Smooth win a surprise for triathlete
JUNIOR triathlete Brian Bozarth kicked off his 1995 campaign with overall victory in the Beaver Freezer Super Sprint Championships in Corvallis, Oregon, in the United States.
The 19-year-old Hong Kong triathlete showed his class by completing the 500 m swim, 13 km bike and 5 km run course in 55 minutes and 12 seconds.
Brian was one of the first to get out of the pool, but quickly took the lead shortly after the first transition, building up a one-minute advantage at the end of the bike leg.
He then held off the determined challenge from defending champion Josiah Jones for his third straight US victory, having won the last two races of his 1994 season.
'I had planned to use this as a training race because I haven't competed for more than two months, but things went most smoothly for me,' said Brian, a university freshman.
'The course was flat and fast and I was all pumped up to do well when I hit the lead shortly after the first transition.
'But I am exceptionally pleased with my running, which is my weakest routine. I did well to hold off Josiah Jones. This must be one of my best runs.' Three teenage judokas will fly the territory's colour at the Malaysian Open Championships following the recent change of selection policy by the Hong Kong Judo Association (HKJA).
The HKJA had passed a controversial rule not to consider players over the age of 30 for future international representation earlier this year so chances can be given to budding young players.
Yu Wai-cheong will compete in the men's under-65 kg category in the Kuala Lumpur tournament this weekend while the two-strong women's team comprise Chan Man-sum (under-52 kg) and Lai Wai-san (under-72 kg).
HKJA's Lui Hon-wah said: 'Many of our senior internationals have been in the team for too long and they haven't produced the results to justify their positions.
'We cannot hope for a breakthrough if we stick to the Old Guard and do not send our young players to gain experience at international level.' The Malaysian tournament is the first international event since the HKJA banned over-30 players, and for women judokas Man-sum and Wai-san, it will be their first major overseas championships.