Six of Australia's top long distance triathletes will headline the entry for
the second annual Rydges Capricorn Half Ironman Triathlon at Yeppoon on
August 19th, a race that has drawn a record field to central Queensland this
year.

The biggest local multisport event has drawn a field approaching 200, from
right around Australia, with number one seeds the defending champions,
22-year-old David Dellow from Morayfield in Queensland and Canberra's
Belinda Cheney, and winner of Ironman Malaysia this year, reflecting the
national interest in this race.

Challenging the champions are some star athletes. Arguably Australia's top
Ironman athlete right now, Jason Shortis will head to Yeppoon from the Gold
Coast. He's just home from a great performance in Ironman Japan where he was
second to rising star, Yoshinori Tamura.

Shortis, who was also second in the Minolta Ironman Australian triathlon
last April is in top form. He'll take time out before the race to present a
seminar on the Ironman triathlon racing to the many age groupers racing at
the Rydges Capricorn Resort.

Joining him is a young star of Ironman and top ten in Ironman Australia and
in Ironman Canada in recent years, Mitch Dean. Although Dean and Shortis are
both Queensland based, they are looking forward to competing in the warmer
climate of the Yeppoon area.

Meantime Belinda Cheney is very much looking forward to escaping the
Canberra frosts. The defending women's champion earlier this year won
Ironman Malaysia and also raced in Ironman Brazil. A member of Team Chevron,
Belinda is making the Capricorn Half her comeback race after a leg operation
to correct nerve damage and she hopes to be fully competitive...

She may need to be; ranged against her is Angela Milne. The West Australian
athlete was a star of the Ironman scene in the early 90', going top ten in
Hawaii whilst still an age group athlete! Milne last weekend took second
place in the awesome Ironman Switzerland triathlon in Zurich and will no
doubt welcome the flat and easy course in Yeppoon following the steep hills
of Switzerland.

Second last year, but the woman to watch in 2001 however is Victoria's Kim
McVilly. McVilly is arguably Australia's fastest woman over the Half Ironman
distance right now and the Capricorn title is one of only few to elude her!

For those wondering about competing over the Half Ironman distance,
organizer, X-Tri Australia have instigated the Capricorn Team Challenge for
the Rydges Capricorn Half Ironman Triathlon; allowing locals and visitors to
compete over just one of the legs of the events as part of a team.

So if you can swim, ride a bike or run; find some like-minded people and
enter today! Download the entry form from the website at
www.capricornhalf.com.