> Printer-friendly page
GOODWILL GAMES TRIATHLON
July 25, 1998 New York City, NY
LESSING AND HARROP TRIUMPH AT GOODWILL GAMES
The citizens of "New York, New York," the city that claims never to
sleep, awoke nevertheless on this Saturday morning to see some the
world's best triathletes performing through the streets of Manhattan.
The 4th edition of the Goodwill Games is taking place in New York, 4
years after old St. Petersburg, Russia. Triathlon was again included
as one of the many sports in a setting quite different from the 1994
edition.
Previous winners were in attendance ready to defend their titles,
Isabelle Mouthon, France and Simon Lessing of Britain.
The men set off first into the Hudson River, stilled on the ebb tide.
The benevolent Statue of Liberty shinning in the morning light, was
perhaps urging, "give me your tired, your poor, your huddled
triathletes, swimming furiously, yearning to break free, from the
pack."
Three of them quickly did, and left the swim together, never to be
seen by the chasing pack. Craig Walton (AUS), Simon Lessing (GBR) and
Laurent Jeanselme (FRA) sped through the canyons of New York, with
every vehicle stilled, and removed from sight. The Dow-Jones index on
the giant screen at the New York Stock Exchange blinked a burst as
they sped up Wall Street. New York's finest; the NYPD did the
triathlon proud this sunny day.
A glitch in an otherwise perfect day had 3 of the men go off course in
the run. In a magnanimous gesture, typical of the Goodwill Games
organisation, they quickly proposed to pay the athletes the prize
money they may have won over and above the "$100,000 up for grabs. The
top three men were not affected, with Lessing controlling the outcome
with a familiar confidential flair, followed Walton and Jeanselme.
The unlucky trio of Dimitry Gaag (KAZ), Chris McCormack (AUS) and
Gilberto Gonzalez (VEN) were nevertheless content with their surprise
"manna from heaven".
In the women's race, a lead group emerged from the Hudson River, which
included the by now familiar Barb Lindquist (USA), Loretta Harrop
(AUS) and Jennifer Gutierrez (USA), pursued by Michellie Jones, Jackie
Gallagher and Emma Carney of Australia, and the diminutive Erika
Molnar of Hungary.
The run through Central Park found an excited and jubilant Harrop
finishing 58 seconds up on Michellie Jones and Erika Molnar, with Barb
Lindquist relinquishing once again a comfortable, but not quite cosy
enough lead.
Karen Smyers, the sentimental favourite, and victor of many encounters
in the history of triathlon, accomplished what even the bravest of men
will never and has never done. She had a baby 3 months ago, via
caesarean (ouch!), and finished a contented and credible 22nd.
The Goodwill Games Triathlon set a new world record for a total road
closure for 40 kilometres of the busiest city on earth, thanks to
David McGillivray, event organiser and artist.
The next Goodwill Games are scheduled for Brisbane, Australia, two
years after the Sydney Olympic, in the year 2002. Triathlon hopes to
be there.
Most of the triathletes in New York move this week to the ITU World
Cup event in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, 2 August, which will be a
sharp contrast to the city that never sleeps.
Men's Results
Name, Country Time
1 Simon Lessing, GBR 1.46.23
2 Craig Walton, AUS 1.47.24
3 Laurent Jeanselme, FRA 1.47.40
4 Greg Bennett, AUS 1.49.27
5 Jan Rehula, CZE 1.49.32
6 Nick Radkewick, USA 1.49.37
7 Samuel Pierreclaud, FRA 1.49.55
8 Andrew Johns, GBR 1.50.30
9 Eneko Llanos, ESP 1.50.34
10 Tim DeBoom, USA 1.50.38
11 Javier Rosas, MEX 1.51.05
12 Fedor Filippov, RUS 1.51.23
13 Hideo Fukui, JPN 1.51.44
14 Yuri Kliukhin, RUS 1.51.46
15 Jimmy Riccitello., USA 1.55.43
16 Simon Whitfield, CAN 1.57.30
17 Leandro Macedo, BRA 1.57.30
18 Conrad Stoltz, RSA 1.57.59
Women's Results
Name, Country Time
1 Loretta Harrop, AUS 1.59.43
2 Michellie Jones, AUS 2.00.41
3 Erika Molnar, HUN 2.00.42
4 Barb Lindquist, USA 2.01.08
5 Weike Hoogzaad, NED 2.01.15
6 Jackie Gallagher, AUS 2.01.26
7 Emma Carney, AUS 2.01.41
8 Isabelle Mouthon, FRA 2.01.58
9 Virginia Beresategui, ESP 2.02.03
10 Kiyomi Niwata, JPN 2.02.06
11 Sharon Donnelly, CAN 2.02.33
12 Maryellen Powers, USA 2.03.30
13 Nina Anisimova, RUS 2.03.44
14 Jenny Rose, NZL 2.03.52
15 Christine Hocq, FRA 2.04.07
16 Gail Laurence, USA 2.04.16
17 Mieke Suys, BEL 2.04.36
18 Kim Carter, RSA 2.04.54
19 Jennifer Guttierrez, USA 2.05.28
20 Marie Overbye, DEN 2.06.46
21 Sandra Soldan, BRA 2.08.13
22 Karen Smyers, USA 2.11.35
23 Anna Ivanova, RUS 2.18.01
24 Carmen Ochoa, MEX 2.19.58
25 Laura Mata, CRC 2.20.52
