Notable Junior and Under 23 World Champion and Hamburg silver and bronze medalist Laura Lindemann took her first World Triathlon Series sprint distance victory.

On a bright sunny day, Lindemann emerged from a tightly bunched field with a race-best 16:16 run and a 58:17 finish which gave her a 4 seconds margin over New Zealander Nicole Van Der Kaay’s debut series podium and 9 seconds over third-place finisher Summer Rappaport of the U.S.

After the 750-meter swim in the 65-Fahrenheit waters of the Alter Reservoir, Rappaport led the field with a 9:12 split that gave her a 2-seconds lead on Olivia Matthias of Great Britain, 3 seconds on Lindemann, 6 seconds on Zsannett Bragmayer of Hungary, 7 seconds on Kirsten Kasper of the U.S., 8 seconds on Sian Rainsley of Great Britain, and 10 seconds on Erika Ackerlund of the U.S. After a speedy transition, Bragmayer and Kasper managed to catch Rappaport, Mathias and Lindemann. Once on the bike leg, a German quartet including Lindemann, Marlene Gomez-Islinger, Anabel Knoll, Lisa Tersch broke out front, followed closely by Kasper, Rappaport, Erika Ackerlund of the U.S., Sian Rainsley of Great Britain, Mathias and Kate Waugh of Great Britain.

Halfway through the 20-kilometer bike leg, the 10-women lead pack opened a 30 seconds lead on chasers including Alberta Kjaer Pedersen of Denmark, and Quinty Schoen of the Netherlands
By the finish of the 20-kilometer bike, the 10 pack of leaders had 40 seconds in hand.

To intense cheers of the Hamburg crowd, Lindemann left T2 with the lead, followed closely by Bragmayer, Rappaport, and Van Der Kaay. The leading four stayed on the gas and opened a gap on the chasers as they began the bell lap. At the start of the last lap, Bragmayer fell back. With 300 meters to go, Lindemann jetted away to a race-best 16:16 5k for the win.

“I am so happy, this was the perfect race for me, said the German, who had won previously silver and bronze medals in Hamburg, but had never been on top of the podium. “My swim was good, the bike was good and during the run I just felt really good.” On the final lap of the run I just felt that I had the legs and just went for the best, and I made it.”

With her victory in Hamburg, Lindemann is also the new 2022 Maurice Lacroix World Triathlon Series Ranking Leader.

Just three seconds behind her, a delighted Van Der Kaay claimed silver, the best result of her career. “I don’t really have any words for it,” said Van Der Kaay. “I have never been on a podium before this so I am over the moon really. It was a surprise for me to be up front, but I knew I was feeling good coming into this in peak form. Coming into the end I knew it would be tough, I’ve never been going for the podium let alone the gold, so I gave it my all and came away with second, so I am very happy.”

Rappaport claimed the 6th Series podium of her career. “It’s definitely a little bittersweet to get taken in the last few hundred meters of the race but I can’t complain about a podium. This might be my last race (of the season) so it feels good to be closing out on a high note.”

Hamburg Wasser World Triathlon Championship Series
Hamburg, Germany
September 18, 2021
S 750m / B 20k / R 5k

Women

1. Laura Lindemann (GER) S 9:15 T1 00:39 B 31:44 T2 00:25 R 16:16 TOT 58:17
2. Nicole Van Der Kaay (NZL) S 9:28 T1 00:42 B 31:31 T2 00:24 R 16:19 TOT 58:21
3. Summer Rappaport (USA) S 9:12 T1 00:47 B 31:43 T2 00:25 R 16:20 TOT 58:26
4. Zsannett Bragmayer (HUN) S 9:28 T1 00:50 B 31:32 T2 00:23 R 16:32 TOT 58:34
5. Sian Rainsley (GBR) S 9:20 T1 00:44 B 31:34 T2 00:27 R 16:33 TOT 58:36
6. Marlene Gomez-Islinger (GER) S 9:26 T1 00:47 B 31:25 T2 00:25 R 16:36 TOT 58:37
7. Kirsten Kasper (USA) S 9:19 T1 00:40 B 31:36 T2 00:26 R 16:41 TOT 58:41
8. Alice Betto (ITA) S 9:24 T1 00:48 B 31:28 T2 00:25 R 16:40 TOT 58:43
9. Kate Waugh (GBR) S 9:29 T1 00:42 B 31:26 T2 00:27 R 16:43 TOT 58:46
10. Erika Ackerlund (USA) S 9:22 T1 00:44 B 31:34 T2 00:25 R 16:44 TOT 58:48
21. Kylie Spearing (USA) S 9:28 T1 00:41 B 31:31 T1 00:26 R 17:36 TOT 59:40
28. Kira Hedgeland (AUS) S 9:32 T1 00:47 B 32:03 T2 00:25 R 17:27 TOT 1:00:13
29. Emma Jackson (AUS) S 9:25 T1 00:49 B 32:07 T2 00:26 R 17:46 TOT 1:00:33