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Lessing wins Goodwill triathlon
Posted: Saturday July 25, 1998 03:22 PM
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- At an hour when the city that never sleeps was at least stifling a yawn, 25 young men dived into the murky waters of the Hudson river. Nearly two hours later, on a clear bright Saturday morning in Central Park, Briton Simon Lessing strode away from the field to retain the Goodwill Games men's triathlon title. Soon after, as reggae music pounded courtesy of Soul Judgment and old ladies walked their poodles, Australia's Loretta Harrop won the women's race and the latest sport on the summer Olympic program had made its mark on Manhattan. Braving the water, a strong early-morning current and a recent infestation of jelly fish, the men's and women's fields swam one mile with the Statue of Liberty in the background. They cycled 25 miles along Wall Street, past the United Nations to Broadway and then to Central Park for three long and one short loops. The event finished with a 6 mile running race through Central Park, on the roadway usually commandeered by joggers, skaters and cyclists. Lessing, a nephew of novelist Doris Lessing, needed only to stay in touch with the leaders in the swim and bike ride to win. The 4-time world champion was second out of the water, among the top trio in the bike and used his superior stride and speed to full advantage in the run to defeat Australian Craig Walton by nine seconds. "There were a few athletes who battled with the swim," Lessing said. "Especially with a few athletes it makes it a lot harder. "On the bike, three of us managed to get away. We worked together pretty well, the first section on the bike was pretty hectic." Harrop, a former butterfly swimmer who turned to the triathlon after missing out on the Australian national team for the last Commonwealth Games, shared the lead in the first two disciplines with American Barb Lindquist. Linquist, winner of a silver medal in the 400-meter freestyle at the 1987 Pan American Games, found Central Park less to her liking than the Hudson River and faded to fourth. Harrop liked the water, loved the crowds and can now look forward to the 2000 Olympics in her native city Sydney. The women's triathlon is the first event on the program in a country which worships the outdoor life and relishes each of the individual sports in the triathlon. "The Sydney course suits me," she said. "I've been second there the last two years in a row, so maybe I think I could be in with a chance." One Australian who found Central Park Saturday morning not a bit to his liking was world champion Chris McCormack. McCormack was one of three runners who went the wrong way when a person, or persons, unknown moved the direction cones. While the rest of the field guessed correctly and carried on the way they were running, McCormack, Dmitri Gaag of Kazakhstan and Venezuelan Gilberto Gonzales doubled back. McCormack threw his hands in the air in frustration when he realized his mistake but rallied when moving in the approved direction to nip Frenchman Laurent Jeanselme for third place. After explaining to reporters that officials had directed them the wrong way, McCormack then discovered he had lost the bronze medal after officials ruled the trio had not competed the full six miles and were accordingly placed in the "did not finish" category. "They turned us round and didn't say anything," McCormack protested. A disconsolate Dave McGillivray, the race director, expressed his regrets but confirmed the three had not run the full distance. McGillivray said he accepted full personal responsibility for the mistake. "I spoke to the three and personally apologized," he said. Games' president Mike Plant offered more substantial solace when he announced a sum equivalent to the collective prize money for fourth to six places would be divided among the trio. "There was unfortunate confusion," Plant said.
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