Gatorade Triathlon Series 09/10
Season 09/10 Wrap-up
Congratulations to the thousands of Elites, Age Groupers, Juniors, Clydesdales, Athenas and First Timers who took part in the 09/10 Gatorade Triathlon Series! This season produced some rather fine racing, with plenty of nail biting finishes, team comradery and enthusiastic performances ensuring this is without doubt Victoria's premier triathlon series!
Race 1
The opening race of the new season is always fun! This is for a number of reasons, be it all the first timers running around, the re-ignition of friendships/rivalries, the new gear being worn and ridden or simply for the fact that the warm summer months are approaching. The opening race of the new season was no different, except for the fact that it began in soggy conditions at St.Kilda's Catani Gardens when the heaven's opened and dropped 30mm of rain in the 12hours before race start! As a result, the swim was replaced with a run, which suited Elites Peter Kerr and Renee Lane who were off and never looked back, powering to the top position on the podium of the Male and Female Elite categories respectively.
The rain continued to bucket down and the wind get stronger stronger by the minute and full credit must go to every competitor who put their head down and worked their way through it all. These conditons either make or break athletes, but judging by the spirit and excitement that race 1 created, breaking was never going to be the case, Season 2009/10 had started and started with a BANG!
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The bleak clouds hung over Catani Gardens for Race 1.
Race 2
The festive cheer was in full swing at Elwood for Race 2, and with the improvement of the weather, made for a great day to swim, ride and run. Australia's own Olympic & World Triathlon Champion Emma Snowsill was there to watch the racing and view first hand the calibre of young up and coming triathlete's that Victoria has to offer. Peter Kerr backed up from race 1 with another 1st placed performance in the elite category, while Elly Franks stormed to a convincing victory in the Female Elite category.
Kristian McCartney (No.4) leads eventual winner Peter Kerr on the bike.
Race 3
Sandringham hosted the Olympic Distance Race and saw some sensational racing over the longer course in absolutly pristine conditions. Peter Kerr, having an absolutly amazing start to the season, continued his fine work with another commanding performance. In the female elites, an enthralling race was unfolding between the Race 2 winner, Elly Franks, and the ever consistent Madeleine Oldfield, who had already claimed successive podium finishes at races 1 & 2. In the end, it was a case of 3rd time lucky for Oldfield, who ran away from Franks and ended up recording a 3 minute victory to stand on the top dias for the first time in the 09/10 season.
Gatorade Sprint competitors, Sascha Bondarenko-Edwards (left) & Jarrod Lindsay King (right) make the lunge for the line. Lindsay-King won by 0.08 seconds!
Race 4
Anyone who was able to sleep properly in the week leading up to race 4 was extremely lucky, as the heat wave that stretched across Victoria drained every athlete preparing to make another assult on the Elwood course. The heat wave kept up it's end of the bargin, and throw in the stiff wind that accompanied it, ensured that racing conditions were stiffling and difficult to say the least! With Gatorade and water being consumed by the mega-litre, athletes pushed their physical and mental threshold's and all came out the victor! Leon Griffin toppled the juggernaught that was Peter Kerr to claim first place for the male elites, while Elise Clayton had a superb race in the tricky conditions and took line honours in the Female Elites.
The swealtering conditons meant all athletes couldn't wait to get into the water!
Race 5
The Series travelled down the Princess Highway to a very special triathlon course - Portarlington. The event was amazing in every sense of the word. The racing, the course, the atmosphere, the crowd support & the weather made this an event to remember for many years. Being in its 24th year, it would be hard to top such a great event, yet the '10/11 season has some big plans in store to celebrate its 25th Anniversary. On the racing front, the top 3 male elites were only sperated by 22 seconds, with Paul Attard taking 1st place with Leigh Stabryla and Jamie Rhodes taking 2nd and 3rd respectively. In the Female Elites, Madeleine Oldfield broke free of Renee Lane and Kirsten Norden and crossed the line in 1st place.
Race 5 winner Paul Attard rips his wetsuit off in T1. From here, he never looked back and took line honours.
Race 6
A return to where it all started at Catani Gardens, St.Kilda, Race 6 was the climax of the season, but if anyone thought the competition would be a little on the relaxed side, they were way off the mark. The title of Series Winner was written across the faces of at least half a dozen athletes in each category, all in the mix to take out the prestigious award. The conditions (unlike Race 1) were good for triathlon, however everyone had to be switched on as wind gusts threatened to derail some competitors. At the front of the male elites, and what was a common sight across the entire series was Peter Kerr, who took every challenge thrown at him and then lifted when it mattered most, crossing the line in 1st position and in doing so, getting his name inscribed onto the Gatorade Series Winners Trophy for the 09/10 season. In the Female race, Erin Densham raced hard and took line honours for Race 6, however it was the ever consistent Madeleline Oldfield who lifted the Series Winners Trophy at the end of the day. All series winners across all categories deserve applause for their committment and ability to consistently back up from race to race. Congratulations!
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Race 6 and Series Winner Peter Kerr celebrates crossing the line
Another enthralling season of racing has been run and won! Congratulations and thank you to all competitors and spectorars who make the season what it it, Victoria's Premier Triathon Series
We look forward to seeing you at the 2010/11 Gatorade Triathlon Series, which will be launched on the 1st September 2010.
To subscribe to the official 2010/11 Event Newsletter, click HERE
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