TRI: Whitfield overcomes Australian crash to win triathlon gold
By Valkerie Mangnall
MANCHESTER, Aug 5 AAP - A shocking crash in Australia earlier this year failed to stopCanadian triathlete Simon Whitfield in his quest for Commonwealth Games gold.
The Olympic champion, who broke both his wrists and a collarbone in the Geelong WorldCup event in April, was one of two Canadians who overshadowed the much-hyped Australianteam today.
He edged out Australia's Miles Stewart by three seconds to claim the Commonwealth titlewhile team-mate Carol Montgomery won the women's event ahead of Wales's Leanda Cave andAustralian Nicole Hackett.
Whitfield described the crash and his recovery as a trying but positive experience.
"I've learned a lot from the whole thing," he said.
"I've learned about perspective, about appreciating when you're healthy, the thingsthat you do have.
"I decided that I was a super healer. I really believe in the self-fulfilling prophecythat you are what you think you are."
Whitfield revealed he had two things on his mind for the 1.5km swim, 40km cycle and 10km run.
"I had a Muhammad Ali quote in my head that my girlfriend gave me that says, 'the workis done long before I dance in the light'. I kept saying that to myself on the way in.
His thoughts also lay with Canadian triathlon team-mate Kelly Guest, who was sent homefrom the Games after a positive drug test.
Whitfield described Guest as 'someone I'm proud to know'.
Stewart had to settle for silver ahead of New Zealand's Hamish Carter while the otherAustralians in the race, Chris McCormack and Peter Robertson finished fifth and ninthrespectively.
Australia's hopes of clean sweeping the women's race were dashed when Loretta Harropwithdrew following the cycle leg after a punctured tyre put her too far behind to haveany impact on the race.
In echoes of the Sydney Olympics, where Australia was expected to dominate only tohave Swiss triathlete Brigitte McMahon steal the limelight with gold, the trio of Hackett,Harrop and Michellie Jones was widely tipped for the podium in Manchester.
But when Harrop punctured before halfway on the cycle leg, those chances were blown.
Jones finished sixth.
Hackett said talk of a podium finish for all of the Australians was not out of place.
"It can happen, the Aussies that we had are pretty good athletes and on their day wecould have gone one, two, three but triathlon is too hard to predict," she said.
"It's too hard to say, 'the Aussies are going to definitely go one, two, three'. Theysaid that at the Olympics and it never went that way."
Whitfield attributed much of Canada's dominance to good administration.
"We have a fantastic federation - very limited funding - our federation spends themoney wisely, they direct it at high performance," he said.
AAP vm/nh/md/ws
KEYWORD: GAMES TRI NIGHTLEAD
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