Olympians Bevan Docherty and Kris Gemmell will not be racing in Triathlon New Zealand's Contact Cup races in Wanaka tomorrow, stating they do not want to be beaten by their fired-up junior New Zealand team-mates.
Docherty and Gemmell confirmed when contacted they had been considering racing in Wanaka but decided they were not up to it because they had not done enough training.
The triathletes were apologetic, with a husky-voiced Gemmell saying he did not feel well and had returned from Europe only five days ago.
Docherty, who is planning his wedding next month to Cheryl Fletcher, said it was disappointing he was not coming but he had too many other things on his plate.
He had talked about competing in Wanaka on his South Island tour late last year and had been "dead keen" to come to help promote the sport, but had not done much training since Beijing.
"We wanted to go to Wanaka but we didn't want to make idiots of ourselves," Gemmell said.
"One thing I do not want to happen is to be beaten by one of those fired-up young guys. We were hoping. We were trying to be there, no doubt about that, but it is not worth the risk when not feeling the best."
Docherty agreed.
"I hate getting beaten and I am very underprepared at the moment."
Gemmell said his picks for taking a race to Wanaka's top contender Tony Dodds in the elite Contact Cup race around Pembroke Park on Friday night would be under-23 athletes Ryan Sissons and twins William and Andrew Curtayne.
"Those fired-up young men will put on one hell of a show, I will tell you now," Gemmell said.
They would be competing for "all the alpha male points available" now he and Docherty were no longer coming, Gemmell said. The pair are now thinking ahead to the New Zealand Sprint Championships in Taupo on February 8, but will not confirm their entries until closer to the time.
Gemmell is also focusing on the first round of the World Championships in Singapore in May.
Triathlon New Zealand media manager Andrew Dewhurst confirmed yesterday world No 13 women's triathlete Elizabeth May, of Luxembourg, has entered the elite Contact Cup race in Wanaka tomorrow, setting up an intriguing race for Wanaka's Nicky Samuels, ranked at 33.
May is the partner of New Zealand elite athlete Clark Ellice, who is also racing in Wanaka.
May competed at the Beijing Olympics and finished in the top 10 at three world cup races last year.
Dewhurst said Wanaka fans would be disappointed Docherty and Gemmell would not be there but said athletes' schedules often changed.
