Devonport ITU Triathlon/Accenture Tri Series
Sunday, March 17, 2002. Australia.
1.5k/40k/10k draft legal
US$50,000 purse

An American double and an Australian trifecta could well be the outcome of this Sunday's Devonport Triathlon. Emma Carney and Melissa Ashton appear best placed to prevent Americans Siri Lindley and Barb Lindquist from winning the women's race. A strong contingent of international triathletes could well spoil the hopes of Australians Chris Hill Miles Stewart and Courtney Atkinson who appear to have the best form in the 28 man elite field.

Everything points to Lindley and Lindquist going head to head on Sunday with Lindquist likely to lead after the swim and set the pace on the bike. Lindley is the current world champion and world number one and has the speed to challenge Lindquist in a race that will be decided late into the run. Australia's Emma Carney will be hoping for her 4^th Devonport win and showed last year when she stormed home into third place that she is still a threat. The key to Carneys success will be a good swim to ensure she is in a position to challenge later in the race. Canadian Sharon Donnelly will swim with Lindquist and the Olympian will give herself every chance whilst Australia's Melissa Ashton has placed at Devonport on a number of occasions and has the strength to again be on the podium in 2002.

Chris Hill was impressive in 2001 and the defending champion and world number one will again hard to beat in a very strong men's field. Fellow Australian's Courtney Atkinson and Miles Stewart have dominated the domestic season to date and these three will have a great personal battle on Sunday. Atkinson and Stewart staged a great race in Canberra a month ago with Stewart prevailing after they raced shoulder to shoulder for most of the day. Two of Australia's best triathletes in the last five years in Chris McCormack and Greg Bennett are more than capable of winning the event highlighting the depth of this year's field.

Of the international contingent France's Olivier Marceau , the Czech Republic's Martin Krnavek and Great Britains Andrew Johns have the strongest claims for a top three finish on past form and results. Marceau is the 2000 world champion, Krnavek the winner of two world cup races in 2001 and Johns the 1998 Devonport winner is currently ranked number 3 in the world. Australians Marc Lees, Bryce Quirk and Craig Alexander are back and have all placed in previous Devonport races. Unless someone gets a decisive break on the bike leg the race will be wide open heading into the final 10 kilometre run.

The 2002 Devonport Triathlon will commence on Sunday at 1pm. A field of more than 200 will race with the age group event doubling as a selection race for Triathlon Australia's age group world championship team and the state championships. $50,000.00 in prize money is up for grabs in this International Triathlon Union points race with the event being the 5^th in the Accenture Triathlon Series.

Pro Start List

2002 Devonport Triathlon (as at Thursday March 14)

Men
1  CHRIS HILL QLD-AUS
2  COURTNEY ATKINSON QLD-AUS
3  ANDREW JOHNS GBR
4  MILES STEWART QLD-AUS
5  CHRIS McCORMACK NSW-AUS
6  GREG BENNETT NSW-AUS
7  MARTIN KRNAVEK CZE
8  OLIVIER MARCEAU FRA
9  TRENT CHAPMAN NSW-AUS
10 CRAIG ALEXANDER NSW-AUS
11 TYLER BUTTERFIELD BER (Bermuda)
12 LEIGH CHAPMAN NSW-AUS
13 JOE GAMBLES TAS-AUS
14 KELLY GUEST CAN
15 BRAD KAHLEFELDT QLD-AUS
16 MARC LEES QLD-AUS
17 GAEL MAINARD FRA
18 PAUL MACKAY QLD-AUS
19 LUKE McKENZIE QLD-AUS
20 BRENT McMAHON CAN
21 JACOB NEWELL QLD-AUS
22 SIMON THOMPSON ACT-AUS
23 ANDREAS GRUETTER SUI
24 TORSTEN ABEL GER
25 BRYCE QUIRK VIC-AUS

26 DOMINIK RECHSTEINER  SUI

27 KENTA ANDO JAP

28 TEPPEI PAKEUCHI JAP

Women
31  BARB LINDQUIST USA
32  SIRI LINDLEY USA
33  SHARON DONNELLY CAN
34  EMMA CARNEY VIC-AUS
35  MELISSA ASHTON NSW-AUS
36  REBEKAH KEAT QLD-AUS
37  LENA EDMONSTON NSW-AUS
38  MARIA KOSZTOVITS SA-AUS
39  LEANDA CAVE GBR
40  JANE KARGOTICH QLD-AUS

41  LAURA REBACK USA

42  SHIZUKA KUTSUNA JAP