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O'Brien leads at O'Neill World Cup

Jamie O'Brien of the North Shore posted the highest heat score at the opening day of the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach yesterday.

O'Brien planned on sitting out the event this morning because of torn ligaments in his left knee. But he quickly changed his mind once he saw the 8-foot northwest swells at Sunset.

O'Brien advanced out of his heat along with Brian Toth of Puerto Rico and Jarrad Howse of Australia. Two rounds of competition were completed.

The third round continues today with world champion Andy Irons, former world champion Kelly Slater and Sunset Beach's Pancho Sullivan.

Swede sets 2 records at Ultraman

Sweden's Johanes Colting set two course records to lead the men's field after the first day of the Ultraman Triathlon World Championships at Kailua-Kona.

Colting set a 6.2-mile swim record of 2 hours, 14 minutes and 43 seconds. He later set a record of 4:38:52 in the 90-mile bike ride.

Marise Nunes of Brazil leads the women's field, while Kailua-Kona's Cory Foulk is ninth in the men's field. The second stage of the race begins today at 6:30 a.m. with a 171-mile bike ride.

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