Gemmell takes title by finishing second

Kris Gemmell finished second at the national triathlon championships in Wellington on Saturday but he was still crowned the winner.

Frenchman Laurent Vidal won the race in 1h 53m 9s, with Gemmell 11 seconds back, but Vidal was ineligible to claim the Oceania or New Zealand titles.

Because Oceania is such a small region, outsiders are welcome to enter the race but cannot claim the official accolades whereas Gemmell is not allowed to race in the European championships, which attract large numbers of entrants from within Europe.

The Manawatu 32-year-old said it was a strange situation, but it did not feel like a hollow victory. "Not so much for us because we have that situation happen quite often," he said in reference to foreigners entering the race.

"It was a good race; we went out pretty hard on the run. I knew that's where it was going to happen.

"It was good. I didn't win which would've been nice, but it's all part of the process."

Gemmell trained with Vidal for the past week at altitude in the South Island and said they got to know each other's strengths and weaknesses.

World No6 Vidal is the partner of New Zealand star Andrea Hewitt, of Christchurch. She won the women's race on Saturday in 2h 6m 34s, ahead of Debbie Tanner and Nicky Samuels.

Gemmell now continues his buildup to the first world championship event in Sydney next month.

- © Fairfax NZ News