Athletes Tri It on Hamilton Island in Perfect Racing Conditions 

Around 300 athletes took to the waters, roads and airport runway of Hamilton Island today for the annual Fujifilm Hamilton Island Triathlon.

The event was held in perfect conditions with a 750 metre swim in Catseye Bay followed by a 20km cycle around the southern part of Hamilton Island including the airport runway and a 5km run around the marina with a finish on the resort-side of the island.

Former world junior triathlon champion Ashleigh Gentle took out the women’s division of the event in a blistering time of 1 hour 12 minutes and 15 seconds ahead of her nearest rival Athens Olympian Maxine Seear.

Maxine’s brother James (Jimmy) Seear took the honours in the men’s division in a time of 1 hour 2 minutes and 35 seconds over semi-professional and his companion on the world circuit Joshua Amberger.

Ironman and Ocean swimming champion Ky Hurst, lead his team to victory in the team division of the event. The win was the perfect warm-up for tomorrow afternoon’s Whitehaven Beach Ocean Swim.

Around 300 swimmers will compete at the only sporting event permitted to be held on the iconic Whitehaven Beach, which is consistently named as one of the world’s best beaches. Participants include ‘Madame Butterfly’ Susie O’Neill and around 10 other Olympian swimmers will also be competing in the ocean swim.

Other sporting events to be held on Hamilton Island this weekend include the Fujifilm Hamilton Island Junior Triathlon tomorrow morning.

In a move from traditional kid’s triathlons, the children won’t compete in age-groups but will race a choice of three distances depending on their ability and experience.

Other fitness fanatics can participate in the Dent Dash tomorrow morning. The non-competitive social event sees participants either run or walk 18 holes of the spectacular Hamilton Island Golf Course which is approximately 10.6km. If that’s too energetic, they can choose between the front nine holes (4.2km) or the back nine (4.6km).

-ENDS-

Image library and media centre: www.hamiltonisland.com.au/medialibrary or www.hamiltonisland.com.au/media-centre/ Please click on the ‘Events’, then ‘Triathlon’ tab. Pictures credit to Andrea Francolini please.

Media contacts:
Joanne Wilkinson, mob: +61 (0)416 036 713, jwilkinson@hamiltonisland.com.au
Katie Cahill, mob: +61 (0)439 775 656, kcahill@hamiltonisland.com.au