RENO, Nev. — With the temperature surpassing the 100-degree mark, men and their machines were put to the ultimate test at the ESPN Great Outdoor Games Timber Sports Hot Saw event on Thursday at Rancho San Rafael Park.

How hot was it? Enough for the boiling, high desert sun to make snowmobile engine-powered chainsaws come to a sputtering stop, their sizzling chains coming unwrapped from the frame as a result of the scorching heat.

	Mike Sullivan, the former Cincinnati Red and defending gold medalist, repeated the feat this year.

One machine that performed flawlessly was the 325 horsepower chainsaw operated by Mike Sullivan, the former Cincinnati Red and defending gold medal winner who repeated the feat again this year. Sullivan posted the fastest time of the day, making three cuts through a 20-inch pine log in 7.08 seconds.

"It was a tough day for everybody but it makes this one even more sweet," said Sullivan, who took up the sport after a shoulder injury injured his major league career. Sullivan, the only American in the medal round, relied on his athletic experience and the reliability of his trusty machine to win the gold over an Aussie and two New Zealanders.

The silver medal went to New Zealand sawyer Dave Bolstad with a medal-round time of 51 seconds. Bolstad was one of three medal-round finalists whose chainsaws malfunctioned in the searing heat. In fact, his saw failed to start in the round against Sullivan, causing him to incur a time penalty of 45 seconds.

Fellow countryman Jason Wynard scored in 8.01 seconds, beating out Australia's Dale Ryan for the bronze. Ryan, plagued with mechanical problems throughout the competition, was unable to start his chainsaw at the starting bell and settled for fourth place.

The on again, off again deafening buzz of the saws were a constant part of the competition. In the semifinal round Wynard's saw fell silent after the chain came apart and the handle broke. After an official timeout, Wynard was back in action for the consolation round when fellow competitors came to his aid and the saw was piecemealed together with loaned parts.

"There is no doubt that these guys will take note of the change in the conditions from Lake Placid," noted John Hughes, timber analyst for the Great Outdoor Games. "The dryer air and higher temperatures certainly had a role in the mechanical problems of some of the guys.

"Mike's chain saw was the only one to perform without a glitch all day. What it could have come down to for the other guys is the fuel mixes not being calculated into the dry air and how their saws are set up for the intense heat."

"This sport is definitely getting more technical and the guys are fine tuning their saws even more each year to give them an edge," added Sullivan. "That's not surprising at all, considering the bar gets raised higher each year on the competition."

"The more you fine tune something the more sensitive it becomes. I've used the same chain saw for the past six years and knew it would hold up in this heat," said Sullivan. "I used this saw here in an event several years ago. All things considered it worked out since the saw and I both do well in the heat."

The Hot Saw event began with the quarterfinals at 8:30 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m., easily validating the fact this event is a grueling test of physical and mental stamina for the athletes.

Final Standings — Hot Saw

1. Mike Sullivan, Winstead, Conn.
2. David Bolstad, Taumarunui, New Zealand
3. Jason Wynyard, Aukland, New Zealand
4. Dale Ryan, Katoomba, New South Wales, Australia
5. Jim Taylor, Redding, Calif.
6. Dave Jewett, Pittsford, N.Y.
7. Mel Lentz, Dianna, W. Va.
8. Matt Bush Croghan, N.Y.