BIATHLON EL TORO : Downing Wins Again; Souza Holds Off Willis

In the past, when Liz Downing finished a biathlon, she would guzzle some water, look at her watch and then wait for the next women’s competitor to finish. She often waited a long, long time.

Downing’s wait wasn’t quite so long Sunday in the Coors Light Biathlon at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, but the result was the same as she won in 1 hour 22 minutes 55 seconds. Runner-up Maddy Tormoen of Berkeley, a former marathoner who began participating in biathlons less than a year ago, finished in 1:24.13.

Downing, 32, of Vancouver, Wash., has been the grande dame of biathlons for the past five years. She trailed Tormoen, 29, through the course’s first five-kilometer run segment on the Marine base’s runways, but as the two exited the transition area, Downing gained a bike-length lead.

Downing continued to pull away to win $700 for her third consecutive Coors Light biathlon victory this year. Tormoen received $400 and Donna Peters of Seattle got $200 for finishing third (1:25.14).

Downing, the defending Series Grand Prix champion, moved into fourth place in this year’s Grand Prix standings after seven of 15 events.

“I’ve been around a long time,” said Downing, who started competing in age-group track and field at 9. “I’ve got a little dart board on my back that all the women have their sights set on.”

Ken Souza of Boulder, Colo., the winner of the men’s event, gave runner-up Christopher Willis of St. Helena, Calif., a lesson or two.

Souza, 26, lost the lead to Willis at the bicycle transition. But with eight kilometers left in the 30-kilometer bicycle portion of the event, Souza passed Willis and went on to win in 1:15.19. Willis finished second in 1:15.49.

“I kept inching up,” Souza said. “He was having a good race, but I caught up to him right before the end of the bike.”

Souza was lucky to be riding at all. Two months ago, while training on Mt. Palomar in San Diego, his bicycle wheel slipped on a freshly painted line stripe. Souza landed on his face, putting a gash near his right eye. He plans to undergo reconstructive surgery after the biathlon season is over.

Souza picked up $700, Willis $400 and Del Mar’s Mac Williamson $200 for finishing third (1:17.28). The top Orange County finishers were Aliso Viejo’s Eric Squires (10th) and Laguna Niguel’s Roger Matherly (12th). Frank Shorter, the Olympic gold medalist in the marathon in 1972, finished 21st.

Brent Steiner of Tempe, Ariz., did not compete as he was out with a cold.

Results

Top 10 finishers, male: 1. Souza (Boulder, Colo.), 1:15.19; 2. Willis (St. Helena, Calif.), 1:15.49; 3. Williamson (Del Mar), 1:17.28; 4. Brick (Mt. Maunganui, New Zealand), 1:18.03; 5. Klevan (Newton Square, Pa.), 1:18.21; 6. Haswell (Auckland, N.Z.), 1:18.40; 7. Reynolds (Laverne, Calif.), 1:18.58; 8. Meleney (Boulder, Colo.), 1:19.26; 9. Schipper (Bend, Ore.), 1:19.34; 10. Squires (Laguna Niguel) 1;19.41.

Top 10 finishers, female: Downing (Vancouver, Wash.) 1:22.55; 2. Tormoen (Berkeley) 1:24.13; 3. Peters (Seattle) 1:25.14; 4. Whelan (Santa Cruz) 1:27.16; 5. DeGeorge (Cheshire, Conn.) 1:27.49; 6. Gallagher (Cardiff) 1:29.17; 7. Stuart (Del Mar) 1:30.30; 8. Tozer (Bend, Ore.) 1:31.53; 9. Spurr (San Francisco) 1:32.12; 10. Dibdin (Sierra Madre) 1:32.16.