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MasterChef New Zealand

Series 4, Episode 15 Masterchef New Zealand 19 May 13 00:43:41

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Gemmell looking for NZ's next top triathlete talent

Published: 5:05AM Thursday August 09, 2012 Source: AAP

  • Bevan Docherty and Kris Gemmell finish the Olympic triathlon (Source: Photosport)
    Bevan Docherty and Kris Gemmell finish the Olympic triathlon - Source: Photosport

Olympic triathlete Kris Gemmell wants to play a role in talent identification to increase the pool of up-and-coming talent.

New Zealand boasts the world's top-ranked woman in Andrea Hewitt, while both double Olympic medallist Bevan Docherty and Gemmell finished in the top 15 of the London Games men's race.

But he believes the development pool needs to be bigger as the likes of the top three men in London - Britain's Alistair Brownlee, Spaniard

Javier Gomez and Brownlee's younger brother, Jonathan - lift the bar.

"We can chuck 100 eggs at the wall and, if four don't break, maybe that's the four we need," he said.

"At the moment, we're only chucking 10 or 12 eggs and we need to chuck more."

London is Gemmell's second Olympic appearance and the 35-year-old said it would be his last.

After he runs what he expects to be his final Olympic-distance triathlon at the world championship series grand final in Auckland in October, he hopes to be involved in the country's high performance programme in some way.

"I've got my own ideas about how we find these guys and girls," he said.

"I'm really enthusiastic about being part of that. I want to find those kids out there."

The Brownlees and Gomez made their move early in the run leg to pull away from the rest of the field.

Alistair Brownlee's time for the 10km run was a slick 29min 07sec, which left Gemmell in admiration.

He said the competitiveness in the sport had gone up several notches, with even the swim leg being virtually flat out.

"These guys have changed the way our sport is and I'm just honoured to be part of it," he said.

"That's the future. It's scary that there's going to be guys who are going to come along and be faster than that."

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