Sophie Saller of Germany exchanged the silver medal she earned at the U23 Women's European Championship earlier this summer for the gold she earned today at the Under 23 Elite Women’s Grand Final World Championship in Edmonton.

Saller turned on the jets with a race-best 36:13 run to finish in 2:04:52 with a 33-seconds margin of victory over Gillian Backhouse of Australia and 2:07 ahead of bronze medalist Erin Jones of the United States.

“I don’t know what to say,” Saller told ITU media after the race. “I didn't feel too good on the swim (a 10th-fastest 19:28 split) and I got out of the water just behind the lead pack. So I just gunned it and caught them at the tunnel. Just got to stay there and run for my life.”

Backhouse, who won her first World Cup this year at Chengdu, China with a very strong bike/run combination, put those skills and the confidence they gave her to good use today.

It was a confidence she did not possess a year ago. “Last year everyone had written me off but my parents and coach Steve Moss believed in me and I am so please to be able to repay them,” Backhouse told ITU media.

Kelly-Ann Perkins of Australia led the swim in 19:10, followed by a group that included pre-race favorites Saller (19:28) and Backhouse (19:19) and Jones (19:18). Backhouse quickly took charge of a break which left Erin Jones behind and grew to a minute lead on a chase group of six by the midpoint of the 43k bike leg. By the end of the bike segment, that lead grew to 1 minute 25 seconds.

Saller and Backhouse took charge on the run, opening up a gap on their allies on the bike. Halfway through the run, Saller found the extra gear and charged away from Backhouse to a 33 second lead at the finish.

Meanwhile, Jones, who had a 90 seconds deficit starting the run, zoomed past half a dozen competitors on her way to a 3rd-fastest 36:56 run that brought her to the bronze medal 1:34 behind Backhouse.

“It was amazing, it was a huge motivation to go hard today,” Jones told ITU media. “Watching Gwen (Jorgensen) run like she did yesterday gave me motivation that I could run from the chase pack and I did.”

The U.S. Under 23 women had an impressive day along with Jones. Kirsten Kasper finished 4th and Johanna Gartman took 10th.

ITU Grand Final U23 Elite Women
Edmonton, Canada
August 31, 2014
S 1.5k / N 43 k / R 10k

Results

Under 23 Elite Women

1. Sophie Saller (GER) 2:04:52
2. Gillian Backhouse (AUS) 2:05:25
3. Erin Jones (USA) 2:06:59
4. Kirsten Kasper (USA) 2:07:33
5. Leonie Periault (FRA) 207:48
6. Amelie Kretz (CAN) 2:07:57
7. Paola Diaz (MEX) 2:08:22
8. Hanna Philippin (GER) 2:08:25
9. Sophie Corbridge (NZL) 2:08:30
10. Johanna Gartman (USA) 2:09:02