http://www.triathlon.org/news/ en erin.greene@triathlon.org Copyright 2013 2013-05-19T15:12:57+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/the_social_story_from_yokohama http://www.triathlon.org/site/the_social_story_from_yokohama#When:10:42:53Z [View the story “The social story from #WTSYokohama” on Storify] Age Group, Events, World Championship Series, Regions, 2013-05-13T10:42:53+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/World_Triathlon_Series_turns_to_Asia http://www.triathlon.org/site/World_Triathlon_Series_turns_to_Asia#When:10:49:47Z Variety and depth have been the catch words of the ITU World Triathlon Series so far this season with five different athletes on the podium in just two events. You can expect a few more new faces to emerge as the eight-race series visits Yokohama in Japan this weekend. Joao Silva, who is the only athlete to podium in both Auckland and San Diego, returns to defend his 2011 and 2012 titles in the men’s race, while the women’s race is open for the taking. The downtown course is a stunner, taking in one of the largest urban national parks in Japan, Yamashita Park, offering stunning views of the Bay Bridge and Minato Mirai and superb spectator vantage points around the multi-lap course on both the bike and run. Women’s Preview The women’s race is about as hard to predict as the results at the opening two races of the season. If Gwen Jorgensen (USA) repeats her stunning form from San Diego, she will be hard to beat. But any drop in form will open the door for a host of contenders, led by the well-performed Emma Moffatt (AUS), who so bravely led late into the action in San Diego despite cramping in both hamstrings. Maaike Caelers (NED) was third last year behind the incredible sprint finish between Lisa Norden (SWE) and Anne Haug (GER) and will fancy her chances of another podium with neither of those two on the start line this year. A victory for Caelers will see her move up the overall rankings in the absence of series leaders Haug and Felicity Abram (AUS). Jodie Stimpson (GBR) at her best is always a contender and she showed signs of that with a 5th place finish in San Diego after struggling in the cooler Auckland conditions to start the season, while Kate McIlroy (NZL) has quietly been going about training since a season opening 4th place finish in Auckland. The Kiwi was on the podium here in the 2011 race, making her familiar with the environment and conditions. Ashleigh Gentle (AUS) enjoyed one of her best ever results with 6th in Yokohama last year and will be hoping for a repeat performance. The young Aussie has consistently featured in the top ten over the past year without yet breaking through to the podium. The Japanese women were surprisingly off the pace last year with no athletes in the top ten and will race with the support of the local fans ringing in their ears to improve on that form. They won’t lack for numbers with Mariko Adachi, Juri Ide (currently third in the overall WTS rankings), Yuka Sato, Yuko Takahashi and Ai Ueda all... Events, World Championship Series, Media Centre, Event Release, Regions, 2013-05-07T10:49:47+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/san_diego_press_conference http://www.triathlon.org/site/san_diego_press_conference#When:22:40:50Z Pre-race day in Dan Diego and the Local Organising Committee welcomed Alistair Brownlee (GBR), Matt Chrabot (USA), Sarah Groff (USA) and Felicity Abram (AUS) as they met the media at the event’s official press conference this afternoon to preview their expectations and form ahead of Friday’s elite women’s race and Saturday’s elite men’s race. First to speak at the press conference was Rob Urbach, CEO USA Triathlon On hosting the event in San Diego “We are thrilled to be here, at one of the mecca’s of triathlon and the epicentre of the sport here in the USA. We hope this year will be even better than last year. We are also excited to bring one of three para tri races in the western hemisphere to this event. On behalf of USA Triathlon and the ITU I want to thank the Mayor and the sports commission of the city of San Diego, we certainly hope to continue racing here in the future, we think this is one of the best stops on the circuit.” Felicity Abram (AUS) On surviving through a couple of years of injuries to return to her best form, finishing third in Auckland last month: “I enjoy triathlon really; I still have to prove myself to be consistent, even Auckland still feels like a fluke. I think it is a bit of a joke in our household that I am old; it feels like I have been going for ten years. But I enjoy racing, enjoy travelling the world, I have had a lovely few weeks here in San Diego, but I haven’t proven consistent on a yearly basis, Auckland was a good start but I would like to continue it.” On the next generation of Aussies in the sport: “I think we have a good generation of young girls and guys coming up, our lifestyle in Australia suits triathlon, it is great to see the young ones coming up, I think we need to help them into international racing and help them grow. That is how I started on the World Cup circuit at around 18 years old.” What about the travelling, you are away from home so much: “It does take a long time to adjust; when younger I didn’t like it at all, travelling away for long amounts of time. As you get older you get used to it, you make more friends in different parts of the world and I am used to being away from home and while I miss my family and cherish moments back home it is a lifestyle I enjoy.” Matt Chrabot USA On what drives him in the sport: “For me when I was a kid I never dreamed of going to the Olympics, I just dreamed of being successful. Over the last four years heading into London I... Events, World Championship Series, Media Centre, Event Release, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, 2013-04-18T22:40:50+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