http://www.triathlon.org/news/ en erin.greene@triathlon.org Copyright 2013 2013-05-21T08:02:53+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/history_made_at_national_duathlon http://www.triathlon.org/site/history_made_at_national_duathlon#When:22:47:14Z Even though there is no such thing as World and National Records in Triathlons and Duathlons as each Race course is different, there are certain Benchmarks. In Trinidad those Benchmarks are a finish time of two hours for a standard duathlon and a one-hour finish time for the juniors in the Sprint distance, which is half of the Standard. While Ancil Greene reclaimed his title as National Champion as he came first in the standard distance, he just missed this Benchmark with a time of 2hrs 2mins 49sec. The new National Junior Champion Avinash Anamalay on the other Hand took matters in his hand and with an impressive sprint and his eyes glued to the clock in front of him he managed to finish in a time of 59mins and 36seconds. He has with that become the first Trinidadian Duathlete to crack the one Hour Benchmark. The pride was obvious on his face and shared in the finish area with his Teammates, Coach and Family. The race was started a few minutes late by the Mayor of Port of Spain Louis Lee Sing, who enjoyed the Company of these athletes and had some encouraging words to give them on their way. The course took the athletes along the fence on the northeastern side of the Savannah as far as Jerningham Avenue to come back, pass the Transition Area and to the western turn just before the hollows. After the juniors did that lap twice and the seniors four times it was time to hit the road with the bike…accompanied by police motorbikes the Athletes set out and did their Laps around the Savannah. After less than an Hour Avinash, like he already had used up all the Products from GNC he found in his Race Kit reached at the finish. Behind him was Kent Costa in 1:09:24 who started in the 40-49 Years Age Group in second place and Youngster in the Juniors Joshua Ho with an impressive 1:09:49 . In the Female Junior Category Rene Chin Lee seized her first National Title as Duathlete in a time of 1:17:56. This is her second title for the month as she also has won the Tri The Spice Triathlon on the Easter weekend. Behind her was Chelsea Mohammed in 1:32:29. In the Standard Distance the first one to emerge at the finish line was Ancil Greene in a time of 2:02:49 followed by Kirk Hearn with 2:06:59 in second Place and Jonah Camps in third place with a time of 2:07:53. The women’s race was dominated by veteran Diane Henderson in 2:47:04, she added yet another national title onto the long list she already has. Diane also has given the federation a trophy for the first... Federations, Regions, Americas, 2013-05-15T22:47:14+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/weekend_race_roundup_may_13_2013 http://www.triathlon.org/site/weekend_race_roundup_may_13_2013#When:08:53:04Z While the elite’s did work in Yokohama at the third stop of the World Triathlon Series, juniors took centre stage in Europe and the Americas this weekend. France cleaned up at the ETU Triathlon Junior European Cup, while Venezuela and Team ITU were well represented on the podium at the PATCO Junior Central American and Caribbean Championships. 2013 Vierzon ETU Triathlon Junior European Cup Leonie Periault and Raphael Montoya stormed to victory to make it a French double celebration at the ETU European Junior Cup in Vierzon. In the Junior women’s race, Periault chose the perfect time to win the first race of her International career. A cautious swim, where she exited behind the leaders, was followed by a tactical bike race that left her in the best possible position to use her pace to stride home for victory. In the nunior men’s race, Raphael Montoya won his second European Cup of the season and once again it was a dramatic finish. On the final lap nothing could separate Montoya from his countryman Dorian Coninx with the two fighting it out for first and second. Just as in Quarteira, it was Montoya who took Gold right on the line, just a second ahead of his opponent. Click here for full results 2013 Juan Dolio PATCO Triathlon Pan American Cup and Central American and Caribbean Championships Flavia Fernandes (BRA) positioned herself in the lead pack straight from the beginning with one of the top swims of the day in the women’s race. She held the top spot from line to line to claim the win in nearly a minute. Despite winning by such a large margin, Lisandra Hernandez (CUB) attempted to reel Fernandes in with a strong finish on the run for second. Although Debora Antillon (GUA) swam and biked with the best, she flatlined on the run for bronze. US Olympian Manuel Huerta ran clear to the win in Juan Dolio ahead of American teammate Chris Lutz with the fastest run split of the day in the men’s race. Lutz hung with Huerta until the run, which was good enough to overtake Gerardo Vergara (GUA) for silver by nine seconds. Click here for elite men’s and women’s results. 2013 Juan Dolio PATCO Triathlon Junior Central American and Caribbean Championships Steffy Mishel Salazar and Maria Cristina Farez Pucha, both competing under the Team ITU banner, swept first and second in the women’s junior races in Juan Dolio. In a three-way battle for the podium, it was Salazar who had conserved enough energy to unleash on the run, passing Farez Pucha and Brazil’s... Age Group, Regions, Americas, Europe, Sport Development, 2013-05-13T08:53:04+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/itu_world_paratriathlon_yokohama http://www.triathlon.org/site/itu_world_paratriathlon_yokohama#When:00:49:48Z 24 competitors lined up in the ITU World Paratriathlon Yokohama this morning in breezy but fine conditions, the rain of yesterday’s elite racing gone making for a more comfortable day for athletes and spectators. The field of paratriathletes were mainly from Japan but international interest was provided by Michael Johnston (USA) and Marcelo Collett (BRA) who renewed their rivalry from the San Diego event two weeks ago in the TRI-5 category. There were also some well known stars; including 3 time Paralympian Mami Sato. Sato has represented Japan at the last 3 Paralympics Games and was 6th in the Long Jump in Beijing in 2008. The national record holder for long jump spoke of her nervousness before her third triathlon. “I am a little bit nervous; I am not so good at everything I think! Triathlon is fantastic sport for me with Paralympics athletes together it is such a good atmosphere. I have some friends watching me race too.” She need not have worried though, the popular Sato received great applause all around the course and finished to a waiting gaggle of media, keen on an interview with the sport’s latest recruit. “It was so hard of course, but I did enjoy it. Swimming I was nervous because today some paratriathletes joined and made it a high speed swim. But I did my best today. “The support is so good; people supported me and made today magic on the course. “I have been a long jumper for ten years, going to Paralympics games but maybe triathlon now for Rio 2016. Because it is a good sport for me, it is a real sport that showcases inclusion, everyone can join, I like this sport and it is good for the Paralympics movement.” Collett again had the better of Johnston in the TRI-5 category, the Brazilian also has his eyes on Rio 2016 and enjoyed his Yokohama experience. “The race I like very much, it was very good contest and strong competition here in Japan, I live it very much and want to thank all the people of Japan. I want to go to Rio, I am training very hard for Rio, this is my goal and I hope I can achieve that dream.” Also taking part was Masazumi Soejima in the TRI-1 men’s category. Soejima has competed at two Paralympics Games in 2004 and 2008, winning a bronze medal at the Athens Games in the wheel chair relay. Daisuke Ejima competed in the men’s TRI-3 category. He too is a veteran of the Paralympics, having competed in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Games, winning a silver medal in the medley relay at the Athens... Paratriathlon, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2013-05-12T00:49:48+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/world_triathlon_yokohama_elite_mens_race_review http://www.triathlon.org/site/world_triathlon_yokohama_elite_mens_race_review#When:02:05:23Z Just two months ago Great Britain’s Jonathan Brownlee didn’t think he would be racing at all this season, but the reigning ITU World Champion came back with a bang in Japan on Saturday, leading from start to finish in a perfect all-round performance at ITU World Triathlon Yokohama. It followed on from his older brother’s similar impressive return to ITU racing in 2013. Just last month Alistair Brownlee raced his first ITU event since the London Olympics in San Diego, and blew away the field there despite not being confident of his run form. In Yokohama it was a similar story, except Jonathan had the added complication that his layoff was because of an ankle injury. That made his performance even more impressive, as he showed no signs of weakness on the run, burning off Spain’s Javier Gomez and Portugal’s Joao Silva over 10km to record his fifth career series win in a time of 1 hour 44 minutes and 59 seconds. Brownlee was emotional afterwards as he revealed that he thought his entire season would have to be ruled out because of that ankle injury. “At the start of the year I was told I wouldn’t be racing at all this season, so I got a bit emotional towards the end because this year I thought I wouldn’t be here at all,” he said. “I thought the season was over two months ago. “I didn’t know what to expect all, to cross the finish line was more relief than anything. I was running around just pleased to be here to be honest, so this is nice.” Brownlee ran an amazing 7:11 for his second lap, a move that won him the race. “I started off and thought there would be a big group of us and turned around and there was just two of us. So I was feeling good, I have an advantage over everyone in that I was felling fresher, they’ve’ raced twice already all over the world and they have the points in the bag whereas I have been at home training in Yorkshire and that is a big advantage that I have had, I think that showed today, but yeah it was a big shock to get a gap.” And he didn’t mind the wet conditions either. “I did feel at home, I have been worried about the heat here, I have been training in a heat chamber before I came out, when I heard the forecast I thought I’m so pleased it is going to rain, I sat in my hotel room hoping for it to rain and it did.” If one thing is becoming clear through the opening rounds of the ITU World Triathlon Series in 2013 (aside from the Brownlee’s class), it is that the men’s swim has been taken to a new level. Hot on... Athletes, Events, World Championship Series, Media Centre, Event Release, Press Release, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2013-05-11T02:05:23+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/world_triathlon_yokohama_elite_womens_race_review http://www.triathlon.org/site/world_triathlon_yokohama_elite_womens_race_review#When:23:49:30Z If San Diego hinted at it, Yokohama has well and truly confirmed the USA’s Gwen Jorgensen as the leading contender in 2013, as she took back to back ITU World Triathlon Series titles and the overall series lead in Japan on Saturday. Conditions played a huge part with constant rain and cooler temperatures making for a treacherous race at times, with numerous crashes on the bike. But it was Jorgensen who reigned supreme, first running down Emma Moffatt (AUS) and Jodie Stimpson (GBR) and then simply flying off into the distance to win by 14 seconds in a time of 1 hour 57 minutes and 5 seconds. Jorgensen initially stayed back after the first lap of the run, but pulled out another negative split 10km to pull back in the difference in the final lap and said it played out to her race plan.  “I wouldn’t say it was a repeat of San Diego, there were different conditions out there today, a choppy swim and the rain on the bike, but it was an exciting race for sure,” Jorgensen said. “I just started the run and to be honest I was a little worried those girls really took it out fast and I just tried to focus on my race. I just tried to maintain pace the whole way.” In overcast conditions with light rain at the start, Mariko Adachi (JPN) led out the swim, taking Moffatt (AUS) with her as they established a lead of 10 seconds out of the water. Moffatt immediately pushed the pace on the bike, dropping Adachi as Stimpson (GBR) closed quickly, aware of the danger Moffatt would pose should she break away solo. That urgency soon dissipated however as the chase group caught and formed one group of 13 athletes, with all the favourites in attendance including Jorgensen (USA), Moffatt, Stimpson, Kate McIlroy (NZL), Maaike Caelers (NED) and former junior ITU world champion Kirsten Sweetland (CAN), who was racing her first WTS event in two years. Caelers, who won bronze in Yokohama in 2012, didn’t have a great start to the bike as she took a tumble early on but the brave Dutchwoman quickly remounted though and joined the chase, 30 seconds down on the lead group. Aside from that crash, not many other major moves happened across the next 25 km with the leaders keeping a gap of between 45 and 55 seconds from a chase group of seven being led by Great Britain’s Katie Hewison. But it all quickly changed in the final two laps, just as the chase managed to cut that to about 30 seconds, the rain started to pour and another crash splintered that pack, putting Caelers, Natalie... Athletes, Events, World Championship Series, Media Centre, Event Release, Press Release, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2013-05-10T23:49:30+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/jonathan_brownlee_heads_into_the_unknown_in_yokohama http://www.triathlon.org/site/jonathan_brownlee_heads_into_the_unknown_in_yokohama#When:03:54:50Z Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) is heading into unknown territory, racing for the first time this season after a delayed start due to an ankle injury, the London Olympic Games bronze medallist will make a belated entry to the season in Yokohama tomorrow. “I feel surprisingly good after the travel, this is the first time I have dropped in to a race this late and I am not really sure how I will feel but I feel okay now. When you know you have a race coming up your body feels completely different anyway. I am really looking forward to racing, it has been awhile without racing now so I have the bug to start racing again. “The ankle itself is fine now, there is nothing wrong with it all, I have not felt any problems with any injury for the best part of five weeks. Obviously I haven’t been training properly or as well as I would like to train but then I have kind of thought that a bit of a break is quite good for me after the Olympics and such a long year, but we will see. For this race I am not in tip top condition but I doubt many of us are. “I am going into this completely blind, I have never done this before, I am used to having six months of complete and perfect training before my first race. If anything it is quite interesting.” Events, World Championship Series, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2013-05-10T03:54:50+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/yokohama_press_conference_highlights http://www.triathlon.org/site/yokohama_press_conference_highlights#When:06:33:49Z Two days out from the next round of the ITU World Triathlon Series in Yokohama and the local media attended a press conference featuring Jonathan Brownlee (GBR), Javier Gomez (ESP), Joao Silva (POR), Gwen Jorgensen (USA) and Maaike Caelers (NED). The athletes were welcomed to the stage with a large turnout of Japanese media in attendance. Maaike Caelers on a return to Yokohama, a course she finished third on last year. I think it is a good course, I have raced here for two years, I like the course and I like Japan and am looking forward to it. You never know, I feel fit; I will give all of my best in everything so we will see what the outcome will be. I am still working hard on my swim so that is an important part, to be there with the swim. Then I need to make up where I am, maybe work hard on the bike or just sit in the group and see what happens and start with the run. I’m looking forward to it. On her first WTS press conference: This was a new experience for me, Kris Gemmell tweeted that maybe there is more to come so I will have to get used to it. It is actually very easy, it is no big deal. Gwen Jorgensen on being in Japan: I enjoy being in Japan, it is one of my favourite places to visit; I loved it last year and am happy to be back. It is exciting to be here representing the United States. Everyone here is so polite, everything is very clean and fresh, I love the food and love the people so it is great to be here. On winning in San Diego and whether that changes her approach: I think you go into every race with the same mentality, you don’t come to a race to lose, I am coming out here hoping for a good race. Joao Silva on a return to a race he has won two years in a row: I am happy to be here again, my third time in Yokohama, I am hoping it will be a really good race. I will give my best but those guys next to me (Javier and Jonny) decrease my hopes for another win, but I will try my best again. This year is a little different in a different season of the year, the weather is different and conditions will be different for the race. On his form and the course: I don’t know exactly how fit I am for the race but certainly with a lot of energy and focus to do the race. I like the course but I would prefer the weather a bit hotter and humid but I have to perform whatever the conditions are and I am ready for that. Javier Gomez on the technical nature of the course: This is my third time here also, I too am happy to be here. The course... Events, World Championship Series, Paratriathlon, Media Centre, Event Release, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2013-05-09T06:33:49+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/alistair_brownlee_crushes_san_diego_field_in_itu_world_triathlon_series_ret http://www.triathlon.org/site/alistair_brownlee_crushes_san_diego_field_in_itu_world_triathlon_series_ret#When:00:58:50Z Great Britain’s Alistair Brownlee hadn’t raced an ITU event since the London 2012 Olympic Games, but the Gold medallist showed nothing had changed when he led from start to finish in his 13th ITU World Triathlon Series win in San Diego on Saturday in a performance that was simply breathtaking in it’s complete dominance over a quality field. Brownlee was second out of the water, stayed in the lead pack of the bike throughout the race and then broke away on the run early on. While initially Portugal’s Joao Silva went with him, he dropped within the first lap and Brownlee kept increasing the gap, to win by an incredible 22 seconds from South Africa’s Richard Murray and Silva, in a total time of 1 hour 47 minutes and 16 seconds. “I’m sure you think I’m lying when I said I’ve only done six weeks training, but I swear,” Brownlee said afterwards. “I hadn’t done much running until six weeks ago and then just pushed on since then, but I think it’s good having a winter free of injury and I just enjoyed that today, it felt great.” Murray claimed his second consecutive podium in San Diego, going one better than bronze in 2012 with silver, in what was his first WTS race of the year. Silva’s bronze was his second consecutive series medal, after bronze in Auckland, and was enough for him to move into the overall series lead after two races. But today was the Brownlee show, in a performance that keeps the San Diego title in teh family after brother Jonny won last year. Perhaps most frightening for the rest was that Alistair wasn’t sure how he would go today. “It’s only this last week I have started to feel good on the run, that is why I tried to push on the bike to see if I could win it there, I honestly didn’t know what to expect, I actually started pretty slow, the first ‘k’ I tried to go pretty easy, and then push on after that. “I was pretty nervous as well to be honest after not racing properly since last summer, I didn’t know what to expect, I was on the start line thinking it is good to be back, with all the nerves, standing on the start line thinking this is what I do. I felt pretty good, obviously Jonny wasn’t racing which makes a big difference and Javier Gomez wasn’t on form and they are the two big competition really so I had it a bit my own way I suppose. If Javier was on form it might have been a bit different. But yeah, that was fantastic I am really happy with that. “I purposely didn’t go too fast on the first couple of ‘k’ on... Athletes, Events, World Championship Series, Media Centre, Event Release, Press Release, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2013-04-21T00:58:50+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/2013_San_Diego_ITU_Paratriathlon_International_Event http://www.triathlon.org/site/2013_San_Diego_ITU_Paratriathlon_International_Event#When:18:00:44Z Close to 50 paratriathletes competing in various categories took to the start line on a stunning San Diego morning for the 2013 San Diego ITU Paratriathlon International Event, with huge crowds watching and cheering them on throughout their race. With the sport included on the list of events at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, there is heightened interest in the athletes and paratri racing in general, with more ITU sanctioned events on the calendar providing opportunities for new and existing paratri athletes to impress with their commitment, passion and abilities. Rudy Garcia has been inspiring others through his sporting achievements for 20 years. The 24 year old was born with popliteal pterygium syndrome, resulting in a club foot, webbed fingers on both hands, a cleft lip and palate and the inability to straighten his legs. As a 5 year old wheelchair user, after 15 operations, he decided he would rather be a double amputee and walk with prosthetics. As an 8 year old he said he would swim at the 2004 Paralympics and was true to his word, winning gold in the 200m individual medley in world record time. He has for some time also been competing in paratriathlon and is a possible starter in Rio 2016. Garcia is a spokesperson for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, the charitable organization supporting the Paratri in San Diego. The Foundation was founded by Jim McLaren in 1997, fittingly McLaren was posthumously inducted into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame at a function during this San Diego ITU World Triathlon. “This was a beautiful race, ITU San Diego do a great job, the venue is very accessible for us paratriathletes, the swim was beautiful with warm water and the bike nice and flat which I love and the run was fast so all in all, a beautiful day,” said Garcia upon completion of his race. “We have created a movement, I have been a part of the Challenged Athletes Foundation for 20 years now, when I first started, this paratri was just a far distance dream, to have it come together and to see countries and athletes participate in a paratri race it is raising awareness but we are paving the way for a younger generation. In 2020 - 2024 now when those Olympics and Paralympics come around all the youngsters here are going to be taking the gold then, so we are hoping to endorse for all other Challenge athletes out there and we are paving the way, so it is a good time.” Jose Ramos had made the trip from his home in Washington DC to compete in the... Paratriathlon, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2013-04-20T18:00:44+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/san_diego_elite_womens_race_recap http://www.triathlon.org/site/san_diego_elite_womens_race_recap#When:11:37:21Z Gwen Jorgensen ran her way into the history books in San Diego on Friday, becoming the first U.S woman to win an ITU World Triathlon Series race on the back of a scintillating final leg. After leaving T2 just over a minute down on the leaders of Emma Moffatt and the Sarah Groff, Jorgensen smashed out a 33 minute and 10 second 10km run split to overtake Moffatt with about one kilometre to go. Behind her, Great Britain’s Non Stanford pulled out a last-ditch sprint to claim silver ahead of Moffatt, who had lead for almost all except the final stages of the race. But the top of the podium belonged to Jorgensen, who added the win to her two World Cup titles and two series medals. Afterwards she said had hardly even considered the magnitude of the gap from T2. “I never really thought about it, I just focused on my race and just did what I had to do,” Jorgensen said. “This feels amazing to be on home soil, a national championship and to be the first woman from the USA to win one of these is an amazing feeling and I feel it is really going to increase the sport here in the USA and more people are going to start winning from the USA hopefully. “It was a great race, I was focused on the processes today, I switched coach I am with Jamie Turner this year and we have really been focusing on my weaknesses and we still have a lot of work to do I just tried to focus on the process and if you concentrate on the process, the outcome will come. I was just focused on myself and doing what I know how to do.” It was a breakthrough performance for Stanford, the ITU World U23 Champion from Auckland last year. “I am absolutely delighted, I knew I was in good form coming here and to have such a great swim and a strong run, it is always nice when it is a bit of a sprint finish, it makes it more exciting, I really worked hard for that I was pushing the whole way so yeah, I am pleased,” said Stanford. “I knew we were closing, I was trying to work it out in my head how quickly, I knew we were chipping down each lap, but I didn’t feel we would quite get to Emma and then all of a sudden she came into sight and I just put my head down and kept pushing and I knew Annie was there and she was putting pressure on me. My coach at home trains us for sprint finishes and I was determined not to let him down and went for it and luckily I came out on top this time.” Moffatt was equally happy with her performance and place on the podium in a strong performance from the London bronze... Athletes, Events, World Championship Series, Media Centre, Event Release, Press Release, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2013-04-19T11:37:21+00:00