Old Fox Beven Is Too Canny Again

Sydney Morning Herald

Sunday April 20, 1997

LOUISE EVANS

Brad Beven showed the young bucks yesterday he's still the leader of the pack by claiming his fifth title at the national championships held on a rain-drenched course at Mooloolaba.

The 28-year-old Beven arrived at the championship under threat from a fresh challenger in Cronulla's Chris McCormack.

McCormack, five years Beven's junior, proved he is not just fodder making up the elite fields by breaking through to claim the Japan World Cup race last weekend.

Beven was impressed but in no way stressed by McCormack's arrival on the world stage. The old fox from northern Queensland is quite used to being under pressure and staged a clever race. He surged ahead of an elite field that was missing an ailing and absent Greg Welch and World Cup champion Miles Stewart, who watched from the sidelines with a knee injury, until only McCormack remained.

McCormack thought he had the better of Beven when they went into the final 10km run leg and believed he could outkick his idol to win the first national title he had ever contested. The talented offspring of a Bondi father and a Maori mother even flirted briefly with the thought of victory as he ran bravely with Beven for 8km.

Beven flaunted his authority heading uphill on the last lap to win the title in 1hr51min3s, 11 seconds ahead of McCormack who was left to savour second, while Shane Reed collected third in 1hr51min54s.

The first three also earned automatic world championship qualification while McCormack collected the consolation prize of a tour trophy.

Afterwards Beven acknowledged McCormack as a future champion but admitted it was fun to scare the young guns.

"It is good if you can intimidate a little bit, but that is not what I set out to do," Beven said. "It is the Australian way that when you are doing well for so long that everyone cheers for the underdog. I wanted to test Chris and get away. I saved it until the last lap, when he was feeling tired after going head-to-head."

The elite women's race was won easily by World Cup champion Emma Carney, who established a commanding lead in the final run leg to win in 2hr6min17s.

Sydney athlete Nici Andronicus produced her best career race to finish second in 2hr6min48s, while training partner Rina Hill was third in 2hr7min21s.

Andronicus feared she would have to withdraw from the opening swim leg because of crippling shoulder pain but she fought on to gain world championship selection.

The national titles were held against a background of anxiety among the leading competitors concerned about a dispute with the International Triathlon Union over sponsorship of the new Olympic sport.

The triathletes are worried that the ITU is trying to limit their personal sponsorship deals as it seeks backing for its world series, a move they believe is threatening their professionalism and integrity.

The ongoing fight has exhausted Australia's world champion Jackie Gallagher, who withdrew from the national titles on Saturday, fighting mental and physical fatigue.

Many of the triathletes look to Gallagher for direction and leadership and she has felt the weight of that responsibility in dealings with the ITU.

Gallagher said the sponsorship problems could be overcome through negotiation.

"There are restrictions on us in terms of our sponsors and we have to work on that rather than be dictated to," Gallagher said.

"There have been some issues in our sport which threaten our professionalism. I don't think we have been treated with respect from some of the decision-makers in the sport. The athletes have the right to choose our future. We are professionals and I want to defend our right to act as professionals.

"I have to stand up for my integrity and what I believe in. I am not the sort of person who can put my destiny into other hands. I have to have an active role. It is a young sport that is changing rapidly and we all have to be involved in it."

© 1997 Sydney Morning Herald

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