USA’s Katie Zafares continued her perfect start to the World Triathlon Series after easing to victory in Bermuda ahead of Britain’s Jess Learmonth.
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Zafares, 29, who was narrowly beaten to the world title by Vicky Holland in the final race of the 2018 season, made it two wins from two WTS starts after victory in Abu Dhabi in March.
Holland finished 15th having broken away with the leaders early in the 40km bike ride, but was unable to hold the pace. Fellow Brit Georgia Taylor-Brown came through for fifth, with Non Stanford producing the fastest run leg in the field to claim 13th.
The home crowd had hoped to see the return of local favourite and Commonwealth champion Flora Duffy, who had succeeded with a solo charge to win the inaugural WTS contest on the island last year.
But Duffy, who has struggled with injury since taking the Commonwealth title last spring, withdrew in the build-up and has delayed setting a date for her return.
In her absence, Zafares became the dominant force and looked untroubled on the run, closing out with a 34:36 10km split and a comfortable 1:41 victory margin.
“Inspired by Flora in last year’s race I just wanted to commit to those first few laps [on the bike],” she said. “Jess and Lotte [Miller] did so much work, we just kept pushing the entire 10 laps and it put us in a good position for the run.”
A downpour and flash floods greeted the start of the women’s race, meaning choppier conditions and poor visibility during the swim and plenty of surface water for the beginning of the bike leg.
“It was torrential,” Learmonth said. “I was halfway through [the swim] and ready to roll on to my back and put my arm in the air to be rescued – you couldn’t see a thing. So that were a drama. On the bike, Zafares is a train – I was dying. The run, I was just trying to get through. I’m glad we got just enough time because I was hanging on. I’m delighted with second place.”
As has become routine in WTS racing, Learmonth led the out of the water after the 1.5km two-lap swim, but world champion Holland was in close attendance along with Holland’s Maya Kingma. Zafares was fourth leaving T1 and quickly closed the gap as they approached the first of 10 climbs up Corkscrew Hill – the one meaningful incline on the course – showing her power that would soon split the race apart.
Norway’s Miller also made the front pack and after Kingma had been jettisoned it was Holland who was next to suffer as the front three broke away.
From there Zafares continued to drive the pace and the gap over the 40km bike ride grew from seconds to minutes as the trio built on their advantage.
They made it to T2 over 2mins clear of the second pack and although Learmonth was first to emerge, Zafares quickly forged ahead and by the end of the first 2.5km lap was 23sec clear.
Miller’s valiant effort to equal Gustav Iden’s feat in the men’s race and grab the final podium berth for Norway was thwarted when Canadian Commonwealth bronze medallist Joanna Brown passed her with 3km remaining.
Miller eventually dropped to eighth to add to her sixth place in Abu Dhabi, but it was a brave performance that suggests it’s not just the Scandinavian men who are becoming a force to be reckoned with at this level.
Learmonth wasn’t threatened for second, and although she is yet to win a World Series race, has now recorded five podiums along with Commonwealth silver and a European title.
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The 31-year-old lies second in the overall standings behind Zafares, with USA’s Taylor Spivey in third and Georgia Taylor-Brown in fourth.
The second stop on the ITU calendar saw the world’s best short course triathletes head to the North Atlantic island of Bermuda, and after two standout races at the venue last year that witnessed a Norwegian men’s podium sweep and local hero Flora Duffy charge to a solo victory, there was a lot to live up to. While there might not have been the drama of 2018, the racing again produced a fitting spectacle, with plenty of interesting takeaways. Here 220 columnist Tim Heming takes a closer look…
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1. Consistent Zafares is now a consistent winner. USA’s Katie Zafares has been both upbeat and up in the top 10 since she first competed at World Series level in 2014. But while her ranking has steadily improved, it could be levelled that until this season 17 podiums had only resulted in a single victory. Not any more. Zafares win in Bermuda means a 100% start to 2019 as she backed up success in Abu Dhabi and justified her world No 1 ranking. She is now, resoundingly, the woman to beat.
2. Gomez is back and doesn’t look as if he’s been away. The five-time ITU world champion had not raced on the World Series since the Grand Final in Rotterdam in 2017, but after an ominous fifth place in a World Cup race in New Zealand, his runner-up position here showed his thoroughbred qualities. There are plenty of ‘ifs’ and ‘maybes’, but while Gomez’s return might threaten most of the field, it could also signal good news for the Brownlees. The tactical nuances of triathlon racing mean that while the Spaniard was once their arch-nemesis, he could now be a staunch ally in trying to carve out swim-bike breakaways to distance the faster runners, giving all three their best shot at glory.
3.The top step is Learmonth’s challenge. While neutrality should be an important part of a reporter’s repertoire, it’s hard not to be swayed by Jess Learmonth. In Bermuda, we once again saw her honest endeavours at the head of the race (and honest appraisal afterwards), but while it secured a fifth WTS podium, it’s tricky to see how they’ll be turned into victories any time soon. Her run form is improving, and little should be read into the 10km splits given the lion share of work she puts in on the bike, but leaving T2 having shaken off a runner of the calibre of Zafares or previously Flora Duffy, is her only chance of victory in the short term – and that looks unlikely.
4. Bermuda is a corker of a venue, not only due to Corkscrew Hill. Even without the drama of last year’s World Series races, the tiny island still made for a successful stopover on the ITU calendar. It was a shame for all that Duffy, whose face adorned every giant promotional poster on the island, had to withdraw from the elite racing (she did cycle in an age-group relay), but this second edition showed what a great course – with 10 climbs up the steep, twisting Corkscrew Hill – engaging crowds and plenty of drama can achieve. Bermuda hosts the Grand Final in 2021 and let’s hope it continues as a WTS staple thereafter.
5. Brownlee misses Brownlee. Jonathan had an off day in Bermuda, but it was still clear he missed older brother Alistair’s legs and enthusiastic encouragement on the bike. Despite the Yorkshireman’s best efforts early on, the large front pack never looked organised or committed enough to keep the chasers at bay, and Jonny even looked to be remonstrating with Vincent Luis as their lead perished. The frustration was understandable – particularly on a course where breakaways have been shown to stick – and having Alistair there would surely have changed the contest’s complexion.
6. Luis remains an enigma. Vincent Luis looks to have the qualities to be the best triathlete in the world – including a dangerous sprint finish. Despite Dorian Coninx’s win here, Luis is still the pick of a strong crop of Frenchmen, having won the past two WTS Grand Finals and looking head-and-shoulders the best triathlete at the new Super League format at the start of the year. In non-wetsuit conditions in Bermuda, he even led out the swim ahead of the likes of Slovakian Richard Varga and South African Henri Schoeman and while Luis didn’t dominate on the bike, he looked well placed to capitalise on the run, before his challenge wilted in the final kilometres as he slipped to fourth. It brought back memories of the Rio Olympics in 2016 where he looked perfectly placed to win a medal over the final 10km but ended an ultimately disappointing seventh. While Luis has the talent, a sense remains that apply enough pressure and there’s a chance he’ll falter.
7. Norwegians look ever-more threatening. The Norwegian endurance set-up may be best known for its middle distance running family, the remarkable Ingebrigtsens, but its triathlon programme – small but intensely focussed – is now rivalling the leading training squads in the world. The triumvirate of Casper Stornes, Kristian Blummenfelt, Gustav Iden took last year’s Bermuda race by storm, and while 2019 didn’t play out to the same script, they still affected the race greatly, hunting down the break on the bike and allowing Iden to repeat his third-place finish of last year. But it is not just the men’s side worth noting. Lotte Miller might have finished eighth in Bermuda, but played an integral role driving the bike breakaway alongside Zafares and Learmonth and retained a podium position almost to the last lap of the run.
8. Non Stanford is running. Faster. It won’t be a race the Welsh triathlete will cherish, she languished 33rd in the swim, 74sec off the pace and didn’t even make the chasing bike pack, but she did produce the fastest run split of the day – rare for someone not in contention for a podium position – to finish with 34.21 for 13th place. It shows the new training switch to Joel Filliol’s squad is paying dividends, if less through the intensity of the sessions, but for consistency and staying injury-free. Yokohama may come too soon for her to challenge for the necessary podium that would go a long way towards Olympic selection, but after fifth-place in Abu Dhabi, there are signs she can be a genuine threat – and of the British women, she possesses the fastest final leg that will be critical come Tokyo.
9. British men need points. Jonathan Brownlee, the only British man racing, finished 11th, to underline the current void in British men’s short course racing, and it’s slack that others need to pick up if Team GB is to comfortably qualify all three individual Olympic berths for Tokyo. Jonathan and the consistent Tom Bishop should play their part, but with no Alistair Brownlee at present, the next generation of Gordon Benson, Marc Austin and Grant Sheldon – all junior or world Under-23 medallists – hasn’t burst through either, and it’s a lot to ask of either the developing Barclay Izzard or Ben Dijkstra. Alex Yee was impressive for second in Abu Dhabi, so Britain should be fine in cementing its powerhouse status, but it is a little quiet at WTS level at present.
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10. Yokohama Olympic qualification race is almost here. Already. The first chance of securing one of two necessary podiums for Olympic qualification (the other being the Tokyo test event) for most British elite triathletes is now just three weeks away, yet it feels that only Jess Learmonth and Alex Yee are in anything like the form they’d desire. The British selection policy is routinely written to try and put a belt and braces on potential medal-winning triathletes going to Tokyo, rather than a freak race earning an unlikely candidate a spot. But Yokohama in May could be the best chance for someone outside the obvious contenders to stake a claim. The current start-lists include Bishop, Brownlee and Yee for the men, and Holland, Stanford, Learmonth and Taylor-Brown for the women.
St. George, Utah, has been selected to host the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championships. Qualification will begin in July of 2020 with an estimated 200,000 registered athletes from around the world expected to try and qualify at one of the 110 events in the global Ironman 70.3 series.
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In addition, each age-group winner at the 2020 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Taupõ, New Zealand, will automatically qualify for the 2021 70.3 World Championship.
“Our course showcases some of the most dramatic landscapes on the Ironman 70.3 circuit. The powerful combination of scenery and terrain is backed up by an energetic community that’s exhilarated to host such an iconic event. Athletes who have raced here rave about the experience. Those who haven’t are about to find out why,” says Kevin Lewis, Director of Washington County Tourism.
Ironman have also announced the introduction of a new full-distance Ironman triathlon that will rotate between a series of cities across North America, beginning with St. George in 2020. The rotation will bring host cities a full-distance Ironman every three years with St. George again hosting the full Ironman distance event in 2023.
The 2020 and 2023 events will also be designated as the North American Championship and general registration for the 2020 event will open on Tuesday, May 21. As it will be designated the Ironman North American Championship, the event will have an elevated professional prize purse and offer 75 age-group qualification slots to the 2020 Ironman World Championship.
St. George, will continue to put on 70.3 events in the other years (2019, 2021 and 2022), giving athletes the chance to prepare on the same courses. an
“Utah continues to enhance its reputation as the State of Sport by attracting world class sports events and executing on its sport and Olympic Legacy strategies,” said Jeff Robbins, President and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission. “St. George is the perfect setting to host six events over the five-year term of this agreement with Ironman. This includes the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championship, which will bring thousands of competitors and guests from over 100 countries to Utah. The Utah Sports Commission is excited to support these world class events as the presenting sponsor,” said Robbins.
The course has historically begun in the beautiful Sand Hollow Reservoir before embarking on a bike course through picturesque Snow Canyon State Park prior to a run through the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve.
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Alistair Brownlee won the 70.3 St. George event in 2017 in commanding fashion on his 70.3 debut.
Thanks to a partnership with BR Fernsehen viewers in Germany will be able to watch 9 hours of live coverage of Challenge Roth on 7 July for the first time. The legendary top pro field, combined with 3,400 individual athletes and 650 teams from 76 nations, promises a thrilling race.
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Shortly after the broadcast starts at 6:15am, the race will kick off with the 3.8km swim in the Main-Danube Canal, followed by the 180km bike leg and finishing with the marathon. The winner of DATEV Challenge Roth will probably finish below the magic eight-hour mark again. The world’s fastest time set by Jan Frodeno in Roth in 2016 is 7:35:39, and the women’s record (Chrissie Wellington, 8:18:13 in Roth) has not been beaten anywhere in the world since it was set in 2011.
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Christoph Netzel, sports director of BR Fernsehen said, “The triathlon in Roth is a real spectacle and an extreme challenge for the participants. 2019 will also be a real “challenge” for us – BR Sport will become the long-distance TV channel, we will broadcast live almost continuously from 6:15 to 3:30 pm on BR Television. We are thrilled to bring our viewers this very special premiere – world-class sport, a fantastic backdrop, garnished with many Franconian stories and lots of human interest!”
There might be a key World Tri Series event happening this weekend in Japan, but the multisporting world will also be keeping one eye on the Sardinian capital of Cagliari. Why? Because the two-time Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee is making his first ITU World Cup start in over a decade there. But how will he fare on the sprint course after mainly racing middle-distance triathlons for the last year? And does this return mean he has Tokyo, and a third gold medal, in his sights?
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Just to recap, the 31-year-old’s last three short course-triathlons appearances included a disqualification at the 2018 WTS Grand Final due to congestion in the swim at the first buoy, a fourth in the 2018 Glasgow European Championships and 10th in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. But, unsurprisingly, he’s fared better over the middle distance, where he’s focused most of his attention. Results there include a second place at the 2018 70.3 Worlds behind Jan Frodeno and ahead of Javier Gomez, in perhaps one of the greatest 70.3 battles of all time.
Back to Cagliari and, if fit, Brownlee senior should make light work of the field. Challengers include Mexico’s Rodrigo Gonzalez and Germany’s Justus Nieschlag as well as Italians Delian Stateff and Davide Uccellari.
While Alistair has stolen the headlines, GB will also have strong representation on the women’s side – bothJodie Stimpson and Sophie Coldwell will be toeing the line and hoping that together they can drive the bike to set up a medal-winning finale. Stimpson wears the number one in her first start of the year, while Coldwell marked her return to action with a fourth in Madrid a fortnight ago.
For the full women’s start list click here
You can follow all the action as it unfolds exclusively on TriathlonLIVE.tv as well and on social media channels via the hashtag #CagliariWC
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What’s next for the Brownlees?
Alistair & Jonny Brownlee’s top speed tips for Olympic-distance triathlon
Alistair Brownlee’s key triathlon training sessions
In a bid to encourage more women to take up tri, 220 Triathlon has teamed up with Limelight Sports and Her Spirit to recruit, train and support 20 women through their first triathlon experience at London Triathlon on Saturday 27 July 2019.
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Here’s why we named London Tri one of the best triathlons for beginners in the UK
So if you have, or know someone who has, always wanted to take up tri then read on!
Interested? Here’s what you need to be able to do:
Be able to swim 200m non-stop in the pool. It doesn’t matter what stroke.
Own your own bike or be able to borrow one.
Be available on 27 July to take part in the 2019 London Triathlon.
Be vocal and let us know what stopped you from doing a triathlon before, what would motivate more women to take part and tell us how we can make the whole experience better.
Provide video an/or written content over the 8-week training period that we can use to inspire more women to get into triathlon.
Be physically healthy. Please check with your doctor if you are unsure if this is a suitable event and training experience for you.
In return you will get:
Free entry to the 2019 London Triathlon Super Sprint – Swim 400m, Bike 10km, Run 2.5km.
VIP Experience on the day with the Her Spirit Team.
8-week training and nutrition plan.
3 x 1:1 online coaching sessions.
Monthly group Skype call.
1 group coached session. Location TBC.
Use of a wetsuit over the 8-week period and on race day.
FREE 3-month subscription to the Her Spirit app.
A free copy of 220 Triathlon magazine and a copy of 220’s Beginners Guide to Triathlon
We will select the first 20 women that complete the sign-up form below and fit the criteria we are looking for. If you’re interested, please click below and fill in the required fields and someone will be in touch! For any questions please [email protected]
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Sign up at herspirit.co.uk/my-first-triathlon/
How to train for your first triathlon
Sprint & super-sprint triathlons: 14 of the UK’s best for beginners
In a return to ITU racing two-time Olympic Alistair Brownlee has won Cagliari World Cup, his first ITU World Cup race in over a decade.
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“I am delighted with that,” said Brownlee afterwards. “I just said to myself with a couple of minutes to go, no-one can push harder than me so, if they’re going to beat me, they’re going to have to go really deep.”
It was to be Germany’s Justus Nieschlag and Mark Devay of Hungary first out of the water, however Brownlee was hot on their heels and the trio were joined by Ryan Bailie (AUS), and Sylvain Fridelance (SUI). A lead group of twelve riders then formed, and carved out a 12-second advantage by lap three.
Brownlee left T2 in first place and ran stride for stride with Germany’s Justus Nieschlag and Kevin Mcdowell of the USA for the first 4km. He continually pushed the pace until Mcdowell was dropped and Nieschlag had to settle for second, one second adrift of the winner.
“He (Justus) was there on the swim, pushed it on the bike and is a real all round triathlete,” said Brownlee. “It was great to see, but I am delighted to be back and in the sharp end of a race. As for what’s next, I am still sitting on the fence. I have European Championships in two weeks and Leeds the week after that. I’ll see where that leaves me in three weeks’ time.”
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In the women’s race compatriot Sophie Coldwell delivered an incredible performance in Cagliari also take the gold medal, ensuring two golds for Great Britain. Beth Potter was the fastest on two feet by some margin; sprinting home to take 6th place and second Brit. Jodie Stimpson finished 7th and Kate Waugh was 25th.
1. Yokohama not so hot as an Olympic dry run: The Japanese city lies less than a 40km bike leg from Tokyo and its course profile – essentially pan-flat – resembles what triathletes can expect at next year’s Olympics. Acclimatising to the time and cultural differences will provide valuable experience, but one factor that Yokohama could not recreate were the expected conditions come August 2020 – likely to be so oppressive the racing has been moved to early morning starts. History tells us that turning up the heat leads to unexpected outcomes in triathlon, so don’t read too many omens into this one.
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2. British selection goes from tough to tougher: The women’s race might have played out as a precursor for the harshest of British Triathlon selection decisions for the Olympics. Jess Learmonth always leads the swim, pushes the pace on the bike, and is currently tied for second place in the series rankings. But it may not be enough. The more her cycling improves, the greater the chance of the front group staying away from the rest of the field – and that includes the faster running Brits. Had the chasing bike pack containing Georgia Taylor-Brown and Non Stanford caught the leaders in Yokohama, the chances of a GB medal would have increased. But before Learmonth fans cry foul and worry unduly, if and when Duffy and potentially even Nicola Spirig return, the race dynamics will change once more. Before selection is determined, there are plenty of twists and turns to come.
3. Dicing with the dismount line: Quite why pro triathletes cut the bike dismount so fine is almost as unfathomable as how technical officials could make an accurate penalty call amidst a flurry of legs and spokes careering down the blue carpet. Given any advantage would be negligible, there seems to be an unwritten code that no-one will actually be penalised for transgressing, except, as Jonny Brownlee, ala London 2012, will recall (then with the mount line), ‘rules is sometimes rules’. So, with next year’s Olympics in mind, perhaps all triathletes should give themselves a little grace as to where they plonk their feet.
4. The joy of a home hero: Yuko Takahashi may not be the highest profile triathlete in the world, but when it comes to racing in Japan, she tops the bill – and that will be multiplied 10-fold next year. The Asian champion has been in the sport for over a decade, is still improving, and in Yokohama went one better than her previous best of fifth place in last year’s Bermuda WTS. It brought smiles all round. Home heroes bring a vital ingredient to the WTS. Bermuda was all the poorer for local ace Flora Duffy’s absence in the last round and Leeds won’t be the same unless a Brownlee or two shows up.
5. Lose the wetsuit, concede the race: Yokohama is a long-standing host on the World Series and many of its past races have seen the field come together to form one main bike pack for a less-than-enthralling roll around the city’s streets. It didn’t happen in either race this time, and a major factor was the non-wetsuit swim. Without the neoprene, weaker swimmers are exposed, the race fragments, and among the big names to drop out of contention early here were men’s world champion Mario Mola and women’s 2018 Grand Final winner Ashleigh Gentle.
6. More glee for Yee: Britain’s Alex Yee, originally from London and now training in Leeds, produced another step up in performance to be the sole triathlete to run under 30mins for the 10km split (29:58). While he officially needed a top three finish to achieve the first part of the Olympic selection criteria, the 21-year-old, who finished fifth, must already be inked in for Tokyo, particularly with the Brownlees’ injury challenges and no other medal contenders emerging. Yee is not infallible, but after the curtain-raiser in Abu Dhabi we stated he could win a WTS race this season and his Yokohama performance further solidifies that view.
7. The first pedal strokes determine the race: As Britain’s Tom Bishop, Non Stanford and Georgia Taylor-Brown will attest, the frenetic moments heading out of T1 and on to the bike course define the narrative of the race. All three Brits were cut adrift by fine margins, and with it went their chances. It felt particularly tough on Bishop, who swam within 19sec of the lead, yet unable to latch on to the front was left time-trialling solo for several kilometres trying to bridge the gap.
8. You don’t out-kick sprint king Luis: After his fourth place in Bermuda last time out, we concluded that despite being the series leader, Vincent Luis was still an enigma when it comes to the highest level. What wasn’t acknowledged – and that he’s proved time and again – is that to beat the Frenchman, he needs distancing before the blue carpet. Otherwise, as shown in Yokohama, when it comes to a sprint finish, there is no-one better.
9. And we’re left seeing Stars… and Stripes again: It was the fourth occasion the USA women have achieved a podium clean sweep – the others being in London (2015), Gold Coast (2015) and Edmonton (2016)– and Katie Zafares has been there every time. There are also currently 10 Americans in the ITU world’s top 100 rankings, proving great testament to the collegiate recruitment system led by 2004 Olympian Barb Lindquist. Just as with the Brits, US triathletes with medal-winning potential are going to miss out on Tokyo. Just imagine the fun if 2016 Olympic champion Gwen Jorgensen fancied a return too?*
10. ITU is racing ahead with its coverage: No apologies for the plug because the broadcasting has gone up another level this season thanks to the introduction of a new platform on triathlonlive.tv. As well as full coverage of the men’s and women’s races in Yokohama, the paratriathlon was also shown live (Britain’s Jade Jones-Hall took gold in the wheelchair division). But your annual $26.99 subscription doesn’t stop there. The weekend’s World Cup race in Cagliari, where Alistair Brownlee and Sophie Coldwell triumphed, was also broadcast live, and, if you fancy a trip down memory lane or some extra footage to watch when on the trainer, there are years of archived races to get stuck into.
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*Despite Jorgensen having chosen a slightly trickier alternative career path, there is no indication of this happening.