Bevan Docherty's world championship victory in Spain could lead to New Zealand hosting more international triathlon events.
The hotbed of triathlon talent in New Zealand has not gone unnoticed by the sport's world governing body, the International Triathlon Union, and Docherty's win in Madeira puts the country back in the spotlight.
Triathlon
New Zealand chief executive Mike Kernaghan said the ITU had expressed interest in the World Cup circuit coming to New Zealand.
"The ITU is keen for us, if at all possible in the future, to be part of the World Cup circuit because we're considered to be one of the stronger nations together with Australia, the United States and a few European countries," he said.
New Zealand hosted the world championships in Wellington in 1994, and again in Queenstown last December.
"The budget for that was a tick over $2 million and that was three years in the planning," Kernaghan said.
"But it certainly does prove that we are able to host something of that magnitude, which is a bit of a feather in the cap for the sport here.
"It's this part of the world that I think the ITU is interested in, in terms of racing in the southern hemisphere," he said.
"It's certainly something we would like to do. Who knows, in the next three years we could have got to a position where we could do something like that."
Kernaghan said cost was a drawback.
"It's something that is financially very difficult to pull off. There is significant prizemoney now for each race, so you're talking about a couple of hundred grand before you start in prizemoney for men and women."
New Zealand has long been one of the leading countries in triathlon, with Erin Baker, Rick Wells and Hamish Carter frequent top finishers in world championship events.
Now Docherty has his feet firmly planted on the podium, with Shane Reed, Nathan Richmond and Kris Gemmell waiting in the wings.
And there are more on the way. Dunedin junior Sarah Bryant and Auckland's Terenzo Bozzone are ready to step into the elite fields, and Christchurch brothers Luke and Ben Hoetjes have been earmarked as medal contenders.
Kernaghan said Docherty's world championship victory would "enhance" the interest and enthusiasm of budding triathletes at grassroots level.
"The Weet-Bix Kiwi Kids series has had phenomenal growth in the last couple of years and those young kids will latch on to performances like Bevan's."
- NZPA
