Courtesy: USAT

Andrea Ratkovic and Greg Watson were the top U.S. elite finishers at the Powerman long distance duathlon world championships on Sunday in Weyer, Austria.

Ratkovic (Norman, Okla.) placed fifth in the women's race in 3 hours, 41 minutes, 43 seconds and Watson (Newark, Del.) finished sixth in the men's race in 3:16:07.

Ratkovic was followed closely by U.S. teammates Heather Gollnick (Hartford, Wis.), who finished sixth (3:44:420 and Desiree Ficker (Potomac, Md.) in seventh (3:46:09). Marjan Huizing (Montgomery Village, Md.) placed 10th.

Karin Thurig of Switzerland won the women's race in 3:31:34. Huub Maas (Holland) won the men's race in 3:11:34.

Four U.S. women finished in the top 10 overall in the age group race, led by Tiffany Larson (Boise, Idaho), who placed second in 3:57:05. Danielle Lentz of Luxemburg won the women's overall in 3:51:40.

The other U.S. women in the top 10 were Sarah Keller (Cambridge, Mass.) in fourth (4:00:37), Kristin Miller (West Lakeland, Minn.) in fifth (4:01:03) and Gabriela Hnilkova-Jenks (Albuquerque, N.M.) in seventh (4:03:32).

Jeffrey Zemaitis (Lake Forest, Ill.) was the top U.S. men's overall age group finisher in 37th.

The long distance course consisted of a 14k (2-lap) run, 76k (2- lap) bike, 7k (1-lap) run.

For more information and complete results, go to www.powerman.at/english/en.asp#alltop.

Powerman Long Distance Duathlon World Championships
Aug. 18, 2002; Weyer, Austria
14k run, 76k bike, 7k run

Elite Women
1. Karin Thurig (Switzerland) 3:31:34; 2. Edwige Pitel (France) 3:39:02; 3. Lenka Ilavska (Slovakia) 3:40:13; 4. Erika Csomor (Hungary) 3:40:56; 5. Andrea Ratkovic (Norman, Okla.) 3:41:43; 6. Heather Gollnick (Hartford, Wis.) 3:44:42; 7. Desiree Ficker (Potomac, Md.) 3:46:09; 8. Tina Walter (Germany) 3:47:43; 9. Yvonne Tinga (Holland) 3:49:17; 10. Marjan Huizing (Montgomery Village, Md.) 3:50:35
Other U.S. finishers
18. Anne Curi-Preisig (Falmouth, Mass.); 23. Melissa Hopkins (Birmingham, Ala.) 4:08:18

Elite Men
1. Huub Maas (Holland) 3:11:34; 2. Stephan Riesen (Switzerland) 3:13:15; 3. Jurgen Dereere (Belgium) 3:14:03; 4. Olivier Bernhard (Switzerland) 3:14:31; 5. Torbjorn Sindballe (Denmark) 3:15:20; 6. Greg Watson (Newark, Del.) 3:16:07; 7. Vincent Aldebert (France) 3:16:36; 8. Franck Ronco (France) 3:17:36; 9. Alejandro Santamaria (Spain) 3:18:12; 10. Kim Nielsen (Denmark) 3:18:59
Other U.S. Finishers
24. Justin Henkel (Sheboygan, Wis.); 38. Eric Schwartz (3:30:26); 41. LeRoy Popowski (Forest Grove, Ill.)