PRESS RELEASE
Mooloolaba, Australia
March 30, 2003

LINDQUIST DOMINATES AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP RACE

The Aussie Championship title was on the line for the home team but it was USA’s Barb Lindquist spoiling the party. She dominated round four of the Accenture series from the beginning. Her usual swim mates, Harrop and Hackett were left in her wake with a :35 deficit heading onto the bike leg. Lindquist set out solo sizing up the chase group of a dozen. By the second of eight laps the chase group was down to five and Barb decided to go easy and let the group catch up. The group included the duo of Harrop and Hackett, World Champion Leanda Cave, Sharon Donnelly and Liz Blatchford. Lindquist remarks, “I felt that tactically it wouldn’t be beneficial to go it alone on the bike today.” She continues, “I’m totally confident of my form and thought I had a good chance of out running the others in the group.” After the bike, the lead six had a 2:00 advantage on the chase pack. Lindquist’s strategy paid off, she controlled the 10k run within the first kilometer by setting a strong steady pace. The scorching conditions had Harrop being stretched to her limit by the 2k mark and Lindquist cruised to a 1:10 lead ahead of the Aussie champion, and a 1:30 lead over 3rd place Liz Blatchford.

Lindquist sums up the day, “I’m really happy to win today. This is one of the tougher courses in triathlon. It was hot and humid on top of the challenging hilly bike and run course. To win on this course really means a lot.”

Lindquist has now claimed wins in both the Sprint and Olympic distance Australian title races this season to leave Loretta Harrop the default Australian champion. Lindquist notched her fourth victory of five races in the land down under putting a stamp on the Accenture series. The only thing in the way for the overall series title is Lindquist herself. She has committed to race the opening World Cup event in Ishigaki Japan the same day as the final Accenture race. However the title is still a mathematical possibility as she has a substantial lead on points.

World # 1 Lindquist next focuses her sights on World Cup circuit. She races in Japan in two weeks and then returns home to the US for another World Cup event in St Petersburg Florida two weeks after Japan.