Reed, Dittmer take home S&S wins

It was the penultimate race in the eight-race series, so those chasing the overall title needed to have good days to add to their point totals. "However," race director Craig Browne notes, "this is also the time of year when the internationals are in town. These globe-trotting campaigners are only too happy to mix it up with the regulars and get their hands on the prize money plus any Grand Prix points on offer."

Under blue skies with a bit of wind to chop up the water, the women got underway on the 750-meter opening swim, with the Olympian Dittmer exiting the water in 10 minutes flat and 19 seconds clear of a chase group that included series stalwart Samantha Warriner, Carmel Hanly, Anna Elvery and Sarah Pattison. Once out onto the run, Warriner began trying to catch Dittmer and started gaining serious ground. "Into the final kilometre it was in fact Samantha Warriner now in front with Anja Dittmer trailing by just a metre," Browne reported. "However, in the final few hundred metres it was Anja Dittmer’s turn to up the ante as she unleashed a powerful surge to reclaim the lead which she held to the line recording another fine victory." Warriner posted the day's fastest run split to take second with Carmel Hanly third.

In the men's race, defending series champion and swim/run ace Brent Foster took out an early lead in the water but found he had one pursuer he couldn't shake—countryman Shane Reed, a regular top finisher on the ITU circuit but racing his debut Stroke & Stride. Fozzie exited the water in 8:37, with Reed just six seconds back. Another half-minute behind was a chase pack that included Japan’s

Hirokatsu Tayama, Hong Kong’s Daniel Lee and Kiwis Ben Riley, Clark Ellice, James Elvery, Carl Cairns and Andrew Mackay. In short order Reed had moved alongside Foster: "These two couldn’t pause to chat as not too far back a couple of greyhounds were looking to peg them back," Browne said. From behind, Ellice and Lee were running hard, eventually overtaking Foster and coming to within seconds of Reed. "If all those years of racing in every corner of the globe have taught Shane Reed one thing then that’s how to protect a lead," Browne said. "This he demonstrated with aplomb running up the beach to the line for an exceptional first up victory holding out fast finishing Clark Ellice by six seconds with Daniel Lee only another few seconds back." Foster had to settle for fourth ahead of Japanese Olympian Hirokatsu Tayama.

The big question now is would Brent Foster’s fourth placing garner him enough points to secure another Stroke & Stride championship over hard-charging Clark Ellice? That question wont’ be answered for another two weeks; right now Brent Foster on 93 points has a tenuous at best 2-point lead over Clark Ellice in the midst of his golden season. Watch for these two to keep throwing punches right up till the final bell in a fortnight’s time. Further back and realistically unlikely to challenge for the lead are James Elvery, Sam Walker and Liam Scopes but they have enough to occupy themselves with in their scrap for third. Fortunately the money goes right down to eighth place so Tom Hahn, Daniel Lee and William Curtayne can all afford a smile going into the Series finale.

Our 2003/2004 Series Champion Samantha Warriner is now looking a good bet to reclaim her title with a 16 point lead over previous Series Champ Debbie Tanner and another point back to Nicole Cope. However the final in a fortnight will still decide it and continued good form is an absolute necessity for all. Carmel Hanly appears secure in her bid for a top 5 in the Series with only the formidable Anja Dittmer likely to cause further ructions as she continues her assault on the lead. Anna Elvery, Vanessa Palmer and Kirsty Whiting currently hold the other valuable top 8 places with only five points separation so watch this space.

The next race is Wednesday, March 9th 2005

RESULTS
Structured Finance Stroke & Stride Series, race 7
Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005; St Heliers Bay, Auckland, N.Z.
(750m swim/5k run)

WOMEN

1) Anja Dittmer (GER) 27:39
2) Samantha Warriner (NZL) 27:42
3) Carmel Hanly (NZL) 28:04
4) Nicole Cope (NZL) 29:17
5) Anna Elvery (NZL) 30:17

MEN
1) Shane Reed (NZL) 25:01
2) Clark Ellice (NZL) 25:07
3) Daniel Lee (HKG) 25:14
4) Brent Foster (NZL) 25:23
5) Hirokatsu Tayama (JPN) 25:36