SPAIN - USA EARNS GOLD AT THE PORT ROYAL BAY ISLANDS TRIATHLON

Bay Island, Honduras: For immediate release:

The course at Roatan, Bay Islands was a serious challenge for both elites and age-groupers.

Spanish triathlete Eneko Llanos of Spain and American Susan Williams took gold by winning over 180 international athletes at the PORT ROYAL Bay Islands Triathlon on Roatan this weekend.

Eneko Llanos finished the challenging course in 2 hours, 3 minutes and 42seconds. Susan Williams did it in 2 hours, 13 minutes and 42 seconds.

Oneof Latin America's favorite, Javier Roas of Mexico, took second by completing the course in only 11 seconds more than Llanos.

Defending champion, SheilaTaormina took second in the women's event in a time of 2 hours, 17 minutes and 21 seconds.

Franz Hofer of Germany and Virginia Berastegui of Spain took third place.

Returning athletes Sheila Taormina and Florence Chretien both believed the course felt harder this year, and attributed it to the strong winds on the island of Roatan that day.

The Spaniards said to be very satisfied with their performance, as did the Mexicans, and Japanese Megumi Shigaki, also winner of the fourth place

Elite Women: There were twenty three different countries represented in Roatan on the weekend, some of them coming as far as New Zealand like Evelyn Williamson. "I think the course is great. I felt strong and I enjoyed the steep hills," said Susan Williams after the race.

Honduran Pablo Rubio, also showedsatisfaction when he said he improved by 7 minutes over last year's time.

Ends.