Here’s astew you! PAGE 16 13 — Weduesday, August 23, 1989 - Nerth Shore News AS FAST as a speeding bullet .. NEWS photo Neil Lucente . Paul Granger set a new games triathlon record at the recent World Police and . Fire Games in Vancouver. He says he tried to quit competition last year but couldn’t get the racing bug out of system. Firefighting triathlete goes against the best IF 1988 was the year of the mountain bike, then 1989 must certainly be the year of the triathion. Triathlons are the new boom sport and according to North Van- couver triathlete Paal Granger, the addition of prize money this year serves to intensify the competition by enabling Canadians to compete internationally. Triathlons are not new to Granger, a 29-year-old fire fighter with the Morth Vancouver City Fire Department. He is in his sixth year of competition. He set a new record at the World Police and Fire Games triathlon earlier this month before jetting off to Avignon, France, for the World Triathlon Champion- ships. Despite sweltering temperatures Granger won his age category {25-29 years) in Avignon and finished 23rd over all out of 600 athletes, He came back to Vancouver in time for the Vancouver Interna- tional Triathlon but had to watch By ELIZABETH COLLINGS News Reporter it from the sidelines because he came down with the flu. “It was kind of a bummer, it be- ing a local race,’’ Granger said. Next on the agenda for Granger is the Montreal Triathlon on August 27 and then the Milton, Ont. triathlon, September 3. The Milton race is part of the seven race Royal LePage series. Granger said Canada is behind the U.S, and Australia in terms of prize money. Because this is the first year Canadian triathletes have had money to race for, and Royal LePage is footing the travel bill for some, Granger said the level of competition among Canadians has intensified dramatically. **Vancouver’s got some of the better athletes, but the stiffer competition back east is helping bring the level of the sport up,” Granger said. The prize money enables athletes to race full time, he said. Increased sponsorship and rec- ognition of the sport is also help- ing the Canadian national team. In Avignon the Canadian women’s team finished second over all, and the men third. “We were right in there in hav- ing depth of field in our national team,’’? Granger said. Consistency in training is the key to avoiding injury and burn-out for Granger. On average, he swims 16 kHtometres, cycles 200 kilometres and runs 40 kilometres every week. Triathletes aren’t the individu- alists that people think they are, Granger said. He likes to train with others and enjoys the social aspect of being on the triathlon circuit. ““You meet a lot of interesting characters. You encourage everybody and respect each other’s abilities. That’s part of what makes each guy try a little harder.”* West Van diver wins gold WEST VANCOUVER’s Paige Gordon could not be outdone at the Canada Games. The 24-year-old diver came away from the Games with gold medals in the one-metre, three-metre and platform events. She claimed first place with the respective scores of 467.03, 512.99 and 440.88. . A diver of internztional stand- ing, Gordon was competing against sister, Megan Gordon, and Grace Van Berkum, 16, who lives with the Gordons. Megan Gordon placed fourth in the one-metre and three-metre spr- ing board and fifth in platform. Van Berkum placed third in the one-metre and sixth in the three- metre finals, Paige and Van Berkum are now in Madrid, Spain, for the World Age Group Championships. They will be returning next week. Megan Gordon said she didn’t dive as well as she would have lik- ed io at the Games but she is al- ready gearing up for the Com- monwealth Games trials in Becember and her first term at UBC, paid for in part by diving scholarships. In the men’s singles tennis finals, North Vancouver’s Fabio Walker won a gold, defeating Martin Dionne of Rimouski, Que., 1-6, 6-2, 6-2. In the women’s gold medal basketball game, North Van- couver’s Sue Markert helped B.C. win the event. West Vancouver’s Duncan Pearce placed third in the men’s Laser I sailing. In rowing, . B. Cc. placed second place in the men’s fours and first in the men’s coxed cight finals. North Vancouver’s Jeffrey Seifred was aboard both medal winning teams. In the women’s coxed fours, B.C. won a gold medal with coxs- wain Carolyn Bower cf West Van- couver. NV tennis ace pushes Lendl to the limit LIFE MUST be sweet for Grant Connell. The 23-year-old tennis player from North Vancouver pushed the world’s No. 1 player Ivan Lendl to three sets in the quarter-finals of ‘ the $900,000 Player’s Internationai Canadian Open, « feat John McEnroe was able to accomplish in the finals. Connell was not as_ easily disposed of, forcing a tie breaker in the first set, 7-6(7-2), and taking the second set 4-6, before Lendl pulled out the stops fer a 6-0 score in the final set. The crowd gave Connell a stand- ing ovation after he won the se- cond set. For his efforts, he wins a purse of $16,265. Lendl went on to win the Cana- dian Open for the third con- secutive year. He also won in 1980, 1981 and 19383. The left-handed Connell set two precedents for Canadian tennis at the tourney. Along with Andrew Sznajder of Toronto, it was the first time Canadians had ever reached the quarter-finals in this GRANT CONNELL ... gives Ivan Lendl a challenge in Canadian Open. Grand Prix event. And with familiar doubles part- ner Glenn Michibata of Toronto, the twu became the first all-Cana- dian team ever seeded at the Ca- nadian Open, _From $54.98-$109. 93 TIME OUT : TIME OUT SPORTS “Guaranteed Service” Lynn Valley CenTRe 99 Lynn Valley Rd, N. Van. V7J 3H2 980-0116 |