Conrick Comes Up Short In Morpeth

Newcastle Herald

Monday October 13, 2008

By JOSH LEESON

REDHEAD triathlete Boyd Conrick blew off the cobwebs yesterday when he finished second in the Maitland Triathlon at Morpeth, but he conceded he would be searching for more speed come summer.

Conrick led the race, which was the NSW Club Distance Championship, throughout the one kilometre swim and 30km bike ride but could not shake off a challenge from Sydney's Brian Keane in the 8km run.

Conrick has spent more time racing in the longer ironman events in recent years and said he needed to regain his speed for the shorter races.

"It's taking me a while to get that old leg speed back which I had when I was a bit younger," Conrick said. "I didn't have answers for him when he tore past me with 2km to go."

Keane won by a minute in a time of one hour, 27 minutes and 42 seconds.

Maitland's Gareth Bannon was third, three minutes behind Conrick.

Conrick will head to Forster on Sunday for the state long-course championship.

He said after yesterday's race that he would focus more on speed than distance.

"I'll still do a few half-ironmans, but I'm finished for the time being doing the full ironman event," he said.

"I won the Australian half-ironman series two years ago and got second last year. I'm doing that series again on November 9 in Port Macquarie, so when I do that I'm looking to get my crown back."

In the women's race yesterday, Newcastle's Regina Wright was a convincing winner, beating Sydney's Keira Pride and Cooranbong 16-year-old Steph Auston by two minutes.

Newcastle's Nathan Stewart finished second in the mid-distance event, behind Sydney's Chris Dimitrieff.

Hunter triathletes scored a quinella in the women's mid-distance. Newcastle's Donna Powell beat Maitland's Belinda Farley.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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