Chance to race Willis too good to miss - Gemmell

KRIS GEMMELL: Will run in the 3000m race at the Capital Classic.

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World-ranked triathlete Kris Gemmell is switching codes to race Olympic medallist Nick Willis in Wellington on Friday night.

Gemmell, the world No 8, completes a classy field vying for the national 3000m championship title at the Capital Classic, including Willis, former national titleholder Kim Horgath, and Wellington contenders Rees Buck and Hamish Carson.

Gemmell said the chance to race Willis was too good to miss.

"I'd never pass up an opportunity to learn from someone like Nick," he said.

"It might come to a race five months down the line with 3km to go, and I might be able to call on this learning experience."

The unorthodox approach is a response to England's former cross-country runner and current ITU world champion Alistair Brownlee's blitz of triathlon's world championship series last year. Brownlee, with five straight wins culminating in the season-ending world championship title, forced his rivals to take a closer look at their programmes.

"Over the last year-and-a-half, that's [the running] the big part of our race that is changing the most," Gemmell said. "He's [Brownlee] sort of changed it. He's definitely pushing away at 1km or 2km, so he puts people under pressure straight away. Once you get dropped it's really hard to get back on.

"I'm hoping by doing this racing on the track and by not doing so much triathlon racing this summer, it will give me an advantage going into the world championship series in April."

Gemmell, who often competes off-season in cycle tours, hopes for another strong season. Last year he finished ahead of Kiwi team-mate Bevan Docherty on the ITU series leaderboard.

Gemmell was second in August in the ITU race in Yokohama and third in London during the same month.

Like Willis, Gemmell competed for New Zealand at the the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games and the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, but the triathlete expects the tactics on Friday night may be too hot to handle.

"I just want to do myself justice, and I will because I'll go as hard as I can."

- © Fairfax NZ News

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Joelski   #1   09:47 am Jan 21 2010

Smash 'em bro!

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