Australian Accenture National Sprint Championships
Sunday, January 27, 2002
Melbourne, Australia
750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run

Victorian triathlete Bryce Quirk knows the best form of attack is defense when it comes to the Accenture National Sprint Championships being staged at Melbourne's St Kilda beach this Sunday, January 27. Twenty-two year old Quirk is the reigning national sprint champion and knows a successful defense of the crown, won in Wollongong last year, will not only help is overall standing in the Accenture Triathlon Series, but also his bid for a Commonwealth Games berth.

This year the five round men's and women's Accenture Triathlon Series features key qualification races for the Commonwealth Games and World Championships. Quirk said he required a top three finish to boost his eligibility points to make Triathlon Australia's A & B squads, ahead of the two Commonwealth Games selection races in Canberra (February 17) and Geelong (March 31). This is an important race for all of us, as apart from the honor of the title, it is the last chance to boost eligibility rankings for the Games squad, ahead of the actual selection trials, said Quirk.

On Sunday 50 elite men and 30 elite women will line up for the Accenture National Sprint Championships, which also doubles as the third round of the Accenture Triathlon Series. Elite competition gets underway at 10.30am for women and Noon for men, with all competitors racing over the Sprint distance 750m swim, 20km cycle and 5km run course. This round also features the National Sprint Championships for age groups, with competitors from age 13 to over 70 racing at 7.30am for the national titles.

Quirk, who sits fifth in the Accenture standings behind series leader Courtney Atkinson, Miles Stewart, Kiwi Shane Reed and Levi Maxwell, anticipates a fast and close affair on Sunday. He doubts his win will come as easy as 2001, when he and Chris McCormack made a break from the front, and were granted a relatively smooth ride to the title. The field is a lot stronger than Wollongong, and there is more at stake this race with eligibility rankings. I am just focussing on defending my title, and a win is obviously the best result as far as eligibility goes, said Quirk.

Quirk says he's been racing Atkinson since their junior days and this summer, there's renewed passion to their rivalry. I'm getting sick of chasing his (Atkinson's) tail, admitted Quirk. A change in swim course from the waves of the ocean, to the relative calm of Port Phillip Bay, is likely to assist the field in their bid to catch Atkinson, who with a surf lifesaving background, romped home in the first two Accenture Triathlon Series races at Manly and on the Gold Coast. The flat water swimming will really help me, said Quirk. I struggle in the surf and at the first two races I lost contact with the leaders in the swim and eliminated any chances I had of winning. This race will be a lot closer, and the fact that it is longer - one hour as opposed to 30 minutes - also suits me.

Series leader Atkinson conceded the lack of waves and the fact athletes could wear wetsuits if the water temperature was below 20 degrees celsius, would mean a tight race. I think this race will be a pure runner's race, said Atkinson. I think people will come out of the swim in a bunch and stay that way. The winner is going to need to run very fast.

The Gold Coaster said the format suited the runners, citing Chris Hill, Miles Stewart and Paul Amey as men to watch. He also warned that he would keep an eye out for world champion Peter Robertson, who returns from injury for the St Kilda event. Robertson missed the opening two rounds with a knee injury, but will be fresh and raring to race on Sunday.

Heading into the third round Atkinson leads the championship on 44 points ahead of Stewart on 36 points, Maxwell on 33 points, Reed on 32 points and Quirk on 31 points.

Thirty women contest their Accenture National Sprint title at 10.30am with series leader American Barb Lindquist out to continue her domination of the Aussies, including Olympic silver medallist Michellie Jones and Nikki Hackett.