Mike Phillips Photo: Photosport
Christchurch triathlete Mike Phillips has claimed his second Ironman New Zealand crown after seeing off defending champion Braden Currie in a tight race in Taupo.
Phillips, whose other title came in 2019, saw off two-time winner Currie over the closing stages, opening the gap to three minutes in a winning time of seven hours, 56 minutes and 05 seconds.
Switzerland's Jan Van Berkel was third and German great Sebastian Kienle, in what was his first appearance at the Taupo race.
Phillips was nearly three minutes clear of Currie after the swim leg before the pair swapped the lead several teams during the bike and run legs, although Phillips made the decisive break over the last 30km of the marathon-length run.
Both New Zealanders book a place at this year's Ironman world championships in France.
And 12-time champion Cameron Brown finished his final IRONMAN New Zealand in seventh place in 8:42:15.
Dutch athlete Els Visser won the women's race in similar fashion to Phillips, heading off defending champion Hannah Berry of New Zealand but just under three minutes, in a time of 9hr 05min 44sec.
Visser was sixth after the swim but turned things around on the bike, moving her way through the field before taking the lead on the final climb back into Taupo CBD and opening up a one-minute lead.
Visser struggled slightly over the closing stages of the run but had enough energy to keep Berry at bay.
- RNZ