TRIATHLON
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MARK Windsor may have tried to keep his participation in the International Triathlon Union World Triathlon Grand Final low key, but his performances in both the sprint and Olympic distance events in Chicago were anything but.
Firstly he managed to place fourth over the sprint distance, then two days later he backed up to place fifth in the Olympic distance event in his 55-59 years men’s category.
Windsor covered a total of 2.2 kilometres swimming, 60km on the bike and 15km on foot over the two events.
It was an event which attracted nearly 2,000 competitors from across the globe, Bathurst’s Josh Stapley also taking part. He placed 25th in the 18-19 years men’s Olympic distance event.
Back in Bathurst, Mark Windsor’s son Dean was amazed to see what his father achieved.
“I am a very proud son,” he said.
“You would not believe the results, it’s the very elite triathletes in the world over there. To think that my old man is one of them, that’s pretty impressive.
“The times the guys in his race were doing were up there on par with a lot of the younger guys.
“I think if everyone had to back up for a third event, he would have won that.
In Thursday’s sprint event, Windsor was 14th out of the water after covering the 750 metre swim in a time of 12 minutes, 48 seconds.
But on the bike – his favoured discipline – Windsor caught those ahead of him then began to build an advantage over his rivals.
He covered the 20km in 27 minutes, 39 seconds to be the first man in his age group to start the 5km run leg.
Unfortunately Windsor’s split of 21:35 was not enough for him to hold on.
The honours belonged to Great Britain’s Alan Bremmer (1.06:08), with American Tony Schiller (1.06:16) second and Mexican Jose Ricardo Gonzalez Davila (1:06.44) third. Windsor’s final time was 1:08.7.
In the Olympic distance event – a 1,500m swim, 40km cycle and 10km run – it was a similar story.
Windsor was within reach of the leaders after a 24:12 swim split, powered to the lead on the bike with a 53:48, but could not quite hold on through the run as he clocked a 45:22 for the distance.
Windsor’s overall time was a 2.09:51, winner Schiller having clocked a 2:06.29.
“His cycling leg was amazing – he average 44.8 kays per hour for the 40s kays, that’s phenomenal, that’s what pro athletes half his age should be doing,” Dean Windsor said.
“He worked really hard at it, he is a very natural athlete as well. But what he actually did was beyond what I expected, he is incredibly fit, but what he did was exceptional.
“To be able to say you are fourth in the world and fifth is pretty amazing. In both he actually led into the run leg – to be leading in a run leg in the world title is pretty impressive.
“He probably was a little disappointed in his run, but it was definitely not the worst. Still, it would have been a bit heartbreaking to be overtaken in the last few kays of the run.”
Stapley had been aiming for a top 10 in his age division and was on track to do so with a 21:38 swim leg and 59:19 split on the bike.
However, he cramped up on the 10km run leg and his split of 48:23 saw him with an overall time of 2.15:05. The winner in his age division, American Jack Tolland, clocked a 1:58.41.
Still, to place 25th in the world in a category which had 99 competitors was a solid effort.
“Not the day that I hoped for today at worlds,” Stapley posted on Facebook.
“Solid swim, solid bike except a silly mistake that cost me a little time. But [I] cramped for the entire run, had to walk aid stations and even had to pull up with 200 metres to go when my leg seized up. I’ve never been in so much pain in a race before.”