OPERATION YOKOHAMA A STITCH IN TIME FOR BRAVE KERR

By

May 9, 2013

After the best summer of his career, Victorian Peter Kerr, faces “the mental game that is triathlon” in Saturday’s third round of the ITU World Triathlon Championship in Yokohama following the removal of his appendix on April 2.

Kerr and fellow Australians Dan Wilson, Cameron Good and Ryan Bailie will line up alongside London Olympic medallists, Javier Gomez (Spain) and Jonathan Brownlee (Great Britain) and Portugal’s two-time and defending champion Joao Silva.

He was third to Gomez in the Mooloolaba World Cup following his victories in the Oceania Championship in Wellington and the Oceania Sprint Championship in Devonport and after claiming the Australian Sprint title in Geelong.

Originally planning to make his 2013 WTS debut in San Diego last month, 24-year-old Kerr’s season got sidelined when he was admitted to hospital on April 1 for an appendectomy 24 hours later, followed by time out attempting to recover his fitness, which included an initial bed-ridden week followed by an hour-by-hour “slowly does it” sessions on the bike, building into riding freely at the end of week two.

“Given my appendix was at the back, the surgeons had to push past my hip flexor. This was what gave me most grief on the bike other than my abdominals,” Kerr revealed this week.

“So with some self massage here and there I was able to press on. Since then I have built together a few weeks of training, slowly putting volume and quality back in the routine.”

Given the interrupted preparation Kerr is realistic about his chances but is still hopeful he can swing a performance that sees him mixing it with the big boys.

“I feel like I have achieved some good outcomes in training that would indicate I can get myself into a good position for a result somewhere in the top 20. I am just looking to see how high I can climb myself at day's end,” Kerr said.

“I can’t expect season best form as the numbers simply aren’t there but I think I can still come away happy. The game for this week will be to convince myself to change that word think to confident. The mental game that is triathlon is right on the cards for me.”

The Aussie men are also back in the WTS in greater numbers in Yokohama with Kerr, Bailie, Good and Wilson expected to feature strongly and looking to make an impression on the world scene.

 Despite Yokohama being low on numbers, Kerr is aware that he will still have his work cut out in a quality field.
 
“The Russian contingent is full, the next line of Brits after the Brownlees are also very strong. Adding to that the likes of Silva, Gomez and Moulai, it still has a great Euro quality feel to the race and I think the win will still be one of a top quality,” said Kerr who is also impressed with the flexibility and the mixed bag of tricks the young Aussie line up will contribute to the Yokohama race.

“Cam (Good) has had a couple of early season results showing his solid range on the three aspects. Great swim biker Dan Wilson is always looking to charge early. Also a breakaway specialist in Ryan Bailie who has done so at most races he's competed this year, he also has the ability to control a bike bunch which can help the likes of Dan,” Kerr said.
 
After a strong result in Auckland, Ryan Bailie comes back into the WTS ‘raring to go'.

“I’ve managed to achieve little targets set across the board during training and can't wait to get amongst it. I feel Auckland has given me some confidence and I just want to keep the ball rolling. I'm excited to compete in Japan and experience the course in Yokohama. It is always interesting racing in a new place,” Bailie said.

“The key is still to nail a good swim. If this is achieved then there is no reason why I can't achieve similar feats as in Auckland. I'm definitely searching for consistency this season and the swim is the key not only in this race but the year ahead.”

“Our sports can be cruel some days and be defined by seconds. It's improved out of sight this year though I'm always looking for that small extra little bit that might help me find that two seconds that can be the difference between making that front pack and missing it.”

If experience counts for anything, Silva comes to round three holding all the cards but he will still have to contend with the reigning Olympic silver and bronze medallists, Gomez and Jonathan Brownlee, who are both desperate to get vital series points in the chase for the 2013 World Champion’s crown.
 
The Olympic medallists won’t have it all their own way either and there will be plenty of athletes out to spoil the party.

Richard Murray (RSA) has made the jump this year and given his improved run is a genuine podium chance in Yokohama and the small field is also dominated by Russians Andrey Bryukhankov, Dmitry Polyanskiy, Igor Polyanskiy, Denis Vasiliev and Ivan Vasiliev.

Meanwhile the women’s race will feature two-time Olympian and two-time world champion Emma Moffatt joined by young Australians Ashleigh Gentle, Charlotte McShane and Natalie Van Coevorden.

Moffatt has struck some good form in the first half of the year, finishing second in the 70.7 in Geelong; third in round two of the WTS in San Diego and third again in the recent US 50.5 Series opener in Florida’s St. Anthony’s Triathlon.

The small women’s field is a perfect opportunity for the young Aussie trio to gain some valuable experience.

Gentle, who did not run for eight weeks due to a foot injury, has fully recovered and is ready to kick-start her season.

She has consistently featured in the top ten of late but has yet to break through to the podium. She will be hoping the experience of finishing sixth in Yokohama last year will serve her well on the weekend.

Coach Craig Walton is confident Gentle will perform well and is chasing a top ten finish against a small but highly-talented field.

“It wasn’t a career threatening injury but something that just had to be managed and we have been able to do that quite successfully and compensated for the lack of running by boosting other areas.

“Ashleigh will return next week, and put together an all-important six-week block of training before embarking on the European legs starting in Kitzbuhel (July 6) followed by Hamburg (July 20-21), Stockholm (August 24,25) and the Grand Final in London (September 11-15).

“Given Ashleigh’s time away from running we had always targeted the mid to late season events and come then she should be fully of running.”

McShane and Van Coevorden are also keen to build on their ninth and tenth place performances in Auckland and are primed to get their teeth into some real racing and repeat or better, their top ten finishes.

If Gwen Jorgensen (USA) repeats her stunning form from San Diego, she will be hard to beat but WTS racing is full of surprises and Maaike Caelers (NED), Anne Haug (GER), Jodie Stimpson (GBR) and Moffatt will be determined to make Jorgensen work for the win.

Race Times:

•    WOMEN’S RACE (9am AEST Saturday, May 11, 2013)
•    MEN’S RACE (Noon AEST Saturday, May 11, 2013)
•    LIVE COVERAGE: Live video coverage from Yokohama will be available on race day at triathlon.org/tv or at @triathlonlive on Twitter

Click here for more information about how to follow the race>>