It was a great start to the 2010 Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series for Kiwi veteran Bevan Docherty, who was victorious in Sydney, winning with a breakaway on the final lap of the run. Docherty won with a time of 1:51:27. It’s the second year in a row that Docherty has kicked off the world championship season with a win.

“It was a real tough course today,” Docherty said. “It was much harder than I expected, but I felt good heading into the final lap and was able to make a break. Winning in front of the Sydney Opera House is amazing.”

Behind Docherty was a pair of surprise podium finishers. Russia’s Alexander Brukhankov finished six seconds back of the Kiwi, barely holding off France’s David Hauss, who finished third, one second behind the Russian.

Fifty-seven men took to the water’s of Farm Cove in beautiful Sydney Harbour to officially kick off the 2010 World Championship Season. Russia’s Alexander Brukhankov and Frenchman Frederic Belaubre immediately moved to the front, but were unable to make a break on the first 750-metre lap. The pack started to string out on the second loop, with the Russian men charging to the front. Russia’s Dmitry Polyansky led out of the swim, with a big group of almost 50 athletes exiting just behind.

Onto the first of eight laps on the bike, Aussie youngster James Seear, who finished third at the Mooloolaba World Cup two weeks ago, took over the leading role at the start of the hilly ride, with Docherty right on his wheel. Aussie Greg Bennett assumed the role of leading the chasers and kept the peloton within 10 seconds of the leaders throughout the first two laps.

At the halfway point of the ride, Belgium’s Peter Croes took charge of the race, with Russia’s Anton Chuchko and Spanish super-biker Ivan Rana on his wheel. Frenchman Laurent Vidal lead the group of big hitters, only eight seconds behind. Riding with Vidal were 2008 Olympic champion Jan Frodeno of Germany, Hunter Kemper of the United States and Docherty.

Heading into the bell lap, Kemper and Chuchko worked together to make a break on the pack and started the final climb up Macquarie Street with a 35-second advantage on the pack. After a quick transition, Kemper headed out onto the four-lap run course in the lead, with Chuchko only seven seconds behind. Next into transition were France’s Tony Moulai and American Matt Chrabot, both 20 seconds back of Kemper. The big group made their way into T2 almost a minute behind Kemper, led by Docherty and countryman Kris Gemmell.

The pair of Americans began to pull away on the second lap of the run, building a 30-second lead but they weren’t able to hold off the hard charge from Docherty, who led a group of five chasers. The Kiwi made up half of that deficit on the third lap of the run, closing to within just 15 seconds. Running alongside Docherty were Brukhankov, Polyansky, Hauss and 2000 Sydney Olympic gold medallist Simon Whitfield of Canada.

Docherty, Brukhankov and Hauss caught the pair of leaders as they headed up the final hill on the bell lap, and there was little doubt that Docherty was running the strongest of the group. Docherty stretched his lead throughout the final kilometre, holding off the charge from Brukhankov and Hauss behind. Docherty broke the tape in 1:51:27, pumping his first as he sprinted down the finishing chute.

“I always enjoy the sprint finishes, but it was nice to have a little room to be able to celebrate the win a bit,” Docherty said at the finish.

Article: triathlon.org  BLK1 Photographer: www.petersollner.com

Article: © traithlong 2010. All rights reserved.

Image: © BLK1 2008 – 2010. All Rights Reserved.

2010 is the fifteenth year that Rosemount Australian Fashion Week will be running. After this many years, every Sydney-sider is familiar with headlines, news reports and magazine covers being splashed with the goings-on of the catwalks during fashion week.

To commemorate this long history, the Powerhouse Museum has opened Rosemount Australian Fashion Week to the public by showing an exhibit of the most famous frocks Australia has ever seen.

On Tuesday 21st April, two weeks before the start of the 15th annual Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, the Powerhouse Museum launched the Frock Stars exhibition where fifteen years of history were laid out for the public to see.

BLK1 photographers captured all highlights from the launch party.

Be sure to check back with BLK1 to see our full coverage of Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival from the 3rd to the 7th of May

BLK1 Photographer: KARL CLIFFORD

Images and Article: © Karl Clifford / BLK1 2008-2010. All Rights Reserved.

Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club would like to thank all those individuals who came to Bondi on the Anzac Holiday Monday to compete in the inaugural Bondi Blue Water Challenge. As you know, it was necessary to cut short the 1km swim and to cancel the 2.4km event. The Club officials have met and determined that for a number of reasons it is not feasible to run the event until next season.

Despite the organising team’s best efforts we obviously could not control the weather or the ocean.  Every effort was made to run the swim. On advice of the Waverley Council Lifeguards the course was moved to the North end of the beach.  Delays in moving the course meant that the first waves of swimmers in the 1km event did not leave until 10 minutes after the scheduled start time. At this point organisers were operating on the assumption that it would still be possible to review the 2.4km course and hold that event. Acting on advice from the Council Lifeguards based on the experiences of the first few waves of swimmers, the balance of the 1km swim and also the 2.4km swim were called off at 10.30am. This message was relayed immediately to the clubhouse to inform all 2.4km entrants that their race would have to be abandoned.

The Race Organising Committee took the responsible action of putting safety first. Despite disappointment for all concerned we can rest assured that the correct decision was made on the day. As is the general practice with ocean swims, online entry fees are non-refundable reflecting the significant costs that organizing clubs face in preparing for swim day. Because this was our inaugural swim we have decided, as a one-off gesture of good will to offer a 50% reduction of fees for this year’s late entrants (those who paid on the day and were charged the extra late entry fee levy) in next year’s event. To get this reduction next year you must enter online.

The Club honoured its agreement with CanToo and made a significant donation to CanToo from the online entry fees. All remaining funds after recovery of the expense of hosting the event will go to the Surf Club to support the Club’s volunteer lifesaving activities.

Again we thank you for your support and hope to catch you at the 2^nd Bondi Blue Water Challenge next year.

Andy Winters
President
Bondi Surf Bathers’ Lifesaving Club

BLK1 Article: BLK1 News  BLK1 Photographer: www.petersollner.com

Images and Article: © BLK1 2008-2010. All Rights Reserved.

The motto of Lulu In Chains asserts that “life is too short to wear a dull dress.”

When the first model was seen on the catwalk at the label’s launch, it became obvious that Lulu In Chains is a brand which not only talks the talk, but walks the walk.

The first dress that was displayed from Lulu In Chains was bright red. Each sleeve looked as though it took several meters of shiny fabric to make, with ruffles standing tall from the bold padded shoulders of the wearer.

Nothing from Lulu In Chains is dull. Whether it’s a slinky black and white number or a bright blue cocktail skirt every piece in the new collection comes alive on the wearer.

Lulu in Chains is label designed with the “Elegant Rebel” in mind – a woman who is sweet, feminine, strong and rebellious all at once. Every new fashion label claims to be edgy, but Shadi Tambrchi, designer of Lulu In Chains insists that there’s more to her label than a shock first impression: “Lulu in Chains is different because, with every design, I try to stay true to the label’s motto of “because life is too short to wear a dull dress”. I want to give women that “wow” factor – to enhance a woman’s beauty by giving her a beautiful, “stand out” dress to wear – I refuse to design dresses that look ordinary. I want women to be remembered in my dresses – afterall if you remember the dress, you remember the woman wearing it.”

Without knowing any of this, a person looking at a dress by Lulu In Chains would not only be gobsmacked by the bold colours and cuts of the dresses, but also the way that each dress can be accessorised to match the personality of the wearer. The make-up used at the launch was by Napoleon Perdis and consisted of smouldering dark eyes, almost nude lips and elongated lashes. Napoleon Perdis reports that this is the “in” look for Autumn/Winter 2010.

However, any kind of make-up look can be teamed with Lulu In Chains because every piece in the collection is designed to highlight the features of the wearer. To Shadi Tambruchi: “a beautiful dress or an amazing outfit can be an incredibly powerful thing – it can help you be noticed, it can enhance you, it can make people look at you and think “wow”. This statement is what sums up Lulu In Chains.

BLK1 Photographer: Victoria Rika-Heke

Images and Article: © BLK1 2008-2010. All Rights Reserved.