Lisa Norden successfully defended her Hy-Vee title, and Javier Gomez won his first at the 2012 edition of triathlon's biggest payday.

All photos © Eric Wynn 2012

The calm before the storm. Getting ready for the swim start in Gray's Lake.

Laura Bennett bested her bib number by one spot to finish 7th.

Jodie Stimpson chased hard all day to finish on the podium.

Lisa Norden showed why she was #1.

Annabel Luxford making the transition to the run.

Jenna Parker did not have her best race in the Iowa heat.

All smiles for Stimpson, who collected $50,000 for finishing 3rd.

And the exhaustion hits soon after...

These women left everything out on the course on a punishing day.

Some people thought Macca might be a threat to take the WTC Triple Crown - Des Moines, Vegas, Kona - but it was not to be.

London 2012 gold medallist Alistair Brownlee leads the charge up a hill.

Greg Bennett wasn't able to defend his 5i50 title, but he seemed happy with his strong 3rd.

Ben Collins wishing he hadn't needed to experience the fantastic neutral support...

Cameron Dye suffered in the hot, late-afternoon sun courtesy of a 4:30PM start, rare for most US races.

Javier Gomez rode the bike the same way he ran - out front.

Alistair Brownlee was not at his best in Des Moines, understandable after a four year focus on gold in London.

Gomez was on fire, though even he welcomed some cool water on a hot day.

Four-time US Olympian Hunter Kemper finished bridesmaid again in Iowa but felt a bit of redemption after not having his best performance in London.

Alistair Brownlee experiencing a rare - and probably welcome - moment of solitude at the finish line.

Hy-Vee knows how to put on a race, and they have a great venue to do it. See you in 2013!