Australians Dominate the 2000 Lamisil Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon; Five-time Alcatraz Champion Michellie Jones a Gold Medal Favorite for Triathlon Debut in Sydney.

Sports Editors/Track & Field Writers & Columnists

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SAN FRANCISCO--(BW SportsWire)--May 27, 2000

In a repeat performance from the 1998 event, Australians Chris McCormack and Michellie Jones dominated the 2000 Lamisil AT Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco today. With triathlon's debut at the Sydney Games this summer, this year's race was one of the most competitive in the event's history with five-time Alcatraz Champion Michellie Jones leading the "race for Olympic Gold."

"This race is always a great challenge for me," said the 29-year old Michellie Jones, who won the race in 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999. "Since there's so many obstacles along the way, this is one of those races that you need to keep coming back to in order to prove that you can do it again." Michellie won the event with a time of 2:18:00, a full 6 1/2 minutes in front of Wendy Ingraham (2:24:30), the second place finisher in the women's field. Lisa Bentley and Michelle Deasy (of San Francisco) finished third and fourth respectively.

"Obviously I've been training a lot," said the 27-year old McCormack, who will be an alternate on the Australian Olympic team this summer. "I felt really good during the whole race, particularly during the bike." After coming out of the water in second place behind Kerry Classen, McCormack took the early lead on the bike and led the rest of the competition, finishing with a time of 2:04:26. McCormack placed second in last year's competition and won the event in 1998. Peter Clode of New Zealand finished in second place with a time of 2:07:36 and Classen placed third (2:07:54). Peter Kain of Cupertino, CA was the first amateur to finish in the men's field for the second consecutive year.

Over 1,000 competitors competed in this year's Lamisil AT Escape from Alacraz event, including participants from 44 states and 11 countries. The 20-year old race, which sold by early January, featured a 1 1/2 mile swim from Alcatraz Island, an 18 mile bike through the streets of San Francisco and an 8-mile run along the coastal trail, finishing at San Francisco's Marina Green.

12-year old Crystal McDonald (from Houston, TX), the youngest competitor in the event's history, finished in a time of 3:16:13.

The event is staged and produced by TWI (Trans World International), the television division of Mark McCormack's IMG, and sponsored by Lamisil AT. The event will air nationally in syndication as a one-hour sports special from June 18th through July 18th. Check local listings for times and dates in your area.

Top  Men

Chris McCormack   (Australia)                        2:04:26
Peter Clode       (New Zealand)                      2:07:36
Kerry Classen     (Nashville, TN)                    2:07:54
Luc Van Lierde    (Belgium)                          2:08:58

Top Women

Michellie Jones   (Australia)                        2:18:00
Wendy Ingraham    (Walnut Creek, CA)                 2:24:30
Lisa Bentley      (Ontario, Canada)                  2:30:19
Michelle Deasy    (San Francisco, CA)                2:30:39

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