The Hindu : Sport : Ferraro takes triathlon gold

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 22, 2007
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Sport - Sports : General

Ferraro takes triathlon gold

Nandakumar Marar

— Photo: Vivek Bendre

ENDURANCE MAN: Giuseppe Ferraro overcame a nagging knee injury to win the triathlon event.

MUMBAI: Giuseppe Ferraro, competing in humid conditions similar to his hometown of Sicily, won the men’s individual triathlon gold at the fourth CISM Military World Games on Sunday. The triple sport event comprising swimming, biking and road running was held off the Marine Drive here.

Lin Xing asserted China’s dominance in the women’s individual event.

J. Jagadeeshan, a 19-year-old swimming specialist and Havildar with the Bombay Sappers, emerged the best Indian performer placing 30th out of 87 triathletes in men’s individual event.

The event started with a 1500m swim in the sea, was followed by 40km of cycling and ended with a 10km road run, as per Olympic standards.

Xing, a captain in the Chinese armed forces, is among 27 triathletes at the Mumbai WMG who have already qualified for 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Ferraro’s confidence in his running motivated him to hang on despite a bad start in the swimming leg and doubts about of how his injured knee would endure the tiring biking section. The leader of a five-member Italian pack in the men’s competition, he emerged from the waters as part of the second group of triathletes lapping the course. He remained in the Italian pack of cyclists trailing Russian Stanislav Kirlov. The lead kept changing before the Italian took charge on the third leg, outpacing Ivan Vasilev, another Russian who finished second.

Dodgy knee

“I was not sure if my knee would hold, so I drew comfort from being in a group, encouraging each other. The Russian was strong, but I was confident of my running, used to such humidity back in Sicily,” said the 31-year-old, attached to the Carabinerie.

China’s Zhang Yi left the others in her wake and made for the shore for the bike leg a clear leader. Netherlands Van den Maagden Berg took the lead on the biking sector for a brief phase, followed by Chinese triathletes, among whom Xing forced the pace, trailed by USA’s Justine Whipple, a Marine, when the group hit the roads for the running leg. The two kept their positions till the finish.

Italy picked up the men’s team title, China as expected swept the team honours in women’s. Russia and France took the second and third slots in both categories.

India occupied the 10th place in men’s team rankings

Final positions: Men’s individual: 1. Giuseppe Ferraro (Ita) 2. Ivan Vasilev (Rus) 3. Andreas Giglmayr (Aut), 4. Massimo Deponti (Ita), 5. Frederick Vanlierde (Bel). Indians: Jagadeeshan 30th, S. Bhise 41st, Mani Singh 43rd. Team: Italy, Russia, France.

Women’s individual: 1. Lin Xing (Chn), 2. Justine Whipple (USA), 3. Matveeva Eugeny (Rus), 4. Koshelinikova Eugeny (Rus), 5. Song Qiongyao (Chn). Team: China, Russia, France.

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