Taupo (December 13, 2024) – The last time current PTO world No.3 Kyle Smith raced at home he freely admits: “I had no idea”.
It was the 2019 edition of Ironman 70.3 Taupo and the local lad won, just, from fast-finishing Aussie Max Neumann and a double Olympic medallist-in-waiting, Hayden Wilde.
“In 2019, I obviously went on the start line to qualify for the original 2020 Taupo 70.3 worlds. And yeah, I went in fully unknown,” Smith said.
“I was on a Frankenstein bike that I put together and, you know, I just basically had no idea what I was doing and I had no right to win that race either.
“It was the adrenaline of the crowd and obviously the home course advantage, I think that got me through. I remember I was just hurting so bad with 3k to go and Max Neumann actually was about to catch me and it was the adrenaline of the crowd that just gave me that extra lift to bring it home.”
Fast-forward five years, a pandemic, two VinFast Ironman 70.3 World Championship Taupo false starts as a result, and Smith hopes he’ll again be able to tap into the home crowd support to give the men’s race an almighty nudge on Sunday.
“I think it’s going to be mental,” said Smith when asked what he expects from his adoring home crowd on Sunday.
“The population of Taupo is 25,000 people there or thereabouts, and I think there’s going to be about the same transcending on the town for this weekend. So not sure how the town’s going to handle it, but I think it’s going to be a hell of a weekend.”
One of the big names summoned on stage to help preview the fun to come, Smith talked of his pride of Taupo being broadcast to the world – “It’s an amazing honour for this race to be here” – and how the lake resort town has shaped his career.
“Yeah, I mean, you can’t move for triathlon in this town. We have, you know, double Olympic medalist Bevan Doherty from here. And so when I was a kid growing up, we always did a school triathlon and it was just something that the town has ingrained in it as well as the tapu that the land has as well and the, you know, the culture that we have here.
“This town is so special and it’s obviously so special for me. There is something here that just elevates me as a person.
“So to be able to showcase this town to the rest of the world and for everyone to descend on this town and see the beauty and see the amazing place that this is, is super special for me.”
The line of questioning later turned to the conditions expected for Sunday. A reporter spoke of difference between the likes of T100 Singapore, where Smith ignited his breakout season with a 5th place finish in the tropical heat, to Taupo where it will likely be a full wetsuit swim.
Smith warned the overseas scribe that he shouldn’t be fooled by a MetService forecast promising clear skies, nor-westerlies and a temperature nudging 26 degrees Celsuis. It mightn’t look as punishing as a Singapore or a Dubai, but do not be fooled, Dear World.
“You see the guys like myself, the bigger guys maybe excel a bit more when it’s more temperate like it is this weekend…but I think it’s still going to be pretty hot. 25 degrees Celsius doesn’t look super-hot, but here in New Zealand, when the UV index is 12, it gets pretty roasting,” Smith said.
“I think it just levels the playing field a lot more between the bigger guys and the smaller guys. Like, in the heat, the smaller guys don’t get as hot because they’re just, you know, they’re smaller and they don’t produce as much heat.”
Smith ended his contribution to the media conference on a lighter note, saying he had yet to decide whether to race in Kiwi black or the white race suit he donned for the first time to finish 4th at the recent T100 Dubai, clinching second overall in the series.
“I’m still debating whether to wear my white or black suit yet. I think white is not a fan favourite,” Smith said to laughs from the crowd.
“I got pretty roasted for that, but it definitely feels better in the heat, so I have to sacrifice some style points maybe for a bit of heat acclimatisation.”
Channelling you inner Kristian Blummenfelt, the MC asked?
“Dude, I got so roasted in Dubai. Like, the comments section were not nice to me.”
“We’ll be kind. This is Ironman,” the MC promised.
“I don’t have the body type nor the tan to pull it off. I think probably Jan [Frodeno] might be the only one or Rico [Bogen] down the end might be the only one who can actually pull it off.”
Smith’s love for Taupo may be black and white but his answers, as ever, were colourful. Now it’s time to get down to the serious business.
Come 7am Sunday, you can bet Smith will be on, earning every bit of that expected Taupo adrenaline shot.
