Multisport: Otago student in control on day one

GREYMOUTH: Otago University students Rhys John and Ollie Palmer stamped their mark on the first day of the two-day section of the Coast to Coast yesterday.

The day belonged to John (21), a fourth-year medical student who cleaned up the individual section.

He completed the three-stage section to Klondyke Corner in 3hr 13min 39sec to hold a 5min 11sec lead over James Kuegler (Auckland) going into today's 152km three-stage section to Sumner Beach.

Also snapping at John's heels is fellow scarfie Palmer, a second-year commerce student who, at 18, is one of the youngest competitors in the individual category.

Palmer completed the first day in 3hr 35min 51sec to be in fifth position.

Both will discover, when racing starts again early this morning, just how fickle any carry-over time advantage can be.

John experienced this first-hand two years ago, when he held a similar advantage, only to be raced down on the 70km cycling section into Christchurch and having to settle for fourth.

However, he said at the end of racing yesterday he felt better prepared this year.

He has the added motivation of wishing to finish well clear of his father, Stephen, who has contested 16 previous Coast to Coast events and finished yesterday in 5hr 56min.

"Dad has a best result of fourth, so we're even in terms of results at the moment," Rhys said.

Should John win the two-day section later today, he will not only earn family bragging rights but, at 1.98m, will also become one of the tallest winners in the 28-year history of the event.

John's mother, Lynne, has competed in two previous Coast to Coasts and brother Huw (20), a third-year medical student at Otago, competed in the team section three years ago.

Little brother Owain (16) trained to enter the team section this year but his team-mate had to pull out.

"We'd planned a family thing, but it didn't quite work out," Rhys said.

Wanaka-based physiotherapist Joanna Williams had cause for early celebrations yesterday when she led the women's field to Klondyke Corner in 4hr 18min 13sec and established a record time on the 55km cycle stage from Kumara to Deception Bridge.

Williams' time for the stage of 1hr 42min 41sec surpassed the time set by Megan Kennedy in 2004 by 3min 1sec, and is also faster than the 1hr 43min 2sec posted by Olympian Kathy Lynch in 1997 as a longest-day competitor.