USA Triathlon wrapped up their third and final year of Age Group Nationals in Milwaukee. XTERRA held far flung off road contests in the Czech Republic and Mexico. Ironman hosted 70.3s in Europe and Central America. ITU held a sprint distance World Cup in Tiszy. A casual and enjoyable wedding in Bend, Oregon and a video of Gwen Jorgensen with the Gong Wizards.
Nils Frommhold and Diana Riesler win Ironman 70.3 Gydnia
Germans Nils Frommhold and Diana Riesler won the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Gydnia in Poland.
Frommhold began with a 2nd-fastest 24:30 swim and shattered the men’s field with a race-best 2:05:52 bike split, 4:10 better than nearest rival Anton Blokhin of Ukraine. Frommhold then closed the deal with a 2nd-best 1:18:14 run that brought him to the line in 3:54:07, giving him a 5:23 margin on Blokhin and 7:54 on 3rd-place finisher Milosz Sowinski of Poland. Cigana Massimo of Italy made up time from a slow swim and middling bike split with a race-best 1:16:31 run to finish 4th, 13 seconds out of the podium.
Riesler made up for a 50 seconds deficit in the swim with a hope-crushing 2:19:25 bike split that was between 5 and 16 minutes faster than her nearest pursuers. With a 4:54 lead on Ewa Komander of Poland starting the run and 14:45 and 17:50 on her next closest pursuers, Riesler cruised in with a 2nd-best 1:28:41 run that gave back just 1:41 to women's-best runner Paulina Kotfica of Poland. Thus Riesler finished in 4:23:01 with a 13:04 margin on Kotfica and 13:51 on 3rd-place finisher Komander.
Ironman 70.3 Gydnia
Gydnia, Poland
August 9, 2015
S 1.2 mi. / B 56 mi. / R 13.1 mi.
Results
Men
1. Nils Frommhold (GER) 3:54:07
2. Anton Blokhin (UKR) 3:59:30
3. Milosz Sowinski (POL) 4:02:01
4. Massimo Cigana (ITA) 4:02:14
5. Mikolaj Luft (POL) 4:03:15
Women
1. Diana Riesler (GER) 4:23:01
2. Paulina Kotfica (POL) 4:36:05
3. Ewa Komander (POL) 4:36:52
4. Erika Csomor (HUN) 4:41:52
5. Anna Wiese (POL) 4:43:50
Lauren Goss and Tim Don prevail at Ironman 70.3 Ecuador
Lauren Goss of the U.S. and Tim Don of Great Britain won dominating victories, highlighted by strong bike splits and race-best runs, at Ironman 70.3 Ecuador.
Goss swam to a 1:37 lead on Valentina Carvallo of Chile and 1:39 on fellow U.S. competitor Dede Griesbauer, then gave back a 1:02 lead to Griesbauer, who posted a women’s best 2:22:40 bike split that was 3:16 better than Goss. Goss took back 35 seconds from Griesbauer in transition and another 10 seconds in the first mile of the run, cutting her deficit to 17 seconds. By 3.3 miles into the run, Goss had a 1:50 lead, never to be threatened. After a race-best 1:21:05 run, Goss finished in 4:14:38 with a 9:26 margin over Carvallo (1:23:40 run) and 14:53 over 3rd-place Griesbauer (1:36:25 run).
Don combined a tied-for-best swim, a killer 2:07:47 bike split that was 10 or more minutes better than his nearest pursuers, and a race-best 1:16:34 run, bringing him to the finish in 3:51:34 with a 14:26 margin of victory over Braden Currie of New Zealand and 18:17 over 3rd-place finisher Roberto Rivera of Chile.
Ironman 70.3 Ecuador
Manta, Ecuador
August 9, 2015
S 1.2mi. / B 56 mi. / R 13.1 mi.
Results
Women
1. Lauren Goss (USA) 4:14:38
2. Valentina Carvallo (CHL) 4:24:04
3. Dede Griesbauer (USA) 4:29:31
4. Steffy Salazar Perez (ECU) 4:50:39
5. Lorena Imana (PER) 4:52:25
Men
1. Tim Don (GBR) 3:51:34
2. Braden Currie (NZL) 4:06:00
3. Roberto Rivera (ECU) 4:09:51
4. Jonathan Tryoen (FRA) 4:11: 6
5. James Hadley (GBR) 4:12:09
Denis Chevrot and Susie Cheetham win Ironman 70.3 Dublin
Denis Chevrot of France and Susie Cheetham of Great Britain won by comfortable margins at Ironman 70.3 Dublin.
Chevrot posted a 2nd-best 28:05 swim, 2nd-fastest 2:13:52 bike split, and a race-best 1:14:48 half marathon to finish in 4:01:35, giving him a 4:43 margin of victory over Markus Thomschke of Germany and 6:59 over 3rd-place finisher Kevin Thornton of Ireland.
Cheetham overcame a 2:30 deficit after the swim with a women's-best bike split (2:25:08) and run (1:23:00) to finish in 4:27:09, a 7:30 winning margin over 2008 ITU Olympic distance World Championship bronze medalist Samantha Warriner of New Zealand and 11:12 over 3rd-place finisher Sonja Tajsich of Germany.
Ironman 70.3 Dublin
Dublin, Ireland
August 9, 2015
S 1.2 mi. / B 56 mi. / R 13.1 mi
Results
Men
1. Denis Chevrot (FRA) 4:01:35
2. Markus Thomschke (GER) 4:06:18
3. Kevin Thornton (IRL) 4:08:34
4. Robbie Wade (IRL) 4:12:21
5. Oliver Simon (GBR) 4:14:09
Women
1. Susie Cheetham (GBR) 4:27:09
2. Samantha Warriner (GBR) 4:34:39
3. Sonja Tajsich (GER) 4:38:21
4. Emma Bilham (SUI) 4:40:10
5. Nikki Bartlett (GBR) 4:41:58
Ben Allen and Helena Erbenova win XTERRA Czech
Ben Allen of Australia and Helena Erbenova of the Czech Republic won the 13th XTERRA Czech Championship.
With her win, Erbenova cinched her third XTERRA European Tour Championship in four years (she also won in 2012 and 2013) and her 9th of 12 XTERRA European Tour events in 2015.
Jacqui Slack of Great Britain led the women’s swim with Brigitta Poor of Hungary second and Carina Wasle of Austria 3rd. On the bike, Erbenova was caught in a pack of slower men and lost some significant time. “Today was so different,” said Erbenova. “I would be super strong and then my legs would go away. Carina passes me going up the hill and I pass her coming down. And getting by those men was so hard!”
Once she left the men behind, Erbenova passed Poor for second, but then the Hungarian rallied and passed her back. By the time Slack, Poor and Erbenova entered T2, they arrived together. Slack, suffering in the heat, faded to third place. Poor put up a valiant defense but ultimately surrendered to Erbenova’s superior run and trailed the Czech champion by 52 seconds at the finish.
Allen’s victory was his third XTERRA World Tour win this season, 16th lifetime and his first XTERRA Czech win. Allen emerged from the swim in 2nd and passed early leader Roger Serrano going up the first technical climb. “I forgot where I was and when I got to the steep part I was in the wrong gear and had to unclip and run the bike,” said Serrano. “After that I never saw him.”
XTERRA Czech Republic
Prachatice, Czech Republic
August 8, 2015
Results
Men
1. Ben Allen (AUS) 2:40:19
2. Roger Serrano (ESP) 2:44:27
3, Jan Pyott (SUI) 2:45:02
4. Michael Syzmoniuk (AUT) 2:46:08
5. Jan Kubicek (CZE) 2:46:10
Women
1. Helena Erbenova (CZE) 3:07:04
2. Brigitta Poor (HUN) 3:07:56
3. Jacqui Slack (GBR) 3:12:04
4. Sandra Koblmueller (AUT) 3:13:59
5. Carina Wasle (AUT) 3:19:29
Josiah Middaugh and Fabiola Corona win XTERRA Mexico
Josiah Middaugh, the top XTERRA athlete from the U.S., and Mexican cycling Olympian Fabiola Corona won the elite titles at XTERRA Mexico on a rainy, muddy day in Tapalpa, Jalisco.
The win was Middaugh’s third straight major XTERRA triumph since winning the XTERRA East in June. Corona’s victory was her third straight win at Tapalpa and her fourth XTERRA Mexico title in the last six years.
In the men’s race, Irving Perez led the swim in 16:30, one minute better than fellow Mexican Mauricio Mendez, two minutes better than Olympian Francisco Serrano and three minutes up on Middaugh. On the bike, Middaugh’s 1:16:41 bike split was 3 minutes faster than Serrano’s next best effort and allowed him to catch the three leaders on a muddy, challenging 22 percent grade. On a trail filled with stream crossings and mud, Middaugh held his own and finished in 2:18:55 with a 57 seconds lead on Serrano and 2:38 on Mendez, who took the final spot on the podium.
An anticipated showdown between defending champ Corona and U.S. XTERRA star Suzie Snyder was quashed when Snyder crashed pre-riding on Thursday and remained too injured to race.
“She was still out here cheering the loudest for me while on crutches with a fractured pelvis,” said Middaugh. “Tough chica!” Without Snyder to challenge her, Corona sailed to a 9:33 margin of victory over runner-up Maria Barrera and 10:30 over 3rd place finisher Dunia Gomez, making the women's podium an all-Mexican sweep.
XTERRA Mexico
Tapalpa, Jalisco, Mexico
August 8, 2015
Results
Men
1. Josiah Middaugh (USA) 2:18:55
2. Francisco Serrano (MEX) 2:19:52
3. Mauricio Mendez (MEX) 2:21:33
4. Rom Akerson (CRC) 2:23:07
5. Irving Perez (MEX) 2:24:40
Women
1. Fabiola Corona (MEX) 2:59:39
2. Maria Barrera (MEX) 3:09:12
3. Dunia Gomez (MEX) 3:10:09
4. Laura Mira Diaz (BRA) 3:18:13
5. Ana Guerrero (MEX) 3:18:31
Barrett Lehardy, Abby Levene win AG Olympic Distance Overall titles
Amateur triathletes Barrett Lehardy of Roanoke, Virginia and Abby Levene of Boulder, Colorado won the overall national titles at Saturday’s USA Triathlon Olympic Distance National Championships held at the Milwaukee Art Museum and Discovery World along Lake Michigan.
Lehardy posted a time of 1 hour 51 minutes and 18 seconds to win the men’s 25-29 category and the men’s overall title. “It’s a huge honor,” said Lehardy, a member of the U.S. Army. “This was the goal for my coach and me coming into this season. We wanted to win a national title.”
Lehardy’s World Military Games teammate Kyle Hooker of Burlington, Washington posted the second-fastest time of the day - 1:52:24 - and placed second in the men’s 25-29 category. Lucas Pozzetta of Merrimack, New Hampshire finished 3rd overall and 3rd in the men’s 25-29 age group in a time of 1:53:28.
Levene of Boulder, Colorado won the women’s overall title and the 20-24 age group in a time of 2:06:09. Olympic distance Nationals was only Levene’s second triathlon of the year.
“I wanted to do well overall and I knew I was fit, but I had never been here before,” said Levene, who had a collegiate running career at Princeton and Colorado, specializing in the 5,000 and 10,000 meter events. “I'm back at it and very excited to be back. This is possibly the best race I’ve ever been to.”
Kirsten Sass of McKenzie, Tennessee finished second overall and won the women's 35-39 division in a time of 2:06:37. Cecilia Davis-Hayes of New York City finished third overall and won the women’s 25-29 age group in a time of 2:08:49.
USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Olympic Distance
August 8, 2015
S 1.5k / B 40k / R 10k
Results
Top 10 Overall Women
1. Abby Levene (Boulder CO) 2:06:08 * F20-24
2. Kirsten Sass (McKenzie TN) 2:06:36 * F35-39
3. Cecilia Davis-Hayes (New York NY) * F25-29
4. Jennifer Harris (Elm Grove IL) 2:09:02 * F25-29
5. Sarah Alexander (South Bend IN) 2:09:07 * F25-29
6. Alycia Hill (Tacoma WA) 2:09:18 * F25-27
7. Adrienne LeBlanc (Scottsdale AZ) 2:09:19 * F45-49
8. Jennifer Garrison (Naperville IL) 2:09:27 * F35-37
9. Kelly Collier (Pittsburgh PA) 2:10:29 * F25-29
10. Daniela Williams (North Liberty IA) 2:10:33 * F35-39
Top 10 Overall Men
1. Barrett Lehardy (Roanoke VA) 1:51:17 * M25-29
2. Kyle Hooker (Burlington WA) 1:52:23 * M25-29
3. Lucas Pozzetta (Merrimack NH) 1:53:27 * M25-29
4. James Burke (Whitefish Bay WI) 1:53:43
5. Adam Webber (Denver PA) 1:54:21* M30-34
6. Louis Cayedito (Ann Arbor MI) 1:54:35 * M20-24
7. Mark Harris (Madison WI) 1:54:51 * M40-44
8. Todd Buckingham (East Lansing MI) 1:54:52 * M25-29
9. Tyler Evans (Colorado Springs CO) 1:55:25 * M20-24
10. Thomas Barton (Miami FL) 1:55:42 * M25-29
Age Group Winners
F17-19 Abbie Sullivan (Canandaigua NY) 2:14:37
F20-24 Abby Levene (Boulder CO) 2:06:08
F25-29 Cecilia Davis-Hayes (New York NY) 2:08:48
F30-34 Ericka Hachmeister (Corning NY) 2:11:11
F35-39 Kirsten Sass (McKenzie TN) 2:06:26
F40-44 Megan James (Portage MI) 2:14:36
F45-49 Adrienne LeBlanc (Scottsdale AZ) 2:09:19
F50-54 Kelly Dippold (Overland Park KS) 2:15:27
F55-59 Bridget Dawson (San Luis Obispo CA) 2:19:13
F60-64Karen McKeachie (Ann Arbor MI) 2:30:16
F65-69Nancy Avitabile (Bethesda MD) 2:43:47
F70-74Cherie Gruenfeld (Cathedral City CA) 2:52:11
F75-79 Graciela Val (Evanston IL) 3:24:52
M17-19 Elisha Smith (Greenwood SC) 1:56:27
M20-24 Louis Cayedito (Ann Arbor MI) 1:54:35
M25-29 Barrett Lehardy (Roanoke VA) 1:51L17
M30-34 Adam Webber (Denver PA) 1:54:21
M35-39 James Burke (Whitefish Bay WI) 1:53:43
M40-44 Mark Harms (Madison WI) 1:54:51
M45-49 Shane Arters (San Mateo CA) 1:56:57
M50-54 Michael Smith (Brownsburg IN) 2:03:43
M55-59 Tony Schiller (Eden Prairie MN) 2:04:18
M60-64 Gregory Taylor (Yankton SD) 2:10:44
M65-69 Freddy Ferraro (The Colony TX) 2:21:02
M70-74 David Roadhouse (Wilmette IL) 2:32:31
M75-79 Roger Little (Newtonville MA) 2:39:00
M80-84 Roger Brockenbrough (Pittsburgh PA) 3:28:13
M85+ Bob Scott (Naperville IL) 3:30:41
Thomas Barton and Taylor Knibb win USA Triathlon Sprint Nationals
Thomas Barton won the men’s overall crown and Taylor Knibb won her second straight USA Triathlon Age Group Sprint Nationals women's overall title at Milwaukee on Sunday.
Barton, of Miami, Florida, finished in 58 minutes 48 seconds, the fastest time of the day and the winning time of the men’s 25-29 category.
“I’m ecstatic, this is awesome,” said Barton. “I guess I am a little surprised. I raced yesterday and had a great race and wanted to carry that over.”
Chase McQueen of Columbus, Indiana won the men's 15-19 age group and finished 2nd overall in a time of 59:21. Tyler Evans of Colorado Springs, Colorado finished 3rd overall and won the men's 20-24 age group in a time of 59:48.
Knibb of Washington D.C. won her second straight USA Triathlon Age Group Sprint Distance Nationals overall women's title in a time of 1:01:17. She also won her second straight women's 15-19 category. Knibb, who won the USA Triathlon Junior Nationals last weekend, will be competing for the ITU Junior World Championship next month in Chicago.
“It was a good day,” said Knibb. “The competition helps you become a better athlete. I want to stay healthy and keep on enjoying it, and wherever it takes me, that’s where I’ll go.”
Skye Murphy of Salt Lake City, Utah was second overall woman and won the 25-29 category in a time of 1:05:38. Audrey Ernst of South Elgin, Illinois placed 3rd overall and was 2nd in the women’s 15-19 category in a time of 1:06:07.
USA Triathlon Age Group Sprint Distance Nationals
August 9, 2015
S 750m / B 20k / R 5k
Results
Top 10 Overall Women
1. Taylor Knibb (Washington D.C.) 1:01:17 * F15-19
2. Skye Murphy (Salt Lake City UT) 1:05:38 * F25-29
3. Audrey Ernst (South Elgin IL) 1:06:07 * F15-19
4. Aleena Vilani (Pleasant Prairie WI) 1:07:18 * F15-19
5. Laura Matthews (Memphis TN) 1:07:21 * F20-24
6. Shannon Kaplan (Philadelphia PA) 1:07:59 * F35-39
7. Ericka Hachmeister (Corning NY) 1:08:29 * F30-34
8. Desiree Thomas (Broadview Heights OH) 1:08:34 * F25-29
9. Suzie Fox (Chaska MN) 1:08:42 * F30-34
10. Phelan Purnell (Pewaukee WI) 1:09:09 * F15-19
Top 10 Overall Men
1. Thomas Barton (Miami FL) 58:48 * M25-29
2. Chase McQueen (Columbus IN) 59:21 * M15-29
3. Tyler Evans (Colorado Springs CO) 59:48 * M20-24
4. Graham Pimental (Naples FL) 1:00:14 * M15-19
5. Matthew Payne (Columbia Heights MN) 1:00:20 * M35-39
6. Christopher Douglas (Atlanta GA) 1:00:28 * M20-24
7. Dwayne Dixon (Raleigh NC) 1:00:45 * M30-34
8. Jack Toland (Kirkland WA) 1:00:48 * M15-19
9. Andrew Hall (Salt Lake City UT) 1:00:59 * M30-34
10. Evan Pardi (Yachats OR) 1:01:27 * M20-24
Age Group Winners
F15-19 Taylor Knibb (Washington D.C.) 1:01:17
F20-24 Laura Matthews (Memphis TN) 1:07:21
F25-29 Skye Murphy (Salt Lake City UT) 1:05:38
F30-34 Ericka Hachmeister (Corning NY) 1:08:29
F35-39 Shannon Kaplan (Philadelphia PA) 1:07:59
F40-44 Heather Westerman (Ligonier PA) 1:10:04
F45-49 Chris Wickard (Crown Point IN) 1:11:02
F50-54 Leslie Knibb (Washington D.C.) 1:10:48
F55-59 Barbara Sullivan (Carlsbad CA) 1:13:10
F60-64Karen McKeachie (Ann Arbor MI) 1:16:03
F65-69Lynda Lubelczyk (Manchester NH) 1:24:53
F70-74Paula Larsen (Delafield WI) 1:28:32
F75-79 Sheila Isaacs (Shoreham NY) 2:13:16
M15-19 Chase McQueen (Columbus IN) 59:21
M20-24 Tyler Evans (Colorado Springs CO) 59:48
M25-29 Thomas Barton (Miami FL) 58:48
M30-34 Dwayne Dixon (Raleigh NC) 1:00:45
M35-39 Matthew Payne (Columbia Heights MN) 1:00:20
M40-44 Jon Noland (Tampa FL) 1:01:53
M45-49 Shannon Kurek (Granville OH) 1:03:19
M50-54 Adnan Mackay (New York NY) 1:04:37
M55-59 Tony Schiller (Eden Prairie MN) 1:05:37
M60-64 Gregory Taylor (Yankton SD) 1:08:41
M65-69 Craig Cecil (Vestavia AL) 1:16:25
M70-74 Joseph Gulaskey (Lebanon OR) 1:24:16
M75-79 Roger Little (Newtonville MA) 1:23:38
M80-84 James Rosborough (Houston TX) 1:41:44
M85-89 Winston Allen (St. Augustine FL) 2:04:25
M90-94 Bob Powers (White Bear Lake MN) 2:56:39
Igor Polyanskiy and Felicity Sheedy-Ryan win Tiszaujvaros World Cup
After Saturday's semifinals eliminated a few contenders, Igor Polyanskiy of Ukraine and Felicity Sheedy-Ryan of Australia won Sunday’s finals at the sprint distance ITU World Cup in Tiszaujvaros, Hungary.
In Sunday’s final, Sheedy-Ryan emerged from the swim a minute down and gradually shaved her deficit through the bike leg and the run, until she passed 2014 Junior World bronze medalist Audrey Merle of France and Sara Dossena of Italy in the final meters of the run. Sheedy-Ryan finished in 1:00:54 with a one second margin on Merle and two seconds on Dossena to earn her first World Cup victory.
“All the race was hard for me, especially in this format and the swimming was my weakness,” said Sheedy-Ryan. “The girls went really hard in the cycling as well, and I struggled a bit to keep up the pace. I just put everything I had left into the run and hoped it was enough.”
Polyanskiy started with a strong swim and joined a trio of Frenchmen that included Anthony Pujades, Raoul Shaw and Aurelien Raphael in a breakaway on the bike that created a 20 second lead. After that brief surge, they were quickly caught and joined by a pack of 18 men.
Gabor Faldum of Hungary and Andreas Schilling of Denmark were the most aggressive members of that chase pack and managed to make a small break out front on the second to last bike lap. “I worked together perfectly with Gabor and gave everything to try to escape with him,” said Schilling. “But couldn’t do more at the end. You pay a price for that but it is really fun to do.”
The trio managed to leave all the other contenders behind nearing the end of the run. But after expending so much energy on their bike breakaway, Faldum and Schilling could not resist Polyanskiy’s final drive to the line. The Russian finished in 54:11 with a 7 seconds margin on Faldum and 13 seconds on Schilling to earn his first World Cup win.
Tiszaujvaros ITU Triathlon World Cup
Tiszaujvaros, Hungary
August 9, 2015
S 750m / B 20k / R 5k
Results
Women
1. Felicity Sheedy-Ryan (AUS) 1:00:54
2. Audrey Merle (FRA) 1:00:55
3. Sara Dossena (ITA) 1:00:56
4. Zsófia Kovács (HUN) 1:01:05
5. Arina Shulgina (RUS) 1:01:16
Men
1. Igor Polyanskiy (RUS) 54:11
2. Gabor Faldum (HUN) 54:18
3. Andreas Schilling (DEN) 54:24
4. Tamás Tóth (HUN) 54:30
5. Andrea Secchiero (ITA) 54:39
Sean Watkins and Heather Jackson tie the knot in Bend, Oregon
Team Wattie Ink proprietor Sean Watkins and long course star triathlete Heather Jackson were married Saturday afternoon at the Aspen Meadow Picnic Area at Shevlin Park in Bend, Oregon. According to their invitation, this was a very casual occasion – “Think picnic tables and patches of grass to sit on… shorts, t-shirts, funny costumes… seriously whatever you want to wear is awesome for us!”
Guests were encouraged to come by mountain bike to the park with Wattie and Heather, witness the ceremony and hang out over a BBQ buffet. Before and after the wedding, the bride and groom led mountain bike rides on the nearby Bend trails and joined guests at several of Bend’s outstanding local breweries. By all reports, a great time was had by all.
Gwen Jorgensen with the Gong Wizards
An inside look at Gwen Jorgensen at her training base in Vitoria-Gasteiz with the Wollongong Wizards and coach Jamie Turner, in a video by Specialized.
