Canadian Triathletes Sizzle into Top-15 at Triathlon World Cup in Mexico
—Kathy Tremblay finishes seventh, Brent McMahon posts solid 15th-place finish—
MONTERREY, Mex.—Two of Canada’s Olympic triathletes battling their way back into elite form after disappointing seasons last year finished in the top-15 on a blistering hot day at a World Cup stop in Monterrey, Mexico on Sunday.
Montreal’s Kathy Tremblay finished was in the hunt for the podium until the final push to the finish line to finish in seventhspot, while Victoria’s Brent McMahon, placed an impressive 15th in his first elite race in 19 months.
The 28-year-old Tremblay, who represented Canada at the 2008 Olympics, battled through a choppy 1.5-kilometre swim to keep pacewith a large pack of 50 athletes on a highly technical 40-kilometre bike toposition herself for a run at the medals. Sitting comfortably in the pack, Tremblay sprinted to the front of the group on the 10-kilometre run where she was in podium contention until the final 2.5-kilometres, where she was dropped by the leaders. Tremblay finished in seventh with a time of one hour, 57 minutes, 51 seconds (1:57.51).
“The swim was really difficult but I am happy with my race,” said Tremblay, who struggled in a condensed 2010 season. “I got myself into the lead pack and was fighting for the podium today, and it felt great to be back in the game. I have to keep training hard and be patient and I know it will come.”
Sarah Haskins, of the United States, captured her first World Cup victory after crossing the line first with a time of 1:57.15. Japan’s Ai Ueda grabbed the silver medal at 1:57.21, while Germany’s Anne Haug surprised many of the world’s best with a third-place time of 1:57.27.
The seventh-place finish earned Tremblay a qualifying spot for the 2011 Pan American Games.
“Every race I keep getting better this season and it’s good to feel in shape again,” said Tremblay. “This was a qualifier for the Pan Am Games which is great. The season is long and I just need to remain dedicated and keep fighting.”
Meanwhile, Canada’s Brent McMahon had a medal-winning performance for his confidence despite not finishing on the podium. Forced to sit on the sidelines for the last 19 months with a knee injury, the 30-year-old took full advantage of the opportunity to get his toe on the start line where he finished 15th at 1 1:48.19.
“I knew I was in shape, but I haven’t done much hard biking or hard running in training so didn’t know where I would stand today,” said McMahon. “I knew the swim would be my strength so I went hard and came out of the water in eighth. I was pretty conservative on the bike and the run, but this was a huge boost for my confidence and it feels great to be back racing again.”
Now ranked near the bottom of the international standings, the 2004 Olympian McMahon transitioned onto the bike in fourth spot and settled into the pack of 75 athletes for a solid finish.
“I learned a lot today. My start position was 70th so it wasn’t easy, but I was really happy with my swim and I was able to hang in there in the heat,” said McMahon. “My big goal is to come back and earn Canada a third Olympic spot. I also want to qualify for a spot at Pan Am Games. I can now do some harder training and keep working my way back.”
Australia’s Brendan Sexton also broke through for his first World Cup win on Sunday after clocking a time of 1:46.57. Frederic Belaubre, of France, took the silver with a time of 1:47.06, while Hunter Kemper, of United States, was third for his second-straight World Cup podium after stopping the clock at 1:47.11.
Other Canadian results in Mexico included Andrew Russell, of Victoria, in 40th spot at 1:50.16 and Kyle Jones, of Oakville, Ont., in 43rd (1:50.41) in men’s racing. Joanna Brown, of Carp, Ont., finished 37th in her first World Cup with a time of 2:01.17, while Calgary’s Kyla Coates finished 44th at 2:02.13.
Canada’s triathletes, including Paula Findlay and Simon Whitfield, will suit up for the second stop of the World Championship Series May 14 in Madrid, Spain. The World Cup triathlon series now heads north to Edmonton where Canada will field a total of 20 athletes for the race scheduled on July 10.
Complete Monterrey World Cup Results (1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run): www.triathlon.org
Top-Five Women’s and Canadian Results:
1.Sarah Haskins, USA, 1:57.15; 2. Ai Ueda, JPN, 1:57.21; 3. Anne Haug, GER, 1:57.27; 4. Helle Frederiksen, DEN, 1:57.29; 5. Gwen Jorgensen, USA, 1:57.33
Canadian Results:
7. Kathy Tremblay, Montreal, 1:57.51; 37. Joanna Brown, Carp, Ont., 2:01.17; 44. Kyla Coates, Calgary, 2:02.13.
Top-Five Men’s and Canadian Results:
1. Brendan Sexton, AUS, 1:46.57; 2. Frederic Belaubre, FRA, 1:47.06; 3. Hunter Kemper, USA, 1:47.11; 4. Ruedi Wild, SUI, 1:47.20; 5. Vincent Luis, FRA, 1:47.27
Canadian Results:
15. Brent McMahon, Victoria, 1:48.19; 40. Andrew Russell, Victoria, 1:50.16; 43. Kyle Jones, Oakville, Ont., 1:50.41.
No comments:
Post a Comment