After three days of dark clouds and rain, the sun broke out at Rotterdam for 3,500 age group competitors vying for World Championship medals at the ITU Olympic and Sprint distances on the narrow, twisty streets of this major port city of the Netherlands.
When all the times were calculated, Beau Smith of Great Britain won the Olympic distance men’s 20-24 classification and the Overall Men’s honors with a time of 1:53:35 which gave him a 51 seconds margin of victory on 25-29 winner and overall runner-up Reuben Geys of Belgium, and 1:03 on 25-29 runner-up and overall 3rd place finisher Samuel Wade of Great Britain.
Jacqueline Godbe of Chicago, Illinois won the Women's Age Group Olympic distance 25-29 category and the Overall title with a time of 2:08:27 which gave her a 24 seconds margin of victory over 30-34 winner and overall runner-up Michelle Willcocks of Great Britain and 29 seconds on 25-29 runner-up and overall 3rd place finisher Leonie Konczalla of Germany.
Luke Harvey of Australia won the Men’s 16-19 category and the overall Age Group Men’s title at the Sprint distance with a time of 1:02:42, which gave him a 5 seconds margin of victory over fellow 16-19 competitor Reuben Trotter of Great Britain and 13 seconds over 16-19 contender and overall 3rd place finisher Adam Martin of New Zealand.
Jony Heerink gave Dutch fans a home country championship victory as she finished the sprint distance in 1:09:50, earning a 30-34 win and the women's age group overall sprint distance crown by a 57 seconds margin of victory over Kate Bramley of Australia and 1:07 over 3rd place overall Sandrine Benz of Switzerland.
There were many exceptional age group individual performances on the day. They included a women's-fastest 10k run split of 35:04 by overall winner Godbe and the women’s-best 40k bike split of 1:00:23 by 25-29 runner-up Leonie Conczalla of Germany. Nikolaus Wihlidal of Austria, the men’s 35-39 winner, set the men’s best 40-kilometer bike split with a time of 55:22 and 25-29 winner Ruben Geys of Belgium posted the fastest 10k run with a time of 31:42.
While some age group battles ended in runaways, there were several back and forth duels that came down to the wire. Madi Roberts of Australia edged Madeleine Pesch of the U.S. by 11 seconds for the women's 20-24 Olympic distance victory and Sione Jongstra edged fellow Netherlands native Sandra Wassink-Hitzel by an equal 11 seconds for the women’s Olympic distance 40-44 crown. The closest Olympic distance age group battle was in the men’s 55-59 category where Lee Walther of the U.S. beat Stuart Robinson of Great Britain by 3 seconds.
The sprint distance offered more nail-biting finishes. Axel Baumans nipped fellow Belgian Dieter Boeye by 3 seconds for the Men’s 20-24 sprint distance win. And Alfio Bulgarelli of Italy edged Rob Kwaaitaal of Netherlands by 2 seconds for the Men’s 45-49 sprint distance honors.
Former Olympians and tri stars enjoyed their professional retirements in age group battles. Two-time ITU elite Olympic distance World Champion, 2000 Olympic silver medalist and 2006 Ironman World Champion Michellie Jones won the women's 45-49 category with a 1:11:58 time which put her 10th overall in the women's sprint distance.
Rob Barel of Netherlands, 1994 ITU long distance champion, top 5 Ironman Hawaii finisher, multiple European and Netherlands Olympic distance champion and 2000 Olympic Triathlon competitor at age 42, won the ITU Age Group Olympic distance World Championship in the men’s 60-64 category in a time of 2:05:03, just 10 minutes off his Olympic time two decades ago.
Former pro Richard Stannard of Great Britain won the men’s 40-44 division in the sprint distance with a time of 1:04:29 which gave him a hard fought 14 seconds margin of victory over Renato Dantas De Lucas of Brazil.
In the women's Olympic distance 50-54 contest, 2000 Olympic gold medalist Brigitte McMahon of Switzerland won the day with a 2:15:32 time. McMahon retired from professional competition in 2005 after testing positive for a performance enhancing drug she said she took to recover from an injury.
While Europeans, especially contenders from Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, and Netherlands took most of the medals, some 500 U.S. age group competitors earned 11 gold medals. U.S. competitors Jacqueline Godbe (F25-29), Adrienne Leblanc (F45-49), Lee Walther (M55-59), Elizabeth Brackett (F75-79), Jona Adamson (M80-84), and Bill Ziering (M85-89) collectively took home 6 gold medals in the Olympic distance race. Team USA won 5 gold medals in the sprint distance categories. U.S. sprint distance world champions included Philip Friedman (M60-64), Lois Leon (F75-79), Sheila Isaacs (F80-84), Jack Welber (M80-84), and Winston Allen (M85-89).
ITU Age Group World Championship
Rotterdam, Netherlands
September 17, 2017
Top 10 Overall
Olympic Distance Men
1. Beau Smith (GBR) 1:53:35 *M20-24
2. Reuben Geys (BEL) 1:54:26 *M25-29
3. Samuel Wade (GBR) 1:54:38 *M25-29
4. Nikolaus Wehlidal (AUT) 1:54:39 *M 35-39
5. Kristian Rod (NOR) 1:55:24 *M25-29
6. James Farrington (GBR) 1:55:57 *M20-24
7. Donald Brooks (GBR) 1:56:31 *M 40-44
8. Henry Irvine (GBR) 1:56:36 * M25-29
9. Bryan Difford (RSA) 1:56:51 *M30-34
10. Louis Naeyaert (BEL) 1:56:53 *M20-24
Olympic Distance Women
1. Jacqueline Godbe (USA) 2:08:27 *F25-29
2. Michelle Willcocks (GBR) 2:08:51 *F30-34
3. Leonie Konczalla (GER) 2:08:56 *F25-29
4. Alexandra Keith (AUS) 2:09:50 *F25-29
5. Katrina Rye (GBR) 2:09:56 *F 25-29
6. Fiona Crombie (NZL) 2:10:14 *F35-39
7. Sarai Hemara (NZL) 2:10:43 *F25-29
8. Madi Roberts (AUS) 2:10:44 *F20-24
9. Amber Rombaut (BEL) 2:10:50 *F18-19
10. Madeleine Pesch (USA) 2:10:55 *F20-24
Sprint Distance Men
1. Luke Harvey (AUS) 1:02:42 *M16-19
2. Reuben Trotter (GBR) 1:02:47 *M16-29
3. Adam Martin (NZL) 1:02:55 *M16-19
4. Nabil Kouzkouz (MAR) 1:03:16 *M16-19
5. Axel Baumans (BEL) 1:03:19 *M20-24
6. Dieter Boeye (BEL) 1:03:22 *M20-24
7. David Martin (NZL) 1:03:46 *M16-19
8. Jens Van Looveren (BEL) 1:03:46 *M20-24
9. Oscar Rogers (GBR) 1:03:51 *M16-19
10. Thomas Dalgarno (GBR) 1:03:51 *M16-19
Sprint Distance Women
1. Jony Heerink (NED) 1:09:50 *F30-34
2. Kate Bramley (AUS) 1:10:47 *F30-34
3. Sandrine Benz (SUI) 1:10:57 *F30-34
4. Jasmine Eden Gray (AUS) 1:11:12 *F16-19
5. Trinity Schimbeck (USA) 1:11:24 *F16-19
6. Emma Dixon (GBR) 1:11:38 *F20-24
7. Gwen Kinsey (GBR) 1:11:41 *F40-44
8. Gemma Roche-Clark (GBR) 1:11:42 *F30-34
9. Maighan Brown (AUS) 1:11:48 *F25-29
10. Michellie Jones (AUS) 1:11:58 *F45-49
Olympic Distance
S 1.5k / B 40k / R 10k
Age Group Winners
Female 16-19
Amber Rombaut (BEL) 2:10:50
Female 20-24
Madi Roberts (AUS) 2:10:44
Female 25-29
Jacqueline Godbe (USA) 2:08:27
Female 30-34
Michelle Willcocks (GBR) 2:08:51
Female 35-39
Fiona Crombie (NZL) 2:10:14
Female 40-44
Sione Jongstra (NED) 2:11:17
Female 45-49
Adrienne Leblanc (USA) 2:13:27
Female 50-54
Brigitte McMahon (SUI) 2:15:32
Female 55-59
Janet Ferguson (AUS) 2:23:35
Female 60-64
Marijke Zeekant (NED) 2:25:39
Female 65-69
Patricia Bell (GBR) 2:38:16
Female 70-74
Sarah Barrett (GBR) 2:48:20
Female 75-79
Elizabeth Brackett (USA) 3:15:51
Male 16-19
Daniel Whitburn (NZL) 2:02:21
Male 20-24
Beau Smith (GBR) 1:53:35
Male 25-29
Ruben Geys (BEL) 1:54:26
Male 30-34
Bryan Difford (RSA) 1:56:51
Male 35-39
Nikolaus Wihlidal (AUT) 1:54:39
Male 40-44
Donald Brooks (GBR) 1:56:31
Male 45-49
Udo Van Stevendaal (GER) 1:59:17
Male 50-54
Edwin Ophof (NED) 2:01:57
Male 55-59
Lee Walther (USA) 2:05:46
Male 60-64
Rob Barel (NED) 2:05:03
Male 65-69
Karl-Heinz Nottrodt (GER) 2:18:27
Male 70-74
Hans Van Der Linden (NED) 2:27:50
Male 75-79
Daniel Escoffier (FRA) 2:52:34
Male 80-84
Jon Adamson (USA) 3:14:16
Male 85-89
Bill Ziering (USA) 6:20:38
Sprint Distance
S 750m / B 20k / R 5k
Age Group winners
Female 16-19
Jasmine Eden Gray (AUS) 1:11:12
Female 20-24
Emma Dixon (GBR) 1:11:38
Female 25-29
Maighan Brown (AUS) 1:11:48
Female 30-34
Jony Heerink (NED) 1:09:50
Female 35-39
Amy Pritchard (GBR) 1:13:30
Female 40-44
Gwen Kinsey (GBR) 1:11:44
Female 45-49
Michellie Jones (AUS) 1:11:58
Female 50-54
Jacqui Phillips (GBR) 1:13:55
Female 55-59
Barbara Holmes (GBR) 1:18:31
Female 60-64
Placida Villegas Leyva (MEX) 1:16:40
Female 65-69
Wendy Read (GBR) 1:29:57
Female 70-74
Georgina Jennings (GBR) 1:41:07
Female 75-79
Lois Leon (USA) 1:57:41
Female 80-84
Sheila Isaacs (USA) 2:17:38
Male 16-19
Luke Harvey (AUS) 1:02:42
Male 20-24
Axel Baumans (BEL) 1:03:19
Male 25-29
James Dean (GBR) 1:04:34
Male 30-34
Craig Dale (GBR) 1:04:42
Male 35-39
James Wilson (GBR) 1:04:04
Male 40-44
Richard Stannard (GBR) 1:04:29
Male 45-49
Alfio Bulgarelli (ITA) 1:05:54
Male 50-54
Ulrich Katzer (AUT) 1:06:50
Male 55-59
Campbell Dawson (AUS) 1:09:37
Male 60-64
Philip Friedman (USA) 1:14:28
Male 65-69
Roland Käshammer (GER) 1:17:52
Male 70-74
Brian Tate (GBR) 1:22:08
Male 75-79
Dirk Benschop (NED) 1:30:54
Male 80-84
Jack Welber (USA) 1:54:10
Male 85-89
Winston Allen (USA) 2:45:51
