She's back! Jodie Stimpson seems ready to prove that her long shot World Triathlon Series runner-up finish last year was no fluke as she dominated a first rate field at the opening round of the World Triathlon Series in Auckland, New Zealand Sunday.
Stimpson started off with a tied-for-22nd fastest swim of 20:03 which only put her 15 seconds back of swim leader Carolina Routier. She then carefully unleashed a race-best 1:11:29 bike split during which she slalomed past every serious contender except Nicky Samuels of New Zealand, whom Stimpson trailed by one second at T2.
During that charge, Stimpson joined New Zealanders Samuels and Kate McIlroy in a bike breakaway which put 42 to 50 seconds on a committed chase pack which included Anne Haug of Germany (-43 seconds) two-time World Champion Helen Jenkins of Great Britain (-46 seconds), New Zealander Andrea Hewitt and Australian two-time World Champion Emma Moffatt (-47 seconds), and Sarah Groff of the U.S. and Canadian newcomer Sarah-Anne Brault (-50 seconds).
Gwen Jorgensen, who won the Mooloolaba World Cup earlier year, had troubles on during the bike leg which left her 3:26 back in 20th place starting the run.
Stimpson wasted no time taking control of the race, as she led the first of 4 laps of the 10 kilometer run by 18 seconds over McIlroy and 19 seconds over Samuels. Rising young Canadian star Sarah-Anne Brault led the main chase pack 39 seconds down, followed closely by Jenkins and Haug (-39 seconds) and Groff, Barbara Riveros-Diaz of Chile and Emma Moffatt , all 40 seconds down.
Halfway through the run, the New Zealanders faded while Brault, Jenkins, Groff, Andrea Hewitt, and Moffatt settled in the first chase pack 35 to 40 seconds back. The pack made little or no ground on Stimpson, as her 35:38 run brought her home in 2:08:34. In the final kilometer, Haug made a surge to second place on the strength of her 2nd-best 35:20 split to finish 25 seconds back of Stimpson. Jenkins, back on track after her pre-Olympic injuries and a 2013 season in which she was primarily on the mend, closed with a 35:28 run to round out the podium.
Perhaps the biggest breakthrough of the day was the performance of 24-year-old Sarah-Anne Brault of Canada, who hung tough with the veteran stars on the bike and run, finishing with a 35:29 run to take 4th, just 4 seconds back of Jenkins and 6 seconds ahead of a 5th place performance by Sarah Groff of the United States. Brault, who earned a silver and a bronze medal in 2012 ITU World Cup competition, lost most of her 2013 season to injury. She seemed to be heading in the right direction by winning an Oceania Cup race at Mooloolaba earlier this year, but the competition there was two levels below the stars in her fantastic 2014 WTS debut.
After her disastrous bike leg, Gwen Jorgensen unleashed a race-best 34:24 run which brought her from 20th place to 12th and cut her deficit from 3:26 to 2:04 at the finish. The very promising Katie Hursey of the U.S., winner of the New Plymouth World Cup two weeks ago, was not listed among the finishers.
Auckland World Triathlon Series
Auckland, New Zealand
April 5, 2014
S 1.5k / B 40k / R 10k
Women's Results
1. Jodie Stimpson (GBR) 2:08:34
2. Anne Haug (GER) 2:08:59
3. Helen Jenkins (GBR) 2:09:10
4. Sarah-Anne Brault (CAN) 2:09:14
5. Sarah Groff (USA) 2:09:20
6. Andrea Hewitt (NZL) 2:09:20
7. Emma Moffatt (AUS) 2:09:35
8. Barbara Riveros-Diaz (CHL) 2:09:52
9. Alice Betto (ITA) 2:10:05
10. Rachel Klamer (NED) 2:10:22
12. Gwen Jorgensen (USA) 2:10:36
