Coming back strong after a disappointing 16th at the 2008 Olympics and subsequent hip surgery, Australian Brad Kahlefeldt turned on the jets on the final lap to outgun fellow Aussie Courtney Atkinson for a 12-second margin of victory at the 2009 Oceania Championship March 1. “It definitely surprised me,” Kahlefeldt told ITU media. “The old Sticksy is back!”
Japan’s Kiyomi Niwata, under the guidance of veteran Australian coach Col Stewart, rocketed past 2008 Under 23 World Champion Daniela Ryf of Switzerland with a race-best 34:58 run to take 28-second margin of victory in oven-like conditions on Australia’s Gold Coast.
While Niwata took the top prize money and Ryf took second by two seconds in a finish line duel with Chile’s Barbara Riveros-Diaz, Australian Sarah Crowley took the regional Oceania crown with her fourth place finish 79-seconds back of the winner.
Kahlefeldt, who soldiered through the Beijing Olympics with a crook hip, appeared to be firing on all cylinders five months later as he broke away from a run duel with runner-up Atkinson, fellow Aussie Dan Wilson and the UK’s Stuart Hayes on the final lap of the run he mastered in 31:02. “I was so disappointed after Beijing,” Kahlefeldt told ITU media. “I want 2009 to be a big year for me."
Kahlefeldt regained a ton of confidence anticipating the 2009 ITU World Championship finale to be held in September on the same Gold Coast course.
"It's a good course - flat and fast,” said Kahlefeldt. “I definitely want to win the World Champs and will be working towards that goal during the year.” Taking away from his local knowledge advantage, the ITU is initiating a brand new a 7-race World Championship series points chase to determine the World Champion.
Niwata, obviously benefiting by racing on home training grounds, was primed to attack after a desultory bike which left her one minute back of Ryf and up and coming Chilean star Riveros-Diaz. Once on the flat run, Niwata blew away the field with her 34:58 10km effort.
The win also avenged Ryf’s Beijing Olympic modest advantage, a 7th place finish to the Japanese veteran’s 9th place.
While the Australia men’s big guns showed up to battle for the Oceania title, Aussie Olympians Emma Snowsill, Emma Moffat, and Erin Densham were no-shows.
Gold Coast OTF Triathlon Oceania Championships
Gold Coast, Australia
March 1, 2009
S 1.5k/ B 40k/ R 10k
Results
Elite men
1. Brad Kahlefeldt AUS 1:50:13
2. Courtney Atkinson AUS 1:50:25
3. Dan Wilson AUS 1:50:51
4. Clark Ellice NZL 1:51:35
5. Stuart Hayes GBR 1:51:51
6. Bryan Keane IRL 1:51:58
7. Adam Fitzakerley AUS 1:52:50
8. Gareth Halverson AUS 1:53:41
9. Graham O’Grady NZL 1:54:02
10. Konig Marcus GER 1:55:20
Elite women
1. Kiyomi Niwata JPN 2:00:45
2. Daniela Ryf SUI 2:01:13
3. Barbara Riveros Diaz CHI 2:01:15
4. Sarah Crowley AUS 2:02:04
5. Misato Takagi JPN 2:02:23
6. Kate Roberts RSA 2:03:02
7. Nicky Samuels NZL 2:04:43
8. Jenna Shoemaker USA 2:05:43
9. Kelly Bruce NZL 2:13:53
10. Eun Kyung Sung KOR 2:21:44
