Docherty just needs a gold

JOHN DONEGAN/Fairfax Media

HARD WORK: Bevan Docherty clings to the New Zealand flag as he crosses the finish line in third place in the men's triathlon.

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Kiwi triathlete Bevan Docherty will have to keep the sock drawer open for another four years as he looks to complete the Olympic set in London.

Docherty yesterday won bronze at the Ming Tombs Reservoir course in Beijing to add to the silver medal he won in Athens in 2004.

A gold medal at the next Olympics would cap off a remarkable collection and the 31-year-old would be able to shut close a drawer - the place where most Kiwi Olympic medallists stash their booty - chocker of memorable moments on triathlon's toughest stage.

But it will require some patience, something he clung to yesterday as he waited and hung off the shoulders of those that posed his main threats on a picturesque Chinese course.

That patience almost took him up another rung on the Olympic rostrum, only to slip away in the final few hundred metres of a gruelling race.

But it was difficult to hide the delight from Docherty's face - mixed with some anguish after the energy-sapping heat took its toll on the 55-strong men's field - as he sat down just moments after crossing the finish line to talk to the media.

He had done the best he could and a bronze medal was a reward he was happy with.

"Right now I'm stoked to get another medal, especially in a field like this."

Nerves played a big part in his build-up with the pressure mounting on him as one of the race favourites.

But he admitted that in a few months time he would be haunted by that elusive gold medal.

His dreams leading into yesterday's swim, bike, run event would have included many scenarios based around Javier Gomez, the Spanish triathlete who has dominated the sport in over the past 12 months.

Keeping Gomez in his sights in the last 2km of the run would have been one of the acts played out in the restless nights leading into yesterday's race.

Outsprinting the Spaniard for a medal would have been another.

And Docherty could comfortably check that list off just metres from the finish line which, based on pre-race form, should have been enough to give him the Olympic gold.

But just a few steps ahead, unheralded German Jan Frodeno and veteran Canadian Simon Whitfield had already snared the major spoils in dramatic fashion.

Whitfield, who was the first man to win an Olympic triathlon gold medal in Sydney eight years ago, had been the first to put the kick on the four in the lead group - including Docherty, Gomez and Frodeno - with about 200m to go as he eyed another top spot on the podium.

But Frodeno, who flew under the radar heading into the race, was to steal his thunder as he chased him down, breaking the tape in 1hr 48mins 53.28seconds with Whitfield five seconds back.

Docherty claimed his second Olympic medal when he crossed in 1:49:05.59 with Gomez melting into fourth place.

The Kiwi was quick to pay tribute to his New Zealand team-mates who had worked for him in the early stages of the race.

"It does help things," he said.

"I have to pay my respect to my team-mates and other guys who were out there and sacrificed their race for us."

Shane Reed was the first athlete out of the water and pushed hard on the bike leg along with Kris Gemmell who was haunted by a foot injury he suffered just weeks out from his first Olympic triathlon.

Gemmell, who was one of the last out of the swims, transitioned into the run leg in the lead group but was unable to maintain the pace as the cut on his foot re-opened.

He was 39th to finish, five places behind Reed.

- © Fairfax NZ News