ITU News
Update - April 23, 2004
Mazatlan ITU World Cup On This Weekend - Start List
Packed with Olympic Bound Athletes
In the women's event Vanessa Fernandes is a woman to watch - she is hot off a win in last weekend's Valencia ITU European Championships. Liz Blatchford, an athlete who had a breakthrough year in 2003 with three World Cup podium places, will also be looking for a strong finish in Mazatlan. Both women will need to hold off Canada's Carol Montgomery - one of the fastest runners on the circuit, and Anja Dittmer (GER)- who posted three World Cup wins in 2003.
In the men's event - 2000 Olympic Gold medalist Simon Whitfield (CAN) is in top form following a win in last weekend's Honolulu International Triathlon. Hunter Kemper (USA) also performed well in last weekend's Honolulu event - where he qualified for the Olympic Games. Dimitry Gaag (KAZ) - always a tough competitor, former World Champion and also already qualified for the Olympic Games is also on the Mazatlan start list.
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at 8:00 am local time (2:00 pm GMT)
Lindquist & Whitfield Win in Honolulu; Lindquist and Kemper are Olympic bound
With 15 mile per hour trade winds and the sun blazing the women took to the Pacific Ocean in Honolulu for the start of the ITU Honolulu International Triathlon. A spot on the American Olympic team was on the line for the winner of both the men’s and women’s events.
As is their custom, Barb Lindquist (USA) and Sheila Taormina (USA) led the swim and were first out of the water. They were followed closely by Laura Reback (USA) and Joanna Zeiger (USA). The fight for the Olympic spot was heated with the top three ranked women in the world all hailing from the USA and all in contention for the Olympic spot.
Onto the bike Lindquist and Taormina continued to lead, Liz Blatchford (AUS) and Susan Williams (USA) finished the bike not far behind. Reback remained up front initially but ran into problems partway through the bike and dropped back. Joanna Zeiger (USA) who started strong was forced to withdraw due to back problems and Maxine Seear (AUS) winner of the Ishigaki ITU World Cup last weekend was suffering from a cold prior to the race and didn’t finish.
Onto the run course, Lindquist continued to look strong as did Blatchford and Williams while Taormina faded some. At the finish Lindquist held off Blatchford for the win and the Olympic qualifying position. Williams also climbed the podium in third position. Sheila Taormina finished 4th and Julie Swail (USA) rounded out the top five.
By the start of the men’s race the surf had picked up and the waves were breaking over the athletes – making the swim incredibly rough. A large pack exited the swim together with Andy Potts (USA) in the lead.
The bike course saw much jockeying for position in the first two laps but the leaders were established in the final laps as Greg Bennett (AUS), Miles Stewart (AUS) and Richie Cunningham (AUS).
An intense flash rain storm began pelting the men as they headed out on the run course – but it came as quickly as it started and was finished by the second lap. Bennett led over Stewart for the first lap of the run but Stewart quickly reeled him in as Hunter Kemper (USA) and Simon Whitfield (CAN) were also running through the group.
Into the finish chute Simon Whitfield, with a phenomenal run, crossed the line first and with a black eye. He was hit in the face during the choppy swim and had to backstroke a portion of the swim while he regained his composure. Hunter Kemper finished in second position overall but as the first American across the finish line he claimed a position on the American Olympic team. Miles Stewart (AUS) completed the podium.
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Fernandez and Henning Win Olympic Spot and European Champion Title
28 European countries gathered in the Mediterranean resort of Valencia for the 2004 ITU Regional Triathlon Championships. Besides the title of "European Champion", the event also offered a place on the start line of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games Triathlon, as well as three places in the upcoming Madeira ITU World Championships.
Conditions for the event improved greatly overnight after a storm on the previous days caused high surf and very strong wind. Air temperature for the event was 17oC with overcast skies, water temperature was 16.5oC with a strong offshore wind.
In the women's event, Spain's Pilar Hidalgo took an early lead through the 1 lap, 1500m swim and exited first onto the beach. Portugal's Vanessa Fernandez passed her during the 400m run from the beach to 1st transition. A group of 5 formed at the front for the 8 lap, 40km bike that also included Lucie Zelenkova of the Czech Republic, Julie Dibens of Britain and Christiane Pilz of Germany.
Spain's Ainhoa Murua and Virginia Berasategui, along with Wieke Hoozgaard of the Netherlands, Marion Lorblanchett of France, Silvia Gemignani of Italy and Nicola Spirig of Switzerland joined forces to form the chase pack, which by the 10km mark had a 20 second deficit on the leaders.
A second chase pack of 8 formed early on the bike and was a further 20 seconds back. This group was led by Kathleen Smet of Belgium, Ana Burgos of Spain and Beatrice Lanza of Italy.
By the halfway point, the group of 5 at the front had increased their lead to 35 seconds and the second chase pack led by Kathleen Smet caught the 1st chase group to form a large chase group. This larger chase group proved to be somewhat disorganised and failed to make any impact on the lead of the group at the front.
At the 25km mark Julie Dibens took matters into her own hands and broke off the front. She powered away from the other four and put 22 seconds on them over the next 5 km. The big pack led by Kate Allen of Austria along with Ana Burgos and Kathleen Smet continued to lose time and by 30km was 56 seconds behind.
Julie Dibens maintained her lead through the bell lap, but with an increasing head wind she was not able to get away from the quartet behind. Meanwhile the big pack continued to lose time and by the time they reached the 2nd transition they were 1:26 behind.
Dibens exited the transition onto the 4 lap, 10km run with a 26 second lead. The chase group of 4 flew through transition with Fernandez out 1st, followed by Pilz, Zelenkova and Hidalgo. The big pack entered transition over 2 minutes behind Dibens. Elizabeth May of Luxembourg was 1st out from that group followed by Kate Allen of Austria and Mieke Suys of Belgium
Vanessa Fernandez closed in on Dibens on the first lap of the 4 lap, 10km run. She caught her at the 3km mark and at the halfway point she had a 30-second lead, and was running home for gold. Pilar Hidalgo and Christiane Pilz, trying to keep pace with the young Portuguese athlete were closing in on Dibens and by the 5km mark were in the hunt for a coveted podium spot.
In the end, a new European Champion was crowned as Vanessa Fernandez romped home in style to take the win by 41 seconds. Kate Allen was 2nd after overcoming a 2 minute deficit at the 2nd transition and overtaking Pilar Hidalgo who was 3rd and knocking Christiane Pilz off the podium. A great crowd of Spanish spectators gathered at the finish to welcome home Fernandez and to celebrate Hidalgo's podium finish.
In the men's event, Andriy Glushchenko of the Ukraine led the strong field through the entire swim, and exited the water with most of France's top athletes on his heels including Stephane Poulat, Frederic Belaubre and Frank Bignet. The majority of the field was out of the water within 23 seconds and onto the 8-lap bike course.
The defending European Champion, Ivan Rana of Spain was in 21st place as he left the transition, but still in touch with the leaders. The huge peleton completed the 1st lap in just under 8 minutes, with the French athletes at the front working hard and threatening to break away.
On the first lap of the bike Stephan Bignet of France attempted to get away from the big group and had a 12 seconds at one point until he was hauled back. Next Jose Merchan of Spain and Stephan Poulat of France tried to break, but their efforts proved to be of no avail.
At the halfway point Denmark's Rasmus Henning, Eneko Llanos of Spain and Alex Zeebroek of Belgium took a chance at getting away off the front and were soon joined by Jan Rehula of the Czech Republic and newcomer Marek Jaskolka of Poland making he debut in international competition. The 5 settled down to the serious business of creating a working peleton and started to make time on the lumbering pack behind.
By the end of the 5th lap the hard-working group of 5 at the front had a 20-second lead which grew to 1 minute by the end of the 6th lap.
By the time they reached the bike to run transition, the leaders had a 1:26 lead on the chase pack. Marek Jaskolka cleared the transition first to the 4 lap, 10km run course, followed closely by Zeebroek, Llanos, Rehula and Henning in that order. German teammates, Maik Petzold and Daniel Unger led the chase pack into transition with Ivan Rana on their heels.
Eneko Llanos took the lead on the 1st lap with Rasmus Henning one stride behind. Alex Zeebroek, Jan Rehula and Marek Kaskolka were running together 30 seconds behind the leaders at the 3km mark as German teammates Maik Petzold and Daniel Unger were quickly making up time on the leaders, although still 1:25 back. Ivan Rana and his Spanish teammate Javier Gomez were 1:30 back of the leaders at this point.
Eneko Llanos kept his position at the front with Henning on his shoulder until the finish straight when the lanky Dane moved into the higher gear that he used to win the Athens Olympic Games test event last October. He won in grand style, as an enthusiastic Eneko Llanos delighted the huge crowd of home-country fans gathered to cheer on his silver medal finish. The final step on the podium was stolen by Daniel Unger who along with teammate Maik Petzold posted the fastest run splits of the day as they overcame that 2-minute deficit after the bike. Unger had to outsprint his teammate to make the podium.
Jose Maria Echevarria, President of the Spanish Olympic Committee and Marisol Casado, President of the European Triathlon Union did the honours presenting the medals and flowers, as the Spanish Triathlon Federation were being congratulated in the background for staging an event worthy of both the European Championships and a last regional qualifying event for the Olympic Games.
The Triathlon World now looks forward to next weekend's Mazatlan ITU World Cup, the final World Cup before the Olympic Qualifying cut-off.
Small States of Europe Triathlon Championships
With ideal weather conditions in Cyprus for last weekend's small states of Europe Triathlon Championships; the titles for both the men's and the women's events went to Luxembourg.
In the women's event Jackie Komes (LUX) crossed the line first, defending her title and only 17 seconds ahead of second place finisher Mifsud Bonnici (LUX).
In the men's event Cristian Krombach (LUX) had a phenomenal run split of 32:58 and claimed the top spot. Tom Carier (LUX) was second. Cyprus fans cheered home country favourite Soteris Nicolaou to 8th position and his best ever finish on the course.
Men
1. Cristian Krombach 1:51:54
2. Tom Carier 1:52:30
3. Bruno Fiore 1:53:01
Women
1. Jackie Komes 2:09:26
2. Maria Mifsud Bonnici 2:09:43
3. Diana Chelius 2:12:02
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