Fulda Challenge Selection
Final Event Will Decide UK Team
02.10.2005
of the leaderboard for the UK athletes. This means that the fight is still on for the two coveted Fulda Challenge places to go to Canada’s Yukon Territory.
Event Four: Tyre Parcour
With only seconds separating the contestants’ times, this incredibly tough event proved that the UK hopefuls are among the strongest in the competition. The tyre parcour involved the negotiation of an uphill running course – while carrying a Fulda 4x4 tyre. The ten UK challengers set some impressive times that left the spectators in awe.
Despite incurring a ten-second penalty, Royal Marine Martin Yardley set a record to complete the course in just 55 seconds. Although it was extremely close in the women’s event, Kate Balchin once again came out on top with a time of 58 seconds, which extended her lead in the points table.
Event Five: Off-Road Driving
With the scores so close between the UK entrants, the mood was pensive going into the 4x4 driving event. It needed intense concentration and skill to negotiate the technical off-road course, which included a river crossing and a giant see-saw.
The circuit was designed by former female World Rally Champion Isolde Hoderied and set high in the mountains above Sulden. The competitors had to complete the drive in the fastest time possible without disturbing the marker cones along the way. For every cone moved, a five or ten-second penalty was incurred.
Once again the men’s times were close with only a few seconds separating the top three. Martin took the maximum five points with a time of three minutes 31 seconds, including 25 penalty seconds. He was closely followed by Paul Norris and Byron Lewis.
Proving that female drivers are every bit as good as their male counterparts, Brigid McMahon completed the course in just three minutes 17 seconds and picked up only five penalty seconds. This was Brigid’s first victory of the competition and she was awarded the coveted five points.
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