Gold Coast Half Ironman Triathlon won by Chris Kemp and Melissa Rollinson

The 2010 Gold Coast half ironman was held in atrocious conditions but some very good times were posted regardless.

Comments coming in to Trizone from some of the top finishers are that the day was horrible and ‘character building’ according to John Marsh who finished 17th overall. Michelle Wu used the word ‘tough’ twice in a row to discribe today and Matilda Raynolds said it was terrible.

Chris Kemp is back to his best and showed what a class athlete he is. He posted the 4th fastest swim, 8th fastest bike and fastest run of the day with the run proving to be the difference between him and Callum Millward of New Zealand. Callum has raced Olympic distance this year with a fast time at the Oceania Triathlon Championships in New Zealand earlier this year.

Ollie Whistler has obviously benefitted from his winter training in Europe. He covered all three legs well with the run being the main difference between him and Kemp.

Pre race favourites Tim Berkel and Clayton Fettell started the race strongly with Fettell leading the swim, a few minutes ahead of Berkel. He was able to maintain the lead through the bike leg (which saw Adam Holborow pull out with mechanical problems), and started the run leg ahead with Berkel and Kemp chasing him down. However both Fettell and Berkel pulled out during the run, with Berkel cramping in his hamstrings and calves, leaving the way open for Kemp.

Former national steeplechase champion and current Queensland duathlon champion Melissa Rollinson won the women’s race. Melissa had to make up some ground on Michelle Wu after Wu posted a faster swim time. Melissa showed her duathlon pedigree by pulling away on the bike and running the half marathon one and a half minutes faster.

Third place Katherine Baker had an unusually slow half marathon at 1:29 but swam and rode faster than Melissa.

First time open female triathlete Matilda Raynolds said the condition were terrible and it took her a while to get in to a grove on the bike and had issues with plantar fasciitis on the run which caused her a few issues. Still Raynolds did not embarrass herself on her first outing as an open triathlete in a half ironman and posted a respectable 4:33 with a 1:28 half marathon.

Guys results here with the girls further down…