Hewitt leads NZ Olympic squad
Andrea Hewitt was the headliner as New Zealand settled in their entire 2012 Olympic Triathlon team today. Hewitt was already an automatic lock after winning last year’s ITU Grand Final and taking the runner-up spot in the World Championship Series results. Hewitt solidified her status as an Olympic medal favorite with a 3rd place finish last weekend at the Sydney World Triathlon Series event.
New Zealand national team selectors added Nicky Samuels, who finished 12th in Sydney last weekend and won the 2011 Escape From Alcatraz and Mooloolaba World Cup, and Kate McIlroy, who currently is the second ranked Kiwi woman in ITU rankings after a sparkling 2011 in which she finished 6th in the Grand Final at Beijing, to fill out the women's team.
Kris Gemmell also earned an automatic bid to the men’s team after finishing 7th at the Sydney round of the World Triathlon Series event last weekend.
Of potentially the most historical importance, Bevan Docherty was selected to his third Olympic squad after a 12th place at Sydney, keeping alive hopes he might add Olympic gold in London to his silver medal at Athens in 2004 and bronze medal in 2008 at Beijing.
Rounding out the men’s squad was Ryan Sissons, who crashed his bike at Sydney and failed to finish the race, but was the second New Zealand man in ITU points in 2011 and was ranked 19th in the WCS series.
Debbie Tanner and Clark Ellice were named as reserves to the Olympic squad who would compete if any of the top three are injured or too ill to race. Tanner, who finished 10th at the Beijing Olympics and who finished 20th at Sydney, seven places ahead of McIlroy, had to be the most disappointed after battling back to form from lingering injuries.
New Zealand’s Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty won their county’s s first triathlon medals as they took gold and silver respectively at the Athens Olympics in 2004. Docherty added bronze in 2008 at Beijing.
