Ironman New Zealand
Sunday, March 2, 2002
Taupo, New Zealand

Auckland's Cameron Brown will wear the Number 1 singlet when he defends his Ironman New Zealand crown in Taupo next month. Brown becomes only the third Kiwi male to be awarded the top slot when the men's seedings were announced today by race director Keith Thorpe for the 3.8km swim 180km bike and 42km marathon run in Taupo on March 2.

The Christchurch pair of Scott Ballance and Tony O'Hagan started at top seeds - Ballance in 1995 after his victory in Auckland the previous year and O'Hagan in the first year in Taupo in 1999 after a podium place in 1998.

Ballance's wife Karyn is the top ranked New Zealand female with third seeding behind glamour internationals Wendy Ingraham (USA) and Fernanda Keller, (Brazil) announced earlier this week.

Brown heads one of the deepest fields in the 18-year history of the oldest international Ironman event, with 33 men lining up in the Pro Elite field from 11 countries. It will be a big week for the Aucklander who is a finalist in the Halberg Sports Awards announced on Thursday 28 February. Second seed is two-time Ironman winner Petr Vabrousek (Czech Republic) who enjoyed three top-five Ironman finishes last year following his remarkable year in 2000 when he won Ironman races in South Africa, Korea and Almere (in 8hr 15min), and placed second at Ironman California.

Ballance, the only other Kiwi male other than Brown to win Ironman New Zealand, has the third seeding after a remarkable longevity in endurance sport. He was fifth last year, the eighth year in succession he has been in the top-eight, while he also finished third at Ironman Korea last year. Canada's Garrett MacFadyen, another newcomer, is the fourth seed after three top-four finishes at Ironman Canada, Australian and Malaysia last year.

Sixth seed is the Sydney Olympic bronze medallist Jan Rehula (Czech Republic), in his second Ironman following recovery from a serious bike crash. Other seeded New Zealanders include Gisborne's Stephen Sheldrake (8^th seed) and Auckland's Stephen Farrell (10^th seed). American Steve Larsen, Ironman USA winner and an exciting new prospect in the sport, has withdrawn after not recovering from a hip injury.

American Wendy Ingraham and Brazilian Fernanda Keller, with five Ironman victories and a bagful of World Championship medals between then, have earned the top two women's seeds. Both are making their first appearance at Ironman New Zealand. Ingraham, with four Ironman wins and a host of top-five finishes at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii to her credit, is the number one women's seed.

She heads Keller, the Brazilian with one Ironman win and a string of six third-placed finishes at the Ironman World Championships in seven years. Keller edged Ingraham by one spot in the famous 1997 race in Hawaii, and again this year although Ingraham turned the tables with a win in Ironman Brazil last year.

The leading New Zealander is Christchurch's Karyn Ballance, who has been runner-up in each of the last three years in Taupo. She has been seeded third ahead of fellow New Zealander Joanna Lawn, who was fourth last year and gained a credible 11^th in her first attempt in the pro elite field at the Ironman World Championships last October. Lawn was in the New Zealand road cycling team for the 1998 Commonwealth Games at Kuala Lumpur. Sweden's Lean Wahlquist, twice winner of the world's toughest Ironman at Lanzarote on the Canary Islands is seeded fifth after finishing third in Taupo last year.

Seedings (all from New Zealand unless noted)
Men: Cameron Brown 1, Petr Vabrousek (Czech Republic) 2, Scott Ballance 3, Garret MacFadyen (Canada) 4, John Van Wisse (Australia) 5, Jan Rehula (Czech Republic) 6, Paul Amey (Great Britain) 7, Stephen Sheldrake 8, James Bonney (USA) 9, Stephen Farrell 10.

Women: Wendy Ingraham (USA) 1, Fernanda Keller (Brazil) 2, Karyn Ballance 3, Joanna Lawn 4, Lena Wahlquist (Sweden) 5, Belinda Cheney (Australia) 6, Robyn Roocke (Australia) 7, Lynley Allison 8, Yoko Hori (Japan) 9, Helene Salomon (France) 10.