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Lessing hopes to set standard as triathlon makes Olympic bow
LONDON, Sept 1 (AFP) - Britain's Simon Lessing has won everything there is to win in his chosen sport. But that does not include an Olympic gold medal as the triathlon only makes its bow as a full Olympic sport in Sydney. The unfashionable sport will enjoy a place in the sun in Australia with the women's event the very first medal to be decided in the Games while the backdrop for the women's and men's events could hardly be more spectacular - Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. It will be a throwback for Lessing who was actually born in Cape Town, South Africa - like Sydney one of the most spectacular coastal cities in the world. The cosmopolitan Lessing is something of a globetrotter. Although he represents Britain he now lives in the French Alps. And he has time and time again conquered the world of triathlon where contenders have to swim, cycle and run to the finish line. For Olympic purposes the sport will be over 51.5km - a relatively short event - with the first 1.5km a swim in the harbour that vies with Rio de Janeiro for the most famous coastline in the world. Then comes a 40km bike ride complicated for the contenders by strict rules that forbid any of the collaboration between riders or sheltering behind other competitors that are standard practice in regular cycling. Finally comes the 10km run to the finish line. Lessing was the undisputed star of the sport in the 1990s but there are signs that the rest of the world are beginning to question his supremacy. This year Frenchman Olivier Marceau staged a shock by winning the World Championship while Australian duo Peter Robertson and Craig Walton, Dmitriy Gaag of Kazakhstan and New Zealander Hamish Carter are also genuine contenders. It's a far cry from the 1990s when Lessing won four world titles over the Olympic distance as well as also triumphing over a longer distance in 1995. He also has four World Cup titles to his name. His rivals are undeniably closing the gap but Lessing's recent victory over Marceau in Toronto leave little doubt that he will be the man to beat on September 17.
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