Bryan Rhodes watched in horror from a Sydney hotel room as the training route which he frequently uses to maintain his elite status as one of the world's leading triathletes was made to resemble a battlefield by the devastating earthquake that struck Christchurch last month.
Rhodes, 38, a native of the stricken city on New Zealand's South Island, swiftly came to the frightening conclusion that on most other days he could have been among the people who lost their lives in the disaster.
"When the quake hit, it would have been the time I was training, perhaps in the very place which was so badly affected," said Rhodes, as he completed his preparations for Saturday's second Abu Dhabi International Triathlon in which he is expecting to finish in the top 10.
"Something as close to you as that makes you stop to think," said Rhodes who was visiting Australia with his partner Christie Sym when the tragedy occurred. "It's such a popular route that I could well have been cycling there when it hit. The spine tingles at the mere thought of that.
"I will never forget the day. I couldn't take my eyes off the television and it was on all the time in Australia. The only day I can remember like that was September 11 [2001 when New York came under terrorist attack].
"I was sitting there feeling utterly helpless. I could see places in the city I knew really well which had just turned to rubble. I could see where we would go running and cycling all the time, trails I had gone along for years and, now, there are massive boulders blocking the path and even bigger holes in the road."
A neighbour of Rhodes was one of the fatalities and his brother's house was destroyed. "The population is only 500,000 so everyone knows somebody who has been killed," he said.
One of the world's leading "Ironmen" is therefore using the showpiece occasion in the UAE this weekend as a means of raising funds to help those affected and assist in the rebuilding of his country's second biggest city.
Competing in the gruelling, swimming, cycling and running event under the international charity banner of the Red Cross, Rhodes is hoping his rivals in the elite race and all the other supporting events rally round.
"I'm going to get the winners to sign their shirts and auction them at a later date," he said. "I will ask the other guys in my event to sign shirts for me and I'll raffle them. Every little bit helps right now.
"I just want to support anyone who has lost a family member in any way I can. There are so many people who have lost everything, be it loved ones or possessions. That city will never be the same again. It is such a historic and beautiful city as well.
"I'm told the rebuilding work won't begin until 2015 because that's how long it's going to take to get it cleared up."
Rhodes, who claimed the first of his four international Ironman titles in 2001, has outside hopes of capturing the US$50,000 (Dh183,650) first prize and emulating Spain's Eneko Llanos who won the Abu Dhabi event last year when he covered the 223 kilometres in a time of 6hrs 34mins and 37secs.
"I am in good shape," said the man who has won overall Ironman victories in Canada, the United Kingdom and Malaysia (twice).
"I would be very disappointed not to get a top-10 finish. I have been training since Christmas for this and it has gone well so I'm coming to Abu Dhabi with high hopes."
Despite having to push his ageing body through the pain barrier again in the three disciplines - a 3km swim off Abu Dhabi Corniche, a 200km bike ride which includes lapping Yas Marina Circuit and a 20km run - Rhodes is relishing the challenge.
"Last year was amazing," he said, despite a disappointing failure to complete the course. " For the first running of such a big event, the organisation was second to none. And cycling on that Formula One track is a dream."
England's Julie Dibens, 36, is seeking a repeat of her victory in the women's race which also carries a first prize of $50,000, while the fully subscribed 1,500-competitor event, presented by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, also features sprint and short course races for individuals and teams.
wjohnson@thenational.ae
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
MATCH INFO
Iceland 0 England 1 (Sterling pen 90 1)
Man of the match Kari Arnason (Iceland)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
