U.S. competitors Davis Bove, 22, and Gina Sereno, 27, won close victories in the professional divisions at the Toyota Legacy Triathlon sprint race at Alamitos Beach in Long Beach, California.
In a race for up-and-coming North American elite professionals who are aiming at qualifying for the next Olympics, Davis Bove of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Gina Sereno of Madison, Wisconsin took close, hard-fought victories at the Long Beach, California contest.
Both winners started the day with significant deficits after the 750-meter swim. Bove emerged from the water 26-seconds behind top swimmer Martin Sobey of Canada and Sereno hit the beach 11 seconds behind top swimmer Jimena Renata De La Peña of Mexico.
While Bove made up some ground with a 6th-best 27:02 bike split – still 7 seconds slower than top cyclist Tristen Jones of Canada – Bove’s chance of victory lay with his fleet feet.
Bove clawed his way to the finish line with a race-best 14:41 split, one second ahead of runner-up Martin Sobey of Canada (14:53 5k run split).
Bove’s World Rank was 269 and his continental rank was 61. His best previous finish was 10th at the Europe Triathlon Cup in Kitzbühel.
After a 4th-best 10:20 swim split, Sereno arrived at Alamitos Beach 11 seconds behind swim leader Jimena Renata De La Peña Schott.
Sereno held her place in the bike leg with a 30:45 split that was sixth-fastest, 19 seconds slower than race-best cyclist Annie Fuller of the U.S. (30:26 bike split).
But the run was to be Sereno’s time to shine as her 16:45 split was 6 seconds faster than Jimena Renata De La Peña Schott of Mexico, just enough to hold off her Mexican rival by 2 seconds.
A veteran, Sereno’s World rank was 77 and her continental rank was 16. Her best previous performance was a win the Americas Triathlon Cup in Ixtapa.
Toyota Legacy Triathlon Professional Results
Alamitos Beach at Long Beach, California
July 17, 2022
S 750m / B 20k / R 5k
Elite Men
1. Davis Bove (USA) S 8:29 T1 1:20 B 27:02 T2 00:33 R 14:41 TOT 52:01 - $1,500
2. Martin Sobey (CAN) S 8:03 T1 1:27 B 27:16 T2 00:27 R 14:53 TOT 52:02 - $1,250
3. Pavios Antoniades (CAN) S8:06 T1 1:25 B 27:14 T2 00:31 R 14:52 TOT 52:04 - $1,000
4. Jorge Alarcon Familiar (MEX) S 8:16 T1 1:27 B 27:03 T2 00:31 R 14:52 TOT 52:07 - $750
5. Austin Hindman (USA) S 8:05 T1 1:24 B 27:18 T2 00:29 R 14:55 TOT 52:07 - $500
6. Liam Donnelly (CAN) S 8:25 T1 1:28 B 26:56 T2 00:27 R 14:56 TOT 52:10
7. Diego Alfredo Perez Flores (MEX) S 8:14 T1 1:35 B 26:57 T2 00:30 R 15:02 TOT 52:16
8. Reese Vannerson (USA) S 8:19 T1 1:30 B 27:01 T2 00:29 R 15:11 TOT 52:27
9. Filip Mainville (CAN) S 8:19 T1 1:217 B 26:58 T2 00:28 R 15:20 TOT 52:30
10. Tristen Jones (CAN) S 8:26 T1 1:28 B 26:55 T2 00:27 R 15:20 TOT 52:34
Elite Women
1. Gina Sereno (USA) S 10:20 T1 1:42 B 30:45 T2 00:38 R 16:45 TOT 1:00:08 - $1,500
2. Jimena Renata De La Peña Schott (MEX) S 10:09 T1 1:41 B 30:55 T2 00:37 R 16:51 TOT 1:00:10 - $1250
3. Erica Hawley (BER) S 10:12 T1 1:38 B 30:52 T2 00:33 R 17:14 TOT 1:00:26 - $1,000
4. Natalia Casas (MEX) S 10:36 T1 1:41 B 30:29 T2 00:33 R 17:20 TOT 1:00:37 - $750
5. Mercedes Romero Orozco (MEX) S 10:24 T1 1:41 B 30:39 T2 00:33 R 17:32 TOT 1:00:47 - $500
6. Noemie Beaulieu (CAN) S 10:14 T1 1:31 B 30:57 T2 00:33 R 17:36 TOT 1:00:49
7. Sara Roel (MEX) S 10:37 T1 1:47 B 30:23 T2 00:34 R 17:41 TOT 1:00:59
8. Sofia Rodriguez Moreno (MEX) S 10:26 T1 1:44 B 30:37 T2 00:38 R 17:52 TOT 1:01:14
9. Ana Maria Valentina Torres Gomez (MEX) S 10:40 T1 1:38 B 30:30 T2 00:37 R 18:07 TOT 1:01:31
10. Annie Fuller (USA) S 10:34 T1 1:44 B 30:26 T2 00:45 R 18:05 TOT 1:01:31
