UNICON XV: 27 Dec 2009-7 Jan 2010

The 15th International Unicycle World Championships and Convention (UNICON XV) will take place in Wellington, New Zealand in 2009/2010. UNICON is held every two years, and this will be the first ever Southern Hemisphere UNICON. It is a mix of competitive events as well as a convention style gathering of unicyclists from around the world. UNICON is open to anyone who can ride a unicycle, and showcases multiple types of unicycling, including Artistic Freestyle, MUni (mountain-unicycling), Street, Track and Field, Unicycle Hockey and Basketball, Road Racing and more! RSS Subscribe to RSS

American wins gold in 10km criterium


scottSeventeen year old American Scott Wilton upstaged his older rivals by winning the Unicycle 10km World Championships on Wellington’s waterfront. In one of the tightest finishes in the 30 year history of the championships three Americans and one Germany swung around the final corner for the 20m sprint to the finish line under the sails on Queens wharf.

From the outset a fast pace was set on the very tight, 3 lap course with Wilton joined by fellow Americans Corbin Dunn and Beau Hoover, German Jan Longemann, Sam Wakeling from the UK, and the New Zealand duo of Ken Looi and Tony Melton. Drama followed on the narrow bridge by Te Papa when a rider went down and took out the New Zealand trio. The crash resulted in one of the riders ending up hanging precariously over the edge of the bridge.  He was able to get back on to the course.

The crash effectively ended the New Zealand challenge early as it allowed the Wilton group of four to jump clear. Unfortunately for Looi and Wakeling the chase back up to the four leaders proved to be too much and they had to settle for the minor placings. Looi pipped Wakeling and David Cox from Canada in another sprint finish.

Wilton’s win was a triumph for the purists as he was the only one of the leading riders to not be riding a geared unicycle. Most of the leading unicyclists now ride a two-geared unicycle but on the tight course this did not prove to be an advantage.

The women’s 10km was a more open affair with Denmark’s Signe Jensen a clear minute in front of Switzerland’s Mirjam Lips and fellow Dane Sheila Rasmussen.

An estimated crowd of 2,000 lined the waterfront for the racing in warm and calm conditions.

Unicycle World Championships 10km Results

Men

1. Scott Wilton (USA) 22min 11sec, 2. Corbin Dunn (USA) 22min 12sec, 3. Beau Hoover (USA) 22min 13sec, 4. Jan Longemann (Germany) 22min 14sec, 5. Ken Looi (New Zealand) 22min 41sec

Women

1. Signe Jensen (Denmark) 23min 40sec, 2. Mirjam Lips (Swtzerland) 24min 40sec, 3. Sheila Rasmussen (Denamrk. Also, 8. Kirsten Henderson (New Zealand) 28min 12sec.


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