Kiwi triathlete Kieran Doe is celebrating a welcome return to racing after finishing a dramatic second at an ITU-sanctioned long distance event in China.
Doe hasn't raced since February's sprint-distance win at the Kinloch leg of the Contact Tri Series, but wasted no time getting into his rhythm in Sunday's race in Weihai, on China's north-east coast.
The 30-year-old Aucklander took an early lead on the four-lap, 3km opening swim leg, though had to conserve strength because of the chilly 15 degree waters.
He led Australian Aaron Farlow and Russian Dmitry Rostyagaev by a minute heading out onto the 80km bike leg, a gap which had narrowed slightly to 35secs as they came into transition for the 20km run.
"My legs were feeling heavy and slow and lacking race conditioning but by the end of the third 5km lap, I was starting to run free, although Dmitry was already 2mins clear," Doe said.
"I'd dropped back to fourth by that stage but started dropping 25-30secs off each kilometre. With around 750m to go, I'd caught Aaron and was only about 100m behind Dmitry and catching fast."
However, with 500m left, Doe and Farlow were hit with a 30sec penatly by zealous officials, who deemed they hadn't placed their helmets and wetsuits in a box during transition, leaving Rostyagaev with a clear run home. It also sparked a frantic final sprint for the trans-Tasman duo.
"After the longest 30secs, we both took off like it was a 100m track race - I gritted and pushed one last time knowing that who ever broke first would beat the other mentally thankfully Aaron had nothing to answer back with."
Rostyagaev clocked 4hrs 16mins 48.38secs, with Doe just over a minute adrift in 4:17:38.44. Farlow was third in 4:17:54.06.
Japan's Kiyomi Niwata won the women's title in 4:59:42.74, ahead of Norway's Kristin Lie in 5:19:11.23 and Caroline Koll (South Africa) in 5:26:05.65.
