NZ 12th in mixed triathlon

The four-strong New Zealand team battled to finish 12th in the mixed triathlon today.

New Zealand – Ainsley Thorpe, Tayler Reid, Nicole van der Kaay and Hayden Wilde – were ranked fifth going into the event and were looking for a higher placing among the 16 starters, but struggled with the heat and tough nature of the course and were never really a factor.

The race called for each team member to swim 300m, cycle 8km and run 2km.

Thorpe was eighth out of the water on the first leg, but dropped back through the bike ride and run and handed over to Reid in 16th position, 1min 30s behind the leaders. Reid pulled it back slightly and handed over to van der Kaay in 14th spot.

Van der Kaay was solid but could gain only one spot. Wilde, the bronze medallist in the individual event, brought New Zealand up to 12th.

The New Zealanders recorded 1min 26.53s, 3min 12s behind the winners, Great Britain, who were followed home by the United States and France.