International triathletes dominated the field at the 28th Air New Zealand Rarotonga Triathlon event held on Saturday at Tikioki Tri Site.

The 2022 competition runner up Brent Knight of New Zealand claimed the annual Olympic distance event consisting of a 1.5-kilometre swim, 42km cycle and 10km run.

Knight clocked 2 hours 14:04 minutes to finish ahead of New Zealand’s Mike Roigard, last year’s champion, and Olivia Ritchie, who won the CITC Boiler Swim event on Thursday.

Knight finished his swim in 28:43 minutes, bike in 1 hour 2:47 minutes and run in 40:54 minutes.

Roigard, who finished in second place, clocked 2 hours 21:38 minutes (29:02 minutes swim, 1 hour 7:03 minutes bike and 43:56 mins run).

Ritchie, who was the first female to cross the finish line, clocked 2 hours 25:26 minutes – 24:58 minutes swim, 1:18:10 hours bike and 40:29 minutes run.

Cook Islands youngster Maya Postrzygacz finished second in female division in a time of 2:47:04 hours (28:14 mins swim, 1:21:56 hrs bike and 54:53 mins run) followed by her mum Adrianna Skurosz in third place (2:49:25 hrs – 31:32 mins swim, 1:20:28 hrs bike and 55:56 run).

New Zealand’s Carl Ritchie finished third in men’s division and fourth overall in a time of 2:26:50 hrs – 26:49 swim, 1:15:53 hrs bike and 42:14 run.

The first Cook Islander to cross the finish line in men’s division was veteran Roland Neururer who clocked 2:35:03 hrs – 28:06 minutes swim, 1:13:10 hrs bike and 51:54 minutes run.

In the team’s division, New Zealand’s Team Hunt comprising of Leighton Hunt and Liz Hunt finished on top after clocking 2:37:01 hours – 28:05 minutes swim, 1:12:48 hours bike and 54:46 mins run.

Cook Islands’ Tikioki Flyers of Taki Anaru, Geoff Stoddart and Greg Gustafson finished in second place in a time of 2:39:32 hours – 30:56 mins swim, 1:17:26 hrs bike and 49:37 mins run.

The Dean’s Team of Sally Wyatt, Dean Yarall and Matthew Wyatt from Cook Islands managed third place in a time of 2:44:58 hrs after finishing their swim in 38:14 mins, bike in 1:16:50 hrs and run in 48:08 mins.

Twenty-one (21) female triathletes took part in this year’sAir New Zealand Rarotonga Triathlon event alongside 18 in men’s division and 19 teams of two to three triathletes each.

The Ride Raro Mountain Bike Tour will be held this morning from The Edgewater Resort at 8am followed by the Hash House Harriers Fun Run in the afternoon.

On Tuesday, May 9, the Ride Raro Cycle Race will be held. Athletes start from the BSP Bank in town and do one flying lap of the island. This is a draft legal race, meaning that all cyclists will be riding very close to each other and at significant speeds. Road users are asked to take extra care on this afternoon and be very mindful of this race. Local athletes are welcome to be part of the fun, race entry is free for locals and cyclists must be at the start line to enter by 4pm on race day.

Programme

Monday 8th May 2023: Ride Raro Mountain Bike Tour – Venue: Edgewater at 8am, Hash House Harriers Fun Run and Island Feast at Beachside Arorangi (Next to The Sunset Resort) starting at 5pm; Tuesday 9th May 2023

Ride Raro Cycle Race from Avarua Township at 4:30pm, Post race BBQ and final get together at Edgewater Resort & Spa – Arorangi, starting at 7:30pm.