FOR the second year in a row Guernsey’s Gail King won the women’s race at the big Jersey triathlon at Bel Royal.

She crossed the finish line in 2hr 17 min., a time that never threatened her personal best but, as she admitted, was ‘a good time for me at this time of year as it was my fourth Olympic distance in the last two months’.

‘I actually felt more fluid racing this year than last and I was pleased with my run. Normally I dread it, but I ran well and was pleased with my time.’

Although King said that she couldn’t relax ‘because you never know who’s behind you’, she was comfortably ahead of second-placed Mareika Fiebig and admitted that this hasn’t always been a good year for her, despite her success both here and in Guernsey.

‘I was due to take part in a quadrathon [the extra discipline being kayaking] but I broke my wrist snowboarding,’ she explained, adding that she will attempt the sport some time next year and will be back to Jersey to defend her title in a year’s time.

‘The sea’s warmer here than it is in Guernsey,’ she said, before adding ‘but I don’t know if you can quote me on that – it doesn’t sound like a good advert for Guernsey tourism’.

Results:

Men: 1, Nick Le Cocq 2hr 2min. 32sec.; 2, Nathan Woodland 2-05.50; 3, Doc Snook 2-09.14. Women: 1, Gail King 2-16.57; 2, Mareika Fiebig 2-27.05; 3, Catarina Woolf 2-28:44.

Full Granite Man 2009 coverage in tomorrow’s editionJersey Triathlon: Guernsey star retains women’s title