A REIGNING world champion, revitalised veteran and eager debutant will represent Warrnambool at the ITU Duathlon World Championships in Adelaide.
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Jenny Dowie, Barry Warren and Natasha Cross will tackle the run-bike-run competition in their respective age classes next Sunday after months of preparation.
Dowie will attempt to defend her 55-59 age group crown after snaring gold in Spain in June last year.
Warren is back at world level after a 15-year break, having represented Australia in 1996, ‘97 and 2000.
Cross, the youngest of the trio, is eager to test herself at an international level for the first time.
Dowie is bracing for tough competition, particularly given the two athletes who stood beside her on the podium last year have qualified.
“I’ll have my work cut out for me, I really will,” she said.
“The pressure is on a bit whereas last year I had no idea and I went in it with the attitude of ‘do the best you can on the day and then have a good holiday’.
“Whereas this year I am going over purely for the race pretty much, the focus is the event.
“I am just happy I have good health, I’m fit and I do lots events and enjoy them all. This is a big one but it’s still just another event.”
Dowie wants to be competitive but is not putting any added pressure on herself.
“My preparation hasn’t gone quite according to plan but I am just going to cross my fingers and do my best on the day,” she said.
“If my best isn’t good enough on the day, then so be it.”
Warren, 61, made his duathlon world titles debut in America in 1996 and travelled to Spain the following year.
His most recent attempt at the international event was in Perth 15 years ago.
“Now I am back for another go,” he said.
“If I am buggered when the race is over then I’ve done my best, that’s all I can do.
“I am not expecting to do anything flash, that’s for sure.
“There are people from America, Mexico, Canada, England and New Zealand, so they’ll go well.”
Cross, 40, said Dowie’s efforts in Spain encouraged her to tackle the world-class competition.
“The experience is going to be great and even getting with Jenny and Barry and hanging out and doing a few training sessions and rides beforehand will be great,” she said.
The mother-of-three rated her 40-44 age group “very competitive”.
“There are lots of ex-elites, so I am hoping to come middle of the field, if not higher in,” she said.
The south-west trio are competing in the sprint section which consists of five-kilometre run, 20km ride and 2.5km run.