Challenge Wanaka yesterday announced its largest professional field in the six-year history of the long-distance triathlon.
The January 21 race is shaping up to be a transtasman battle, with defending champion Jamie Whyte, Bryan Rhodes, Kieran Doe, Keegan Williams and 2010 champion Richard Ussher (all of New Zealand) lining up against former world duathlon champion Leon Griffin, Courtney Ogden, Aaron Farlow and Justin Granger (all Australia).
The international field also includes the sport's most prolific iron-distance triathlete and Challenge Henley-on-Thames champion Petr Vabrousek, of the Czech Republic.
Challenge Wanaka 2008 champion and seven-time Inferno winner Marc Pschebizin, of Germany, has also entered the race.
The women's field is led by world record-breaker Rebekah Keat, of Australia, New Zealand's own record-holder Gina Crawford (who returns to the sport just months after giving birth to her first child), Australian half-iron distance champion Christie Sym, former Australian long-course champion Nicole Ward and former age group world champion Belinda Harper, of New Zealand.
More than 1200 age-group athletes will be racing in either the full and half iron distance in teams or as individuals.
The Challenge Wanaka Triathlon Festival expects to draw more than 2000 participants across a variety of events scheduled between January 15-21.
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