G'Day Mate! Aussie Wins 3rd Straight LA Triathlon
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LOS ANGELES (CBS) -- It was surely a good day -- or as he would say it, g'day mate -- for Australian Greg Bennett who claimed his third straight Los Angeles Triathlon title Sunday with a time of 1:46:04.
Bennett came out of the nine-tenths mile ocean swim in 11th place, nearly a minute behind Andy Potts, an American who won the swim segment. But Bennett powered through the 24.8 mile bike race toward downtown Los Angeles with an average speed of 27.6 mph, taking over the lead at the 15 mile marker and never looking back.
Bennett completed the 6.2 mile run segment in 31.19 seconds to hang on for the win.
Yes, for those unfamiliar with the grueling concept of a triathlon race, crazy people, er, athletes compete in one day, a long ocean swim, a marathon run (usually 26 miles) and a bike ride (usually about another 30 or more miles)...did we mention all on the same day?
"My goal was to make the most of the bike course," said Bennett after
the race, in remarks released by the race organizers. "I thought if I started
the run segment at least 30 seconds in front, I could control the run."
The remainder of the top five men included Aussie Paul Matthews, 1:48:08; Great Britain's Stuart Hayes, 1:49:01; and Canadian Brent McMahon, 1:49:17.
The women's professional competition was won by American Becky Lavelle, clocking a 1:59:46, earning her $10,000. Lavelle was an alternate for the U.S. women's Olympic team in Beijing and the 2003 L.A. champion.
American Mary Beth Ellis was second with 2:01:12, followed by Julie
Swail Ertel from Irvine, 2:03:10. Ertel was the fastest woman swimmer.
Nearly 3,000 professional and amateur triathletes competed in the race,
formally known as the "Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon presented by Herbalife."
It consists of a ninth-tenths of a mile swim off Venice Beach, a 24.8-
mile bicycling segment to the L.A. Live entertainment complex adjacent to Staples Center, followed by a 6.2-mile run on a looped course, also ending at L.A. Live.
No fatalities or injuries were reported this year in Los Angeles.
At least nine triathletes have died during the swimming portion of
triathlons this year. And Barbara Warren, one of San Diego's best senior
triathletes, died three days after crashing in the bicycle portion of last
month's Santa Barbara Triathlon.
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