Carter overcomes setbacks to take grueling Xterra race

McQuaid says her third victory was the "most challenging"

WAILEA, Maui » Normally, Marisa Carter doesn't accompany her husband on business trips.

"We have two kids, which makes travel difficult," she explained while monitoring the public address system during the closing minutes of a dramatic race. Then, with a nervous laugh, she added, "And I'm usually bad luck."

But this trip was different. It was, after all the Xterra World Championship. And the location was Maui -- "a beautiful place, and so different from home."

"I'm so shaky right now," Marisa Carter said, admitting the obvious. "First, I hear that he's leading. Then, that he had problems. And now he's leading again. I'll believe it when he crosses the line. C'mon Hamish."

Let the record show, that this time Marisa was not bad luck for her husband, Hamish Carter. Two hours, 42 minutes and 36 seconds after he and more than 570 others plunged into the ocean off the beach at the Maui Prince Hotel at 9 a.m. yesterday, he was the first person across the finish line, waving a black "Silver Fern" flag in honor of his native New Zealand.

Carter staged a dramatic comeback, beating out Frenchman Olivier Marceau by 19 seconds, to claim the $25,000 first prize in the men's division of an event featuring a 1.5-mile ocean swim, a treacherous 32-kilometer off-road bike ride, and a 10-kilometer trail run.

Melanie McQuaid destroyed the competition in the women's division, winning the title by more than 8 minutes over runner-up and sister Canadian Danelle Kabush. McQuaid became the first woman to win back-to-back world titles and the first three-time winner in the 11-year history of the event.

Neither winner challenged record times. The conditions didn't let them.

"This course is not made for fun. It's the meanest course ever," Carter said.

"It was so hot. The course was tough -- so bumpy and rocky," McQuaid said moments after crossing the finish line in 3:09.16. "Of my three wins here, (this one is) so much sweeter and the most challenging because of the conditions."

Her dominance isn't likely to dull McQuaid's competitive edge.

"I love the pressure of being the favorite. I try to turn the pressure into something positive," McQuaid said. "I want to win. But I want to win by beating the best people. And that's what I did today."

Carter found the course even more challenging. A seemingly comfortable lead evaporated when he suffered a flat tire during the bike ride.

"I had two choices: lose a minute by staying on the bike, even if I couldn't corner the last downhill, or lose 3 or 4 minutes by changing the tire," Carter said.

He faced a major deficit going into the final leg of the competition.

"I was somewhere between a minute or two behind him," Carter said, "but when I reached the beach, I could see him and knew I could catch him because he didn't know where I was and there was a chance of catching him sleeping.

"Once I caught him, it would have been trouble if he had pushed because I had nothing left. I was running blind at that point."

Carter regained his vision the moment he crossed the finish line. Engulfed by well-wishers, race officials, lei and medal girls, doping officials, television crews and assorted hangers-on, Carter scanned the finisher's tent. Without a word, he walked away from the throng and planted a big, sweaty, grimy Kiwi kiss on a visibly relieved Marisa Carter.