Triathlon: Top three disqualified in triathlon

Cameron Brown (left) and Sam Osbourne speak with race organiser Sheryl McLay. Photo / Andrew Warner

Rotorua's Sam Osbourne and Taupo triathletes Cameron Todd and Kyle Smith might have been the first three across the line in the Eves Surfbreaker triathlon, but none made it to the podium.

The top three were all disqualified after leading the field all the way from the the tricky opening swim leg in boiling early morning surf off Mount Main Beach on Saturday.

But, when a clearly agitated Cameron Brown made a beeline straight to race organiser Sheryl McLay after he finished in fifth place it was obvious something was up.

Brown's argument was that the three leaders sat in behind a van that pulled out in front of them on the bike leg for an illegal advantage.

Osbourne quickly owned up to the error and admitted they made a mistake.

"It was a pretty unprofessional thing to do. One of the guys was calling it to go faster.

"It is not the right thing to do in a race. It is cheating, absolutely," he said.

"It is a little bit disappointing because I like coming back here and have won here before but you can't take it at all. It doesn't feel right crossing the finish line in first knowing that sort of thing happened."

Into the limelight stepped Fynn Thompson, 18, from Cambridge who out sprinted multiple winner Brown for fourth place but was quickly promoted to the winner's circle.

"I was behind them and holding a gap when suddenly it opened up really fast and I wasn't really sure what was happening," Thompson said.

"I was pleased with how I went because it was a test race before I compete in the junior Oceania champs in Sydney in two weeks' time."

Rebecca Smith (North Shore) finished strongly to take the women's title in 54.41 from athletes Mikayla Nielsen (57.30) and Suzanne Landers (1.00.21).

Eves Surfbreaker sprint distance triathlon:

(750m swim, 18km bike, 5km run)

Male: Flynn Thompson 49:15 1, Cameron Brown 49.18 2, Kieran McPherson 50:12 3. Female: Rebecca Spence 54:41 1, Mikayla Nielsen 57.30 2, Suzanne Landers 1:00:21 3.

Super sprint all ages (375m swim; 8km cycle; 2.5km run)

Super sprint all ages (375m swim; 8km cycle; 2.5km run)

Male: Nick Wotton 37:47 1, Jamie Shields 40:12 2, Chris Wotten 48:37 3 (all Tauranga)

Female: Hannah Knighton 38:38 1, Kaylee Mudgway 40:33 2 (Tauranga), Abbie Mortimer 43:20 3 (Tauranga)