Triathlon: Hewitt's championship hopes melt

Andrea Hewitt. Photo / Kenny Rodger

New Zealand triathlete Andrea Hewitt paid heavily for a poor swim as her world championship series campaign ended on a tame note today.

Hewitt entered the seventh and last race of the International Triathlon Union series overnight at Budapest, Hungary, with solid title aspirations but they effectively disappeared in the first leg of the race.

Hewitt eventually finished 22nd, more than three minutes behind the winner, Australian Emma Snowsill, to tumble from second to sixth in the series standings.

The series title was won by Australian Emma Moffatt, who finished second today. Hewitt had to finish ahead of Moffatt today and snare a top-three result to win the series crown.

Instead, she was left to rue an inadequate 1.5km swim leg when she emerged from the water almost 1min behind Snowsill and Moffatt and struggled thereafter to make up for lost time.

Hewitt posted a time of one hour 53 minutes 11 seconds for the race over the 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run, well behind Snowsill's 1hr 49min 43sec.

Kate McIlroy was the best of the New Zealanders in 12th place in a time of 1hr 52min 19sec, with Debbie Tanner 16th in 1hr 52min 41sec. Tanner finished 16th in the series and McIlroy 22nd.

- NZPA