Hamish Carter led an historic New Zealand Olympic one-two when he outkicked world champion Bev Docherty over the final 800 meters to win the men’s triathlon gold medal yesterday.
The two teammates had been together for most of the 10km run, accompanied by Switzerland’s Sven Riederer, but with 1500 meters to go Riederer faded, leaving the Kiwis to battle it out.
The achievement mirrored a New Zealand one-two at the 1996 Atlanta Games where equestrians Blyth Tait and Sally Clark finished first and second in the individual three-day event. It was the first time, however, that two New Zealand men had won gold and silver in the same event.
The 27-year-old Docherty, world-ranked No. 1 after a fantastic year, was the favorite on paper but 33-year-old Carter gradually applied the pressure and broke clear to win in one hour 51.07.73 seconds.
Docherty took silver, 7.87 seconds back, with Riederer dancing across the line in third, 25.53 seconds off the pace but eight seconds clear of fast-finishing Australian Greg Bennett.
Unlike in the women’s event on Wednesday, when two athletes were able to open an early lead after a good swim, the men’s field was heavily bunched exiting the water.
American Andy Potts was first out in a time of 17:49.00 but the rest were close behind and by the time they had negotiated the stiff hill one km into the cycling course, a lead group of 15 was making the pace.
It contained many of the pre-race favorites, including Australian Peter Robertson and Dane Rasmus Henning, winner of the World Cup test event held over the same Vouliagmeni course last October.
