Victories for Gwen Jorgensen, Alistair Brownlee and the Great Britain team at ITU WTS Hamburg in Germany
This year’s WTS stop in Hamburg provided three utterly absorbing races with Jorgensen once again showing her strength in the women’s event, a continued return to form for Alistair Brownlee in the men’s race and a thrilling British performance with a nail-biting finish in the mixed relay world champs.
Women’s race
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Jodie Stimpson led out of transition, but couldn’t match the pace of Sweetland and Jackson (Photo: Janos Schmidt)
The individual events took place over the sprint distance and it was the usual pair of Alice Betto (ITA) and Pamela Oliveira (BRA) spearheading the 750m swim. Betto led into transition after 9:42, with favourite Gwen Jorgensen (USA) only three seconds behind in her weakest discipline and Helen Jenkins (GBR) on her heels.
The 10 seconds between the leaders and the likes of Jodie Stimpson (GBR) and Emma Moffatt (AUS) meant two bike groups, Lucy Hall (GBR) taking her now customary slot at the front of the first.
Despite the hot pace, Moffatt and Stimpson pulled the chase pack up to the front to make a 30-strong group by the end of the 20km bike leg that considerably distanced the second pack of pursuers.
Stimpson led out of T2 at a ferocious pace with Kirsten Sweetland (CAN) and Annamaria Mazzetti (ITA) on her shoulder. Jenkins felt a foot niggle and pulled out of the race early ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
Jorgensen’s transition might have only been two seconds slower than the Brit at 24 seconds, but the American got caught up in the massive group leaving the blue carpet.
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Gwen Jorgensen put in another amazing run to claim her fourth consecutive WTS victory (Photo: Janos Schmidt)
With only 5km to run, she had to move quickly through pack – and did so. Making the other athletes look like Sunday joggers, she overtook with ease and settled into the leading group of Stimpson, Mazzetti, Sweetland, Andrea Hewitt (NZL) and Emma Jackson (AUS) by the halfway mark.
Then, at the 1km to go marker, the American took it up another gear to break from the rest and cruised to her fourth consecutive WTS victory in 56:54 with a 15:46 5km run split.
Jackson and Sweetland proved themselves best of the rest to take second and third in a close finish while Hewitt claimed fourth ahead of Stimpson.
Men’s Race
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The run quickly whittled the field down to the Brownlees, Gomez and Luis (Photo: Triathlon.org)
With both Brownlee brothers, Javier Gomez (ESP), Joao Pereira (POR), Mario Mola (ESP) and Richard Murray (RSA) all on the start line, the men’s race looked like a classic in the making; but the real test for the boys from Yorkshire came from a more unlikely challenger – Vincent Luis (FRA).
The swim was led out by Henri Shoeman (RSA) in 8:41, who dragged the field into a line, meaning favourites Gomez and the Brownlees missed the first group on the bike. The revelry of the leaders was short-lived however as Alistair, back to his usual attacking form on the bike, bridged the gap within the first lap.
Training partners Mola and Murray were still in pursuit, but with limited mileage to catch up and the Brownlees’ aggressive cycling up front, their hopes of a podium were all but dashed.
The Brownlees both put in accelerations to test the group, but couldn’t break free, setting up a closely fought finale.
The Brownlees soon made headway on the run – Alistair taking the lead ahead of Luis with Jonny behind and Gomez having to make up a bit of
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Alistair Brownlee was back on unbeatable form in Hamburg (Photo: Triathlon.org)
ground to complete the front running quartet. On track for sub-14:30 runs, the frightening pace took its toll first on Gomez who tried courageously to make up a small gap with 2km to go, but was then forced to concede a place on the podium as the other three men darted away.
His face contorted into a deeply painful grimace, Alistair began a make-or-break sprint with 600m to go; pulling clear of his brother and the Frenchman to take first going onto the final stretch. Luis proved himself a strong sprinter, closing the gap on the blue carpet, but well short of capturing the win from Alistair, who crossed the line in 51:43 with a bewilderingly fast 14:09 run split. Luis scooped second from Jonny Brownlee with Gomez taking fourth.
Mixed Relays
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Britain now hold three of the six Mixed Team Relay World Championship titles (Photo: Triathlon.org)
Luis’s running strength would also prove to be the biggest threat to Great Britain’s chances in the mixed relay event the following day.
Lucy Hall (GBR) was first off the block for the Brits, scything through the 300m swim with Claudia Rivas (MEX) and Caroline Routier (ESP). The trio were quickly caught on the 6.6km bike route and Hall lost a bit of time in transition as her bike threatened to buck out of her control.
By the end of the 1.6km run, Rebecca Robisch (GER) put the defending champions in first, with USA second and Hungary third.
Britain was down in 12th place with a deficit of 21 seconds to make up as Jonny Brownlee was tagged into action.
Brownlee rode like a man possessed to catch the front group on his second bike leg. Trainers on, the younger Brownlee made extraordinarily short work of the run to put Britain in first place – six seconds ahead of Australia, 1:19 ahead of France and 2:43 clear of Hungary.
Vicky Holland flew into action with a perfect dive from the pontoon, zipped through the swim and time-trialled alone for almost the entirety of her bike leg, but was caught by a group including Emma Jackson (AUS), Magrit Vanek (HUN) and Audrey Merie (FRA).
A strong run saw Holland tag Alistair Brownlee just after Dan Wilson (AUS) and Luis hit the water, with Akos Vanek (HUN) just behind.
Luis was out of the water first, followed by Wilson and Brownlee, but it was the European pairing who prospered on the bike. The Frenchman pushed hard out of T2 only for Brownlee to fly past and create a gap that Luis would have to sprint to close. Clear of Wilson and Vanek, the pair pressed on, each knowing they would be claiming gold or silver.
Two quick transitions saw Brownlee on Luis’s shoulder at the start of the run, the Yorkshireman’s face screwed in painful determination as he sprinted off the blue carpet.
Brownlee shadowed Luis for the first 350m before coming past him, while behind, Vanek was eking out a lead over Wilson.
Luis stuck doggedly to Brownlee’s heels as the Brit pushed ever harder through the mile run. With 300m to go the Brit’s incredible pace unhitched the Frenchman and Brownlee sprinted to victory in 4:25, the team total of 1:19:07 enough to clinch gold for the third time by four seconds. Hungary’s breakthrough performance saw them take third overall, 24 seconds behind.
Top 3 Women
Gwen Jorgensen (USA) 00:56:54
Emma Jackson (AUS) 00:57:00
Kirsten Sweetland (CAN) 00:57:00
Top 3 Men
Alistair Brownlee (GBR) 00:51:43
Vincent Luis (FRA) 00:51:45
Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 00:51:48
Top 3 Teams
Great Britain 1:19:07
France 1:19:11
Hungary 1:19:31