http://www.triathlon.org/news/ en erin.greene@triathlon.org Copyright 2013 2013-05-20T08:54:27+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/fast_five_with_russias_dmitry_polyanskiy http://www.triathlon.org/site/fast_five_with_russias_dmitry_polyanskiy#When:07:42:27Z The World Triathlon Series simply wouldn’t be the same without the strong Russian contingency consistently pushing the pace in the men’s races. Leading that pack is two-time Olympian Dmitry Polyanskiy. As one of the speedy sets of brothers on the circuit, Dmitry can almost always be found on the front end of the swim and in the top 10 of nearly every race he enters. Last year, his top performances earned him a third-place finish in the overall World Championship rankings. ITU recently caught up with Dmitry in Yokohama to talk triathlon, his future, and the family training dynamics. What memories do you have of your first ever triathlon? It was in my home town about ten or more years ago, it was a wonderful experience for me. It was held in Krasnoyarsk in Siberia. I can’t remember where I finished but it was a most enjoyable experience. My father encouraged me to take part. I was a swimmer but I had a very good run and so my father said for me to go and try triathlon. What is your favourite ITU race? My favourite race is in Yokohama in Japan and in Madrid in Spain. I like both races and for me it feels like home because I am not far from my home. Favourite training destination Cyprus. It is the best place in winter for training. Favourite Holiday I don’t have a favourite yet. This season I will travel to Africa and Kilimanjaro. Music I listen to some music but I don’t really have a favourite, I listen to a lot of different music. Post training snack My coach is very good cook, he prepares our meals and always it is healthy and good food for the team after training. Coffee drinker? No, I am not a coffee drinker, I love tea. When I come to Asia, I love the green tea but when in Europe or the US my favourite is black tea. Five years from now, where will Dmitry Polyanskiy be? In the Russian team, we are very focused on the next Olympics in Rio, this is the important goal for us. We are training and learning new technical skills, all to prepare for the Olympic Games in Rio and of course I will try to be there. In London I had no luck with my wheels but in Rio I will be 29 years, which is I think my peak condition for triathlon. I will try, the whole team will try to win a medal at the Olympic Games. Favourite and least favourite training activities? Now of course it is running, this is the most important thing for us and the part of my training I enjoy the most. We are working on new technical parts of the run, we have to try and change... Age Group, Athletes, Regions, Asia, 2013-05-16T07:42:27+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/fast_five_with_emma_jackson http://www.triathlon.org/site/fast_five_with_emma_jackson#When:09:58:59Z Emma Jackson first came into the ITU spotlight when she won the U23 World Title in 2010, and since then has joined the list of athletes who have claimed that World Championship category and moved on to higher honours. Jackson claimed her first World Triathlon Series podium in an all Aussie, all Emma sweep in Hamburg in 2011, went on to finish fourth in the London test event and then made her Olympic debut in London. Here she takes a few minutes to answer our quickfire questions. What has been your favourite ITU race so far? “I’d probably have to say Hamburg, because that’s where I got my first podium in a World Triathlon Series event and I was on the podium with Emma Moffatt and Emma Snowsill, two athletes I’ve always looked up too, so that’s been my favourite ITU race I’ve ever done. It was pretty surreal being there and thinking I was going to overtake Emma Snowsill, but I just remember thinking I just wanted to beat her, I remember it was quite a hard sprint and we really didn’t know who had come second and third when we crossed the line, but it was an amazing feeling just being able to run with them and everything, it was very humbling.” Tell me about your very first triathlon… “Well the first one I did was when I was 13 years old, so actually regional championships to try and qualify in a team. I’d pretty much never done any biking before and hadn’t really done much swimming either, I was more focusing on running at that age, and I pretty much didn’t do another one until a year later. I remember pretty much doing the whole bike course in the same gear because my gears were on my downtube, it was a really old and crappy bike I was riding and I didn’t want to take my hands off the handlebars because I was too scared. It was a really hilly loop course. It was actually at a car racing track in Brisbane, it had a really big hill in it, I don’t know how I went up the hill in the same gear, but I somewhere managed to get around and so yeah, it wasn’t the most successful race and I didn’t really catch the bug then, but a couple of years later I did.” So how did you catch the bug? “I guess I did like them but I had only done two or three when my current coach saw me at a cross country event that I started to actually try and train for it rather than just go out and do it - so I went out and started to train with him, and I pretty much haven’t looked back since.” Do you have any special talents outside of triathlon? “I do... Age Group, Athletes, Regions, Oceania, 2013-04-26T09:58:59+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/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 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/live_athlete_hangout_san_diego http://www.triathlon.org/site/live_athlete_hangout_san_diego#When:16:20:29Z Watch the ITU Athlete Hangout + with Olympians Sarah Groff and Richard Murray If you have a question submit them now via Twitter @ITUonline followed by #ITUhangout or leave a question on our Facebook page or in the comments section below. The Elite Women will go off at 3:30pm on 19 April, while the Elite Men will start on Saturday at 4:00pm local time. International Women’s start times International Men’s start times Be sure to follow all the action live through the ITU’s live video stream on www.triathlon.org/tv, or follow via Twitter at @ITUonline and @triathlonlive Athletes, Athletes in Profile, 2013-04-18T16:20:29+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/a_heavyweight_clash_looms_in_san_diego http://www.triathlon.org/site/a_heavyweight_clash_looms_in_san_diego#When:14:59:43Z Sport is littered with great rivalries, match ups that can transcend the code, battles that can promote the sport and its personalities to a world beyond the dedicated and often tragic sports fan. Think of McEnroe and you think of Connors. Say Alain Prost and you must mention Ayrton Senna, consider Ali and how can you leave out Frazier? These are all heavyweight match ups that promoters dream of. Triathlon is in the midst of just such a battle with the great Javier Gomez and amazing Alistair Brownlee set to renew a rivalry that has crowds buzzing, media furiously writing and television audiences the world over cooing over their flat screens when the two are racing side by side. Gomez may be 30 and Brownlee a sprightly 24, but there can be no question that despite ITU Triathlon increasing in depth and global appeal year upon year, these two are fighting for dominance in the one moment in time, they are the best of the best, the ones setting the standard and forcing others to follow if they are to compete alongside them for part of a race, let alone stand next to them on the podium. ITU Commentator Barrie Shepley has seen it all in his race calling career but has no doubt we are in the midst of greatness. “London’s Olympic showdown was the strongest athletic battle the sport has ever seen. As good as the other 53 men were in London, all eyes were on the incredible swim-bike and ultimately the ten kilometre run battle that developed between Brownlee and Gomez – not to forget Jonny of course who played a great role too. “Javier ran on the shoulder of Alistair as long as he could hang in London, before the stronger running Brownlee used his perseverance and the home crowd to run a mind-blowing 29:08 ten kilometre run split. Age Group, Athletes, Events, World Championship Series, Regions, 2013-04-17T14:59:43+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/san_diego_preview http://www.triathlon.org/site/san_diego_preview#When:08:54:01Z The second round of the ITU World Triathlon Series touches down where it all started in the birthplace of triathlon in San Diego this weekend. Friday sees a strong elite women’s field take centre stage, while the elite men’s event heralds the much anticipated first appearance of Alistair Brownlee (GBR) on Saturday. Racing will take place adjacent to the world’s first ever triathlon over a 2-lap swim course, an 8-lap bike course focused on Mission Bay Drive and a 3-lap run course on Oceanfront Walk and Bayfront Walk surrounding Mission Boulevard. Women’s Preview In the women’s race Anne Haug (GER) will again start favourite in what has been a dominant start to the season. The German has already won impressively at the Mooloolaba World Cup, as well World Triathlon Season opener in Auckland. Haug was 7th last year in San Diego but is enjoying a late career surge that has her racing with a target on her back. Felicity Abram (AUS) looms as a big danger again after her bronze medal performance in Auckland. Emerging from the shadow of the Australian ‘Emma’s’, Abram has enjoyed a strong 2013 so far. Andrea Hewitt (NZL) will be hoping for improved form after a disappointing race in Auckland when she was suffering from a concussion after a bike fall earlier in the week. Hewitt felt the effects of that concussion and struggled to make her usual impact, coming home 15th. Barbara Riveros Diaz (CHI) will likewise be looking for a stronger performance after her own disappointment in Auckland where she came home 13th. Sarah Groff (USA) is the highest ranked American. Groff swam and rode well last year before suffering on the run to fade to 15th. However, Groff has signaled a strong off season with a win at the ITU Clermont ITU Sprint Pan American Cup race in early March with a fastest run split on the day of 17.43. Paula Findlay (CAN) will also make her debut return to ITU racing, after suffering an injury in 2012 that saw her miss the entire WTS season. When in form, Findlay is one of the fastest runners on the circuit and shouldn’t be counted out. While it could be anyone’s race in the women’s event, a brand new podium is assured, with last year’s medallists of Helen Jenkins (GBR), Erin Densham (AUS) and Laura Bennett (USA) not on the start line this year. Women’s Start List Men’s Preview On Saturday, the world will watch another installment in the wonderful rivalry between Alistair and Javier Gomez (ESP), gold and silver medallists from London... Age Group, Athletes, Events, World Championship Series, Media Centre, Event Release, Regions, 2013-04-16T08:54:01+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/jonny_brownlee_misses_san_diego_world_series_due_to_injury http://www.triathlon.org/site/jonny_brownlee_misses_san_diego_world_series_due_to_injury#When:16:56:30Z World champion Jonathan Brownlee will miss the San Diego World Triathlon Series event on April 20 due to an ankle injury. Brownlee was withdrawn from the start list of the event a few days ago, and it will mean that he will not be able to defend his title for the race he won last year. The British broadcaster BBC quoted Jonny Brownlee as saying: “I’m really disappointed not to be going to San Diego. But [I’m] waiting another couple of weeks to get myself race fit after injury is the right thing to do with a whole season ahead of me.” His brother Alistair, Olympic Champion and two-time World Champion is however competing and hoping to keep the race title in the family. As Jonny also did not compete in the season opener in Auckland, the withdrawal will make his defence of his world title more difficult as he only has six World Triathlon Series events left to compete in - which leaves little margin for error.  The final rankings are obtained by adding the points gained in the ITU World Triathlon Series Grand Final plus the four best scores in the ITU World Triathlon Series. A maximum of two ITU Triathlon World Cup scores may also count, but these carry significantly less points (a world cup win is approximately equivalent to a 19th place finish in a World Triathlon Series event). Click here for full series ranking criteria. With Spain’s Javier Gomez taking the first series win of the season in devastating fashion, Gomez has clearly set his sights on winning back the title he last won in 2010. All eyes will now be on Great Britain’s Alistair Brownlee to see can he prevent the Spaniard from collecting a second consecutive win in San Diego. The race will be broadcast live on www.triathlon.org/tv on April 20th. Click here for full start lists. Athletes, Events, World Championship Series, 2013-04-09T16:56:30+00:00