Courtesy: USAT

French duathlete Corrine Raux and British triathlete Tim Don won the elite titles at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Dannon Duathlon World Championships on Sunday.

Elite triathlete Barb Lindquist (Victor, Idaho), competing in her first duathlon as a warm-up for the world triathlon championships next month, was the top U.S. women's finisher in sixth place. Greg Watson (Hinsdale, Mass.) was the top U.S. men's finisher in 15th.

The United States did not go without medals on Sunday, as Grace Ann Nathanson (Baton Rouge, La.) took second in the junior elite sprint race. Marisa Ryan (Farmington, Conn.) placed fourth in the same race. Tyler Johnson (Colorado Springs, Colo.) took second in the under-21 men's race.

Johnson finished the 10k run, 40k bike and 5k run in 1 hour, 51 minutes, 54 seconds. He finished 10 seconds behind his roommate and training partner in Colorado Springs, Rory Mackie of Zimbabwe. After sitting in with a pack of eight on the bike, Mackie and Johnson broke away on the second run.

"I was trying to suffer as much as I could (on the second run)," Johnson said. "It came down to the two of us. I couldn't have written a better ending."

In the women's race, top duathletes Annie Emmerson (Great Britain), Lucy Smith (Canada) and defending world champion Erika Csomor (Hungary) set a blistering pace on the first run, completing it in just over 34 minutes. The pack of three held a 1:30 minute lead on the first lap of the bike and looked to be unbeatable.

But the chase pack, including France's Edwidge Pitel, Raux, Lindquist and Great Britain's Michelle Dillon and Vicky Pincomb, eventually caught the leaders. Raux said that it was after the bike when she realized she could win. She made her attack on a hill around the 2.5k mark.

"My objective was to be in the top 10," said Raux, whose winning time was 1:57:36. "When I started the second run, I realized I could win. I'm a better runner than cyclist."

Csomor went on to finish second (1:57:50) and Pitel was third (1:58:02).

Lindquist, who is known for being a swim specialist, ran the 10k in 35:37 and the 5k in 18:12, and kept pace with some of the top runners in duathlon.

"It was definitely fun," Lindquist said. "I think I'll stick with triathlons, but I'll definitely do a duathlon again."

While the skies were cloudy all day, it wasn't until the start of the elite men's race that rain began to fall in buckets. The storm brought thunder and lightning that had race organizers wondering if they should continue the race.

However, the rains lightened by the start of the bike and competitors did not seem bothered by the weather.

Don did not seem bothered as he took the lead on the first run with Belgium's Jurgen Dereere and defending world champion Benny Vansteelant. The three took the lead on the bike and worked together until Vansteelant broke away. Dereere began to cramp and he and Don fell back with the pack. By the end of the bike, Vansteelant had also fallen back into the large chase pack and it was anybody's race.

"On the second run, I had to work hard," Don said. "I wasn't the first out of transition. I got to the front, but on the way back in, Greg (Bennett of Australia) and the Italian (Luca Barzaghi) caught me."

Don held on for the win in 1:45:28. Bennett, the No. 1-ranked triathlete in the world, finished just behind in 1:45:29 and Barzaghi was third in 1:45:34. Vansteelant went on to finish 31st.

Watson, who finished in 1:46:11, was happy with his race.

"I'm not a runner, I'm more of a cyclist; so I was happy I did as well as I did," he said.

ITU Dannon Duathlon World Championships
Oct. 20, 2002; Alpharetta, Ga.
10k run; 40k bike; 5k run

Elite Men
1. Tim Don (Great Britain) 1:45:28; 2. Greg Bennett (Australia) 1:45:29; 3. Luca Barzaghi (Italy) 1:45:34; 4. Alessandri Alessandr (Italy) 1:45:40 ; 5. Felix Martinez (Spain) 1:45:41; 6. Lino Barruncho (Portugal) 1:45:41; 7. Francois L'huissier (France) 1:45:41; 8. Armand Va Der Smisse (Netherlands) 1:45:43; 9. Marcel Laros (Netherlands) 1:45:43; 10. Stephane Beghaud (France) 1:45:46

U.S. Finishers

15. Greg Watson (Hinsdale, Mass.); 18. Eric Schwartz (Boulder, Colo.); 22. Travis Kuhl (Carthage, N.Y.); 29. Brent Perdrizet (Tucson, Ariz.); 35. Chris Tolonen (Seattle, Wash.); 39. Jay Cech (Chapel Hill, N.C.); 40. Sam Wilbur (Boulder, Colo.)

Elite Women
1. Corine Raux (France) 1:57:36; 2. Erika Csomor (Hungary) 1:57:50; 3. Edwidge Pitel (France) 1:58:02; 4. Annie Emmerson (Great Britain) 1:58:21; 5. Michelle Dillon (Great Britain) 1:58:30; 6. Barb Lindquist (Victor, Idaho) 1:58:33; 7. Vicky Pincombe (Great Britain) 1:58:43; 8. Andrea Whitcombe (Great Britain) 1:59:36; 9. Lucy Smith (Canada) 2:01:47; 10. Agnes Eppers (Bolivia) 2:02:13

Other U.S. Finishers

13. Andrea Ratkovic (Norman, Okla.); 14. Desiree Ficker (Potomac, Md.); 16. Lauren Jensen (New Berlin, Wis.); 17. Michelle Kitze (Kettering, Ohio); 19. Anne Curi Preisig (Falmouth, Mass.); 21. Melissa Hopkins (Birmingham, Ala.)

Complete results are available on the race web site at www.worlddu2002.com.