Scott Tinley Wins San Diego Triathlon With Strong Finish

Scott Tinley pulled away from his competitors in the final transition of the San Diego International Triathlon on Sunday and won the $2,500 first-place prize.

In the women’s race, Paula Newby-Fraser, who had raced in Atlanta only Saturday, completed the swim portion first, gained nearly a two-minute lead on the bike, and cruised in to win in 1 hour 37 minutes 15 seconds. Newby-Fraser, 26, who resides in Encinitas, earned $1,500.

Tinley, 31, of Del Mar, quickly separated himself from Scott Molina, John Devere and Lance Armstrong at the transition from bike to run, opened up a 30-second gap halfway through the 10-kilometer course along Harbor Drive, and was never again challenged.

Tinley finished in 1:24:42.

“Like I figured, it came down to the run,” Tinley said. “He (Molina) is such a strong runner. I know he can come from way back.”

Molina, 28, of Boulder, Colo., earned $1,500 with his second-place finish. His time was 1:25:15. He had closed to within 25 seconds with a mile and a half to go, but that was as close as he could get.

Devere, of Clovis, finished third in 1:25:31.

Armstrong, who finished fourth in 1:26:19, is a 16-year-old from Plano, Tex.

“I expected to be there (in contention) off the bike,” said Armstrong, who has been training since he was 13.

“I didn’t expect Tinley to be up there in the bike,” Armstrong said. “He’s not that much of a swimmer, and he had a great swim.”

Notes

Jay Larson, a 32-year-old La Jolla resident, only in his third year as a triathlete, finished seventh in 1:27:02. . . . 1987 winner Brad Kearns of Woodland Hills is in the middle of a disastrous season. His luck didn’t change Sunday either. First he broke a peddle and had to borrow one, and then his bike slipped in oil on the first loop at Cabrillo Monument and he crashed. He managed to finish the race in 29th place.