Posted: April 25, 2004

Triathlon: Whitfield and Moreno Win ITU Mazatlan World Cup Triathlon

This is a transcript of the ITU's live coverage of today's race.

Men's Race:

The Elite Men's race promises to be as exciting as the Women's race that is now finished. Former World Champion, Dmitriy Gaag (KAZ) will be looking for a tough battle with Hunter Kemper (USA), Brad Kahlefedlt (AUS), and Olympic Champion Simon Whitfield (CAN). Whitfield beat Kemper last weekend to earn gold in the ITU Honolulu Race but Kemper did not care because he earned his Olympic spot by being the first American across the line.

Matt Reed (NZL) will not be starting the race due to illness.

The men's race has just started and the men are seeing the same high surf that the women saw in their race earlier today.

After one lap of the two lap swim, Paulo Miyashiro (JPN) has a 15 second lead. He is followed by Csaba Kuttor (HUN), Dirk Bockel (GER), Jan Frodeno (GER), Tamas Liptak (HUN), Hunter Kemper (USA) and Simon Whitfield (CAN).

The Australians and New Zealand athletes appear to be using their body surfing techniques to negotiate these high waves.

Exiting the swim first was Paulo Miyashiro. He has a 20 second lead heading out on to the bike.

Completing transition and now out on the bike are Frodeno, Kuttor, Bockel and Kemper.

There was a three second gap before Brent McMahon (CAN) Vasilis Krommidas (GRE), Bruno Pais (POR) and Franz Hofer (AUT) set off after the lead group.

After the first lap on the bike, a group of four athletes - Frodeno, Bockel, Miyashiro, and Kuttor- have 10 seconds on Francisco Serrano of Mexico who is currently riding alone. The Mexican has a five second lead over Franz Hoefer who is also riding alone.

In a large pack following all of those athletes are Javier Rosas (MEX), Norbert Domnik (AUT), Axel Zeebroek (BEL), McMahon and Whitfield.

After lap two of the cycle portion of this edition of the ITU World Cup in Mazatlan, there is a group of 8 athletes with a 12 second lead over the chase pack. In the front group are Pais, Frodeno, Arturo Garza (MEX), Jose Luis Zepeda (MEX), Zeebroeck, and Kuttor. In the chase pack, 12 seconds back are a number of fine athletes including Gaag (KAZ), Whitfield, Hoefer, McMahon and Paul Tichelaar (CAN).

After lap three of the cycle portion, the leaders remain the same but their lead has grown to 20 seconds on the chase pack. Mark Fretta (USA), Brian Fleischmann (USA) and Axel Zeebroeck are working hard in that chase pack. Tyler Butterfield (BER) leads a group of five athletes another 30 seconds back from the chase pack.

After lap four and halfway through the 40 km bike, the 20,000 spectators are seeing a very exciting race unfold before their eyes. Javier Rosas and Carlos Probert (MEX) are working together at the front of the lead pack while trying to catch that pack two Canadians - Whitfield and McMahon- are making an organized effort to bridge the two packs together.

After the fifth lap, Vasilis Krommidas (GRE) and Arturo Garza (MEX) have a 15 second lead on Bruno Pais (POR) and Kuttor. Another three seconds back is Jose Luis Zepeda (MEX). The big pack of 20 athletes includes Sebastian LaFlamme (CAN), Javier Rosas (MEX), and Axel Zeebroeck (BEL) among others.

After six laps of the bike, Garza and Krommidas have lengthened their lead to 40 seconds over Kuttor. Pais, who apparently has a leg cramp, has fallen another 10 seconds back. The big chase pack is another 10 seconds back from Pais but gaining on him. Currently leading this pack is Leonardo Fiorella (ITA) and Carlos Probert (MEX). Tichelaar and Domnik are also taking turns at the front. Tyler Butterfield leads a group of four athletes another one minute back.

With one lap of the bike remaining, Garza and Krommidas have increased their lead to 1 minute and 10 seconds. This lap was 8 seconds faster than their previous lap. The large chase pack has caught Kuttor and Pais. This pack is currently being led by Probert, Bruno Arochi (MEX), Kuttor and Clemente Alonso (ESP). Butterfield's group is over a minute down from the chase pack.

Arturo Garza and Vasilis Krommidas continued to increase their lead on the bike. They left transition with a lead of 1 minute and 15 seconds. They were followed by Brad Kahlefeldt (AUS), Pais, Kemper, McMahon and Whitfield. Bryce Quirk (AUS) got a flat tire and has retired from the race. All athletes are now on the run course.

After one lap of the 10 km run, Garza and Krommidas have lost 10 seconds and only lead now by a minute. A contingent of strong runners follow them, including Dmitriy Gaag, Leandro Macedo (BRA), Kahlefeldt, Kemper, Rosas and Whitfield. It looks like anyone's race at this point.

At the halfway point of the run, Garza has a three second lead over Krommidas. The Mexican spectators are cheering Garza on so the sound is deafening. The chase pack is now 20 seconds back from the Greek athlete. It is being led by Sebastian Dehmer (GER), Macedo, Whitfield, Frodeno, Kemper and Kahlefeldt.

With only 2.5 km to go, we have a group of four athletes at the front. Gaag, Whitfield, Dehmer and Kemper have overtaken the early leaders on the run, Garza and Krommidas. This pack of four athletes has a 10 second lead on Macedo, Kahlefeldt and Juraci Moreira (BRA).

The Elite Men's race came to an exciting close with Simon Whitfield of Canada picking up his second gold medal in a row. Former World Champion Dmitriy Gaag (KAZ) was second with Hunter Kemper (USA) third. Please click on live timing for all the final results. Check out the live race gallery to see pictures from the excitement in Mazatlan.

Women's Race:

The Elite Women's race is about to start under a beautiful Mexican sky. There is very little wind and it is not too humid. The water and air temperature is 23 degrees Celsius. The high surf will need to be negotiated twice as the athletes will come out of the water after the first of two swim laps. The Opening Ceremonies were wonderful with the Mexican Navy welcoming the athletes and the 20,000 spectators. Stay tuned here for more live coverage.

The women's race has started. The first lap of the swim saw Melanie Mitchell of AUS, Susan Williams of USA and the Olympic Medallist in Water Polo, Julie Swail of USA leading the first lap of the swim.

The women have completed the swim. The swim has had very high surf but coming out of the water first were Liz Blatchford, Melanie Mitchell, Julie Swail, Anja Dittmer (GER) and Machiko Nakanishi (JPN).

After the first lap on the bike, there is a group of five athletes including Liz Blatchford, Olga Generalova (RUS), Anja Dittmer and Melanie Mitchell. They have a four second lead on a large chase pack which is currently led by Julie Dibens (GBR), Evelyn Williamson (NZL) and Sibylle Matter (SUI). The chase pace is ten seconds ahead of a small group led by Switzerland's Nicola Spirig.

After lap two, the lead and chase pack have combined. Dittmer and Blatchford led the pack in front of the spectators. This pack also includes Andrea Whitcombe (GBR) Carolyn Murray (CAN), and Megumi Shigaki (JPN). This large group is followed by a five second gap and then a small pack of athletes including Spirig and Marianna Ohata of Brazil.

After the third lap, there are three groups with the first group being a large one with 30 athletes. This lead group is led by Wang Hongni (CHN), Nicola Spirig, Liz Blatchford, Melanie Mitchell, Anja Dittmer and Mariana Ohata. The chase pack is at over two minutes back but fighting hard with Lenka Radova (CZE) and Carolyn Murray (CAN) working with Rika Takahishi (JPN), Esther Aguayo (MEX) and Beth Carlson (USA) trying to organize an attack. The third pack is 20 seconds back and has five athletes in it with Nancy Alvarez (ARG) currently leading it.

Leading into the fifth lap on this fast and flat cycle course, the chase pack has made up about 20 seconds on the lead group so they are now only 1 minute 40 seconds back. The lead group is led by Sibylle Matter, Wang Hongni, Ainhoa Murua, and Samantha McGlone while the second pack is led by Carolyn Murray, Renata Berkova (CZE), Courtney Bennigson (USA) and Esther Aguayo of Mexico.

The Elite Men have started to check in as their race start is only an hour away. Stay tuned here for live website coverage of the Elite Men's race in Mazatlan, Mexico. It should be exciting.

The women's race continues on to Lap Six of the Cycle with Magda Stovickova (SVK), Hongni, Blatchford, Spirig, and Radova leading. The second group continues to make up time and is now one minute back. ITU Solidarity Athletes Nancy Alvarez (ARG) and Aguayo (MEX) lead this pack.

Lap Seven of the Cycle has seen very little change in the leaders except Maxine Seear (AUS) seems to have recovered from the chest cold that saw her drop out of the cycle at the ITU Honolulu International Race last weekend, as she leads the front group. Nancy Alvarez continues to lead the second group.

The women have started the run. Leading everyone out of Transition were China's Xing Lin and Wang Hongni, as well as Liz Blatchford, Tania Haibock and Eva Bramboeck both of Austria, Ainhoa Murua (ESP), Nicola Spirig (SUI) and Samantha McGlone.

The run is four laps on a flat course down the Avenue Sabalo Cervitos.

Carla Moreno (BRA) leads after the first lap. Liz Blatchford is close on her heels two meters back. Another ten seconds back are Maxine Seear, Anna Dittmer, Samantha McGlone while another ten seconds back from them are Lenka Radova, Machiko Nakanishi and Ainhoa Murua.

Halfway through the run, Carla Morena has a twenty second lead over Maxine Seear, Anja Dittmer and Samantha McGlone. Apparently tired from her silver medal performance from last week, Liz Blatchford has slipped back another 15 seconds from this group.

The athletes have reeled in Morena on the third lap so now she only has a six second lead, down from 20 seconds only a lap ago. Seear, McGlone and Dittmer are all within striking distance while Blatchford is another twenty seconds back.

The Elite Women have finished the ITU Mazatlan World Cup in an exciting fashion. The happy gold medallist is Carla Moreno (BRA), Silver Medallist is Anja Dittmer (GER) and earning the Bronze Medal is Maxine Seear (AUS).

Please stay tuned as the Elite Men are set to go in a few minutes.