Ironman: Sportsman of the Year puts bubbly on ice for now

By JULIE ASH in Taupo

Cameron Brown has kept the champagne on ice since being named Sportsman of the Year.

The Aucklander lines up in Taupo today to defend his national ironman title.

"It is fantastic to have been honoured," Brown said.

Thursday night's award caps an outstanding season in which he finished in the top three in three ironman events, becoming the first New Zealand man to achieve a podium finish - second - at the world championships in Hawaii.

Sportsman of the Year "is a very special way to cap off 2001, but tomorrow is another race and I have to continue on," he said.

"There is a bit of pressure to perform now but I am a professional athlete and I have to handle that."

Brown won last year's Ironman New Zealand event in 8h 24m 28s, but is expecting some tough competition from second seed and two-time winner Petr Vabrousek, of the Czech Republic, and Christchurch's Scott Ballance, the only other Kiwi man to have won the title.

Ironman New Zealand is the country's biggest international event. It is also one of the richest, with $120,000 up for grabs.

In its 18th year, the event has attracted a record 1135 participants. Of these, 723 are internationals from 39 countries.

Competitors swim 3.8km, cycle 180km and run 42km, starting in Taupo at 7 am.

"I am really looking forward to it," Brown said.

"I have been training for the last three or four months. There's no doubt it will be a close race."

Also in contention for the men's elite title is former Australian swimming champion John Van Wisse, who was fourth last year, Canada's Garrett MacFadyen, who had three top-four finishes in ironmans last year, and Jan Rehula, of the Czech Republic, who won bronze in the triathlon at the Sydney Olympics.

Ballance's wife Karyn is the top-ranked New Zealand woman, seeded third behind American Wendy Ingraham and Brazil's Fernanda Keller.

Ingraham, of San Francisco, has made the top 10 in all major triathlon events over the past decade and has placed fourth in three Hawaiian Ironmans.

Keller won the Brazil championship in 2000 and has finished third in six world triathlon competitions.

She is a sporting icon in Brazil and works as a model, with her own clothing lines.

Karyn Ballance finished second in the last three Ironman New Zealand events, but has stepped up her training in a bid to secure the top spot.

"Wendy and Fernanda are very good, but they have come out of their winter so it is going to be a good race," Ballance said.

"I think the first woman home will cross the line in about 9h 20s, so you are going to have to go fast to win it.

"I am not a good swimmer, so I won't feature until the end and will be playing catch-up the whole way."

She said the Taupo course generally suited her.

"I don't like technical bike courses and Taupo is not technical.

"It is also quite a flat course."

Ballance said that having husband Scott to help her to get through 25 hours a week of training was a bonus.

"It takes a bit of pressure off me because I know he is out there as well, and we do look out for each other.

"If only one of us was competing we wouldn't see each other."

Having competed in several ironmans, including the Hawaiian event, Ballance is not sure how many triathlons she has left in her.

"I was really disappointed last year," she said. "I really want a good win, but even if I do win I am not sure what I am going to do after it. This could be the end - I am not sure."