New Caledonia wins 3 golds – teams bronze to Cook Islands
The New Caledonian national anthem thundered across Avatiu harbour three times yesterday to announce the three gold medals won by the nation in a clean sweep at the triathlon.
New Caledonia’s David Esposito blitzed the Olympic distance course (1500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run) in a total time of 2 hours 6 minutes and 39 seconds.
Female team mate Erika Ellis was the first woman across the line in a time of 2 hours 24 minutes and 45 seconds.
In fact, it was a New Caledonia clean up in the women’s race with Catherine Grangeon taking silver (2.28.35) and Kandy Point coming in over three minutes after Grangeon for the bronze medal.
New Caledonia’s third gold medal came from the team event with their three fastest times added for a final overall time of 6 hours 40 minutes and 42 seconds.
But at 8.30am – the race was anybody’s.
Ten triathletes lined up on the Avatiu slipway for the start of the men’s race, a 1500m swim, including two Cook Islands athletes – Thomas Henderson and Geoff Stoddart.
Three minutes later 13 women followed in their wake with Team Cook Islands athletes Jennie George, Apii Napa and Rangi Apera setting out at the front of the pack.
The first athlete out of the water was Tahiti’s Francois Hermier in a strong time of 22 minutes 31 seconds with fellow team mate Laurent Barra 17 seconds behind him.
Eventual winner of the men’s race, David Esposito, was third out of the water.
The first local athlete out of the water was young Thomas Henderson who emerged fourth in a time of 24 minutes and 10 seconds. He was followed a little over a minute later by seasoned athlete Geoff Stoddart.
A real battle emerged between the pair on the bike leg as Stoddart hunted Henderson down to finish the 40km leg in 1.07.05 with Henderson finishing in 1.13.38.
Henderson recorded a faster time in the run leg completing the 10km leg in 39.36 while Stoddart ended his run leg in 42.30 for a 6th overall placing in a total time of 2.16.20.
In fact, it was announced after he crossed the line that his time was exactly the same as he achieved at the World Championships on the Gold Coast of Australia earlier this month.
Henderson was behind him to place 7th overall in a total time of 2.17.55.
At the world champs, Henderson clocked a time of 2.16.41.
Then it was a waiting game for Cook Islands triathlon supporters as they put all their energy into cheering on female athlete Jennie George with a teams medal on their minds.
Jennie George, as she always does, was smiling away the pain of the race and putting all she had into it.
After a tremendous race she placed fourth in the women, 3 minutes and 37 seconds after the bronze medal winner from New Caledonia.
George was sixth out of the water in the women’s race with a swim time of 27.16. She recorded the third fastest cycle time in the women’s race (1.19.13) with eventual winner Erika Ellis of New Caledonia finishing in 1.13.51.
With George across the line, the Cooks had the bronze in the bag but still had two team mates out in the blazing sun battling it out in the run leg.
Rangi Apera and Apii Napa set personal goals for the race.
For one, they wanted to shave time of their personal best times – and they did.
The inspirational pair were cheered on the whole way and even more so when they crossed the finish line.
Rangi Apera came 10th overall in a finish time of 2.47.05 to achieve her personal goal of coming in under the three hour mark.
Apii Napa put everything she had into her race and smashed her personal best time of 3 hours and 12 minutes by 8 minutes for a final finish of 3.04.29.
The local women are without a doubt wonderful role models for young Cook Islands women.
Sure there are faster and fitter women out there, but they committed themselves to their training and lined up with some of the fastest and fittest women in the region to only complete the race and achieve their goals. - Matariki Wilson: Cook Islands News