Featured photo: Wayne Leighton won the M55-59 age group after being named Sport Tasman Masters Sportsperson of the Year the previous evening.
This was the first of two qualifying races for the sprint triathlon at next September’s ITU World Championships on Australia’s Gold Coast.
Eleven Nelson Tri Club members attained the top six age group placing necessary to qualify for the New Zealand team.
Hayden Squance and Wayne Leighton led the way with wins in their age groups. Wayne was on a roll after becoming the Sport Tasman Masters Sportsperson of the year last night – for the second time – in recognition of his gold medal-winning performance at the recent ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships in Canada.
Hayden’s race was thrilling to watch for the female and older male competitors, whose wave start was 30 minutes behind the younger men. After leaving the water in a large lead group, Hayden was quickly into a bunch on the bike. Professional triathletes Mike Phillips and Dylan McNeice made a break at an early corner, leaving Hayden to try to bridge the gap alone, but he soon sat up and waited for the rest of the bunch to gather him back in – the group of about four then working hard to limit the damage from the leaders.
In the meantime, the second wave got underway in the warm, muddy waters of the Pegasus lake, with several top performances and second age group placings from Josh Barber (M40-44), Kelly Barber (M50-54) and Janne Faulkner (F65-69).
Placing third in their age groups were Jon Linyard (M45-49) and Alex Grigg (M55-59).
Peter Gibbs went into the second transition with Ross Allen, the eventual age group winner in M70-74, but withdrew with tendon problems, while Charlie Squance pulled out during the bike ride with breathing problems.
Nelson results (136 finishers):
5 Hayden Squance, 1.00.29, 1st M20-24
26th Josh Barber, 1.07.21, 2nd M40-44
32nd Matt Newberry, 1.07.47, 4th M40-44
36th Glenn Bathgate, 1.08.15, 5th M40-44
39th Jon Linyard, 1.09.02, 3rd M45-49
46th Wayne Leighton, 1.09.59, 1st M55-59
47th Kelly Barber, 1.10.04, 2nd M50-54
59th Alex Grigg, 1.13.03, 3rd M55-59
84th Mark Corlet, 1.16.57, 6th M50-54
86th Eric Wylde, 1.17.13, 8th M55-59
114th Carolyn Squance, 1.24.27, 4th F50-54
135th Janne Faulkner, 1.51.01, 2nd F65-69
DNF James Elvery
DNF Charlie Squance
DNF Peter Gibbs
Full results, click here