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Ussher'ing in XTERRA New Zealand

Kiwi multisport legend Richard Ussher is back in Rotorua to defend his title at Saturday's XTERRA New Zealand Championship.

Ussher (pictured) won the eighth edition of the race last year, joining an all-star cast of previous winners that include Terrenzo Bozzone (2008), Tim Wilding (2007), Hamish Carter (2004-2006) and Sam Mallard (2005).

Last year’s race was Ussher's first experience in off-road triathlon, and he went on to the XTERRA World Championship in Maui where he finished 11th (despite racing without a seat post for most of the grueling ride).

"I had such a great time at the XTERRA race last year, I'm really looking forward to getting back there and having a crack at defending the title." Ussher said.

Ussher will have some tough competition on his hands with second and third place-getters also returning from last year as well as some new boys on the start line looking to crack the podium.

2009 runner-up Scott Thorne will be looking to make up the one minute that separated him from first place and the XTERRA title, as will experienced XTERRA racer and mountain bike legend Mark Leishman who was third last year.

Also in the mix is 18-year-old Michael Poole, recent winner of the 2010 Port of Tauranga Half Ironman, and Japanese pro Yu Yumoto who had a very successful 2009 season with a fourth-place finish at Ironman Malaysia and second-place showing at XTERRA Japan.

The women’s field will have an international flavor as well with 2001 XTERRA World Champion Anke Erlank from South Africa as well as Ironman and Adventure Racing champion Christine Sym from Australia.

Erlank (pictured) is now living in Matamata on the North Island of New Zealand where her Scottish husband manages a dairy farm. While her training routine hasn’t been as intense the last nine years – she is enjoying New Zealand’s training-friendly weather and is working mainly in the local sports center, running the swim club, teaching fitness classes and in her spare time heading just down the road to the Rotorua for some mountain biking – so the training levels can’t be too bad!

Sym will be coming into the race in great shape, finishing her 2009 season with a second place at Ironman Western Australia in December. Sym is no stranger to winning either, with seven wins in the Australian Anaconda Adventure Race series over the past four years.

Last year's runner-up in the women's race, Susie Wood, will be representing the Kiwis and looking to take her first XTERRA title, losing last year by just two minutes to Nicola Leary.

While the professional field is always a highlight of the XTERRA Festival, it is more than just a pro race, annually hosting more than 2,000 athletes in what is considered the world's largest single day XTERRA off-road triathlon festival.  Competitors can choose from walking, running, mountain biking as well as the individual and team XTERRA Triathlon events.

For more information visit www.xterra.co.nz.