AQUATHON
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A year after moving to Wollongong, Jake Birtwhistle made it back-to-back Australia Day Aquathon successes with a hard fought win on Monday.
After trailing out of the water, the Tasmanian used an impressive run leg to overcome one of the strongest fields in the event's history.
Birtwhistle stopped the clock at 35 minutes and 55 seconds - more than 30sec faster than his debut success in 2014.
His run of 22:48 was the second fastest of the day, bettered only by eventual second-placegetter Brendan Sexton, who came home 2sec quicker.
Sexton (36:03) ran down fellow Australian Ryan Bailie (36:04) to ensure the podium positions were the same as last year.
All three placegetters are members of the Wollongong Wizards squad.
"Australia Day last year was my first full day in Wollongong so it was good to get the win last year and get established, I guess," Birtwhistle said.
"Now I have come back to my home away from home so it is good to get there two years in a row."
Out of the water, Birtwhistle trailed eventual fifth placegetter Aaron Royle, who finished the swim leg fastest with Bailie and Canadian pair Alexis LaPage (seventh) and Matt Sharpe (sixth).
He made up ground in the first half of the run before kicking clear of his rivals with a little over one kilometre remaining.
"There was a big group of us who train together every day so I know their strengths and knew I had to break a few before the sprint otherwise it could be anyone's game," Birtwhistle said.
"We ran pretty hard and there were a few surges trying to split it up. I got away with about one and a bit kilometres to go."
The win sets the platform for a big 2015 campaign for Birtwhistle ahead of next year's Olympics in Brazil.
"Rio 2016 is what a lot of people are focusing on getting selected for this year and it is kind of in the back of my mind," Birtwhistle said.
"I just have to keep ticking boxes and if it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, I am still young."
Canadian Tyler Mislawchuk was the first international to cross the line when he finished fourth in a time of 36:07.
