Tamara Gorman of the U.S. wins Under 23 Worlds

After taking a year off triathlon, Tamara Gorman of the U.S. returned to the sport with a bang to win the ITU World Championship Women’s Under 23 gold medal.

“I feel so thankful,” said Gorman , who also won the 2013 ITU Junior World title in London. “I took a year off triathlon to focus on running, and this is my first summer back. I really wasn’t expecting that. The bike course was a little tricky with all the turns, but once I got onto the run I just felt wonderful.”

Gorman combined a 4th-fastest 20:12 swim, 5th fastest 1:07:20 bike split and 2nd-best 35:18 run split to finish in 2:05:21 with a 16 seconds margin of victory over Melanie Santos of Portugal and 30 seconds over 3rd place Sophie Coldwell of Great Britain.

Heavy rain greeted the Under 23 Women's swim in the Maas River, which was led by Brazil’s Vittoria Lopes in 19:57, which gave her a 13 seconds lead on Coldwell, 14 seconds on Zsanett Bragmayer of Hungary and 15 seconds on Gorman.

After the first tight, technical section of the bike leg, the women formed a lead pack of 13 including Leonie Periault of France, Santos, Coldwell, Nicole Van Der Kay of New Zealand, Julie Derron of Switzerland, Gorman and Georgia Taylor-Brown of Great Britain. The lead pack charged hard and created a 2-minute lead at T2 over a chase pack led by Emma Jeffcoat of Australia Cassandre Beaugrand of France.

Early on the first lap of the 10 kilometer run, Coldwell and Elise Salt of New Zealand went out front, but at the conclusion of the first lap, Gorman surged into the lead. On her way to a 2nd-fastest 35:18 run, Gorman finished in 2:05:21 with a 16 seconds margin on Santos, who ran a 3rd-fastest 35:31 split.

With Taylor-Brown serving a 15-seconds penalty for discarding her swim cap outside of the box, she couldn’t catch Coldwell, who finished third. Taylor-Brown finished 4th, 25 seconds behind fellow Brit Coldwell.

ITU World Championship
Rotterdam, Netherlands
September 16, 2017
S 1.5k / B 40k / R 10k

Under 23 Women

1. Tamara Gorman (USA) 2:05:21
2. Melanie Santos (POR) 2:05:37
3. Sophie Coldwell (GBR) 2:05:51
4. Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) 2:06:16
5. Julie Derron (SUI) 2:06:34
6. Leonie Periault (FRA) 2:06:44
7. Zsanett Bragmayer (HUN) 2:06:51
8. Cassandra Beaugrand (FRA) 2:07:04
9. Sian Rainsley (GBR) 2:07:11
10. Vittoria Lopes (BRA) 2:07:17
38. Katie Gorczyca (USA) 2:18:07

Junior Men

Matthew Hauser of Australia collected his second World Championship win this year with a dominating victory at the ITU Junior Worlds in Rotterdam. In July, Hauser won a gold medal as part of the Australian 4x Mixed Relay Team World Championship.

Hauser finished the sprint distance course in 55:54, which gave him a 28 seconds margin of victory over Vasco Vilaca of Portugal and 41 seconds over 3rd place finisher Ben Dijkstra of Great Britain, who repeated his 2016 Junior World Championship bronze.

Hauser combined a tied-for-race-best 8:56 swim, a 9th quickest 29:39 bike split and a 3rd-fastest 15:23 run to conquer the field.

“It means a lot mate,” Hauser told ITU media. “I really wanted to turn around from last year’s poor result in Cozumel. It has been a 12-month preparation for me and I have had a few setbacks, but it has been great year all-around - two world titles with the team mixed relay.”

Hauser led the 750-meter swim and made it out of T1 with the lead. On the first lap of the bike leg, Hauser led a 12-man pack. After one lap, the pack whittled to 9 men including Hauser. Vilaca, Vetle Bergsvik Thorn of Norway, Endre Espedal of Norway, Chase McQueen of the U,S. and James Chantler of Great Britain.. By the end of the 20k ride, the lead group increases their lead to 48 seconds on chasers led by Dijkstra.

Starting the run, Hauser and Espedal quickly left the pack behind. By the end it the first lap, Hauser broke away to run solo at the lead. On his way to a 15:23 run, Hauser never looked back. Vilaca ran 15:42 to take the silver, and Dijkstra ran a race-best 15:16 5k run split to take third.

Defending ITU Junior World champion Austin Hindman of the U.S. finished 29th.

ITU World Championship
Rotterdam, Netherlands
September 16, 2017
S 750m / B 20k / R 5k 75

Junior Men Results

1. Matthew Hauser (AUS) 55:54
2. Vasco Vilaca (POR) 56:22
3. Ben Dijkstra (GBR) 56:35
4. James Chantler (GBR) 56:41
5. Vetle Bergsvik Thorn (NOR) 56:43
6. Barclay Izzard (GBR) 56:44
7. Csongor Lehmann (HUN) 56:50
8. Endre Espedal (NOR) 56:57
9. Javier Romo Oliver (ESP) 57:00
10. Simon Westermann (SUI) 57:12
12, Chase McQueen (USA) 57:19
19. Darr Smith (USA) 57:44
29. Austin Hindman (USA) 58:06