three social.
In
a fitting tribute to Luke Harrop the first Luke Harrop Memorial
Bursary was presented by Russell Harrop to Jennifer Erskine
and Paul Matthews, the winners of the U23 age category, each
receiving a cash grant of $1000. The Bursary was designed
to included two of Luke's favourite events, Mooloolaba and
Noosa. Competitors will be awarded points in these two events
in 2002 as well as the Luke Harrop Memorial Triathlon to be
staged on the Gold Coast in February 2003. The overall winners
at the completion of three events will receive $2500.
Mooloolaba
Triathlon Festival 2002
1.5km swim, 40km cycle, 10km run
Men:
1. Olivier Marceau FRA 1:55:17
2. Courtney Atkinson AUS 1:55:30
3. Shane Reed NZL 1:55:31
4. Richie Cunningham AUS 1:55:37
5. Chris Hill AUS 1:56:34
6. Martin Krnavel CZE 1:57:01
7. Craig Alexander AUS 1:57:20
8. Paul Matthews AUS 1:58:28
9. Jarrod Brauer AUS 1:58:49
10. Matt Hopper AUS 1:58:58
Women:
1. Loretta Harrop AUS 2:05:24
2. Nicole Hackett AUS 2:05:47
3. Melissa Ashton AUS 2:09:14
4. Nicola Spirig SUI 2:09:45
5. Rebekah Keat AUS 2:10:51
6. Jennifer Erskine AUS 2:12:15
7. Maria Kosztovits AUS 2:12:47
8. Josie Loane AUS 2:14:25
9. Megan Hall AUS 2:15:49
10. Annabel Luxford AUS 2:16:05
For
more media information contact
Donna Croft on 0407 033 093 or Lisa Pringle on 0417 005 743
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