Duathlon: Ovett rides and falls

A WINDSWEPT US airbase at Fairford in the Gloucestershire countryside may be a far cry from the Bislett Stadium but it was the venue for Steve Ovett's return to competitive sport in the Rebok Duathlon yesterday, writes Gordon Riley.

The former Olympic 800m champion took part in the men's race, comprising a 5km run, a 40km cycle ride and a 10km run. He was one of more than 1,000 competitors in the biggest multi- discipline event staged in Britain.

The women's race was dominated by Liz Downing of the United States and a closely fought men's race was won by her compatriot Greg Watson.

Ovett was never in contention, but he had fallen off his bike the day before and was nursing a badly bruised back. He said he would compete in similar events despite 'a nightmare' cycle run in which he was blown off his bike and, having run out of gears, felt 'it might be better to get off and run'.