Erin Denshaw, Australia - Photo: ITU
SWITZERLAND, Lausanne - As the sun peaked over the mountains, the world’s top 46 women aged 18 to 23 took their starting positions for the 2006 ITU Under23 Triathlon World Championships. After the 1,500 metre swim in Lake Geneva, challenging 40 kilometre bike and 10 kilometre run it was Australia’s Erin Densham capturing the gold medal in a time of 2:08:19. She was able to better her team mate Emma Moffatt by only 2 seconds in a sprint finish in front of a crowded grandstand. Nicky Samuels from New Zealand captured the final podium spot a further 12 seconds back in a time of 2:08:33.
“Hasn’t sunk in yet and probably won’t until I’m on the podium,” stated Densham on her impressive win.
Sarah McLarty from the United States moved quickly to the front of the swim bringing Moffatt with her for the first of two-laps. McLarty took control, however, during the second lap and managed to put a 40 second gap between herself and the rest of the field.
“Had a pretty good swim and managed to stay behind McLarty and she’s good so that was brilliant,” said Moffatt. “Then the bike was pretty hard and I struggled up the hills. So I decided to pace myself and then gave it all I could on the run.”
All three podium winners were out of the water directly behind McLarty and managed to work well together for the 40 kilometre bike eventually dropping the ex-collegiate swimmer. Going into the second transition it was Densham, Moffatt, Samuels, Vanessa Raw and Rosie Clarke from Great Britain, Lisa Norden from Sweden, Jasmine Oeinck from the USA and Keiko Tanaka from Japan coming in a minute ahead of the chase group.
Out onto the run course, Denshaw, Moffatt, Samuels and Raw pulled away during the first lap of four and never looked back. Over the last lap Raw dropped off and then Samuels, leaving the two Aussie’s to battle for the title.
“I got out on to the run and I new if I stayed with the Australian girls it could work out and I felt good in the middle of the run and thought it could be my day. But then the last kilometre I just fell away and let first and second go,” said Samuels.
In the end, it was Densham who managed to out-sprint Moffatt to the line.
“I thought that I managed to hold in there on the run and then at the sprint I just went for it,” commented Densham. “I wanted it bad.”
Will Clarke, Great Britain - Photo: ITU
Under23 Men’s race
Performing his trademark acrobats at the finish line, Will Clarke from Great Britain rolled across the finish line in first place to make it a British sweep for the men’s world championship gold medals. Motivated by team mates Tim Don, Alistair Brownlee and Richard Stannard winning the Elite, junior and aquathlon titles, Clarke comfortably won the under23 men’s title in a time of?. Aussies Nathan Campbell and Dan Wilson managed to run themselves into the silver and bronze positions.
“I’m ecstatic,” stated Clarke. “To win under23 European champs and now worlds is just great for me.”
Clarke was in the lead group from the beginning of the 1,500 metre swim but it was on the bike course that the turning point of the race took place.
“Ivan [Vassiliev] and I teamed up early on the hills and we were off,” explained Clarke. “The bike was very hot and I could tell Ivan was hurting but he came through.”
It was the first lap of the 7-lap, 40 kilometre bike when Clarke made his move bringing Russian Ivan Vassiliev, who would finish fourth, with him. With the large, unorganized bike pack behind them, the two athletes managed to work well together putting almost 2 minutes between them and the rest of the field heading into the 10 kilometre run.
“The bike was disjointed and let Will and Ivan get away,” explained Queenslander Wilson. “We were caught by the second and third pack and we lost more time to Will.”
Clarke immediately put a sizable gap between himself and the Russian, running well on the hot and exposed course. It was no doubt that the Brit would bring home the gold medal halfway through the run. The battle was left for second and third.
“On the first and second run lap I was fine,” said Clarke. “Then the third I started to cramp and so I pretty much jogged the last lap to save myself for Hamburg [World Cup] next week.”
The two Australian athletes used their team’s successes to motivate themselves to catch the Russian and take the two remaining podium positions.
“The under23 and Elite girls did really well and it pumped me up,” said second-place Campbell. “I’m just stoked.”
Clarke also took great inspiration from his team mates wins earlier in the weekend.
“Alistair [Brownlee] won yesterday and I was so happy for him,” said Clarke. “He fired me up and Tim winning in the senior race fired me up even more. I thought how great it would be to win here.”
2006 ITU Triathlon World Championships – Under23 Women
DENSHAM, Erin (AUS) - 2:08:19
MOFFATT, Emma (AUS) - 2:08:21
SAMUELS, Nicky (NZL) - 2:08:33
RAW, Vanessa (GBR) - 2:09:21
NORDEN, Lisa (SWE) - 2:09:48
CLARKE, Rosie (GBR) - 2:10:19
OEINCK, Jasmine (USA) - 2:10:58
HUTTHALER, Lisa (AUT) - 2:11:54
TANAKA, Keiko (JPN) - 2:12:36
MUELLER, Kathrin (GER) - 2:13:06
2006 ITU Triathlon World Championships – Under23 Men
CLARKE, William (GBR) - 1:57:31
CAMPBELL, Nathan (AUS) - 1:58:08
WILSON, Dan (AUS) - 1:58:24
VASILIEV, Ivan (RUS) - 1:58:59
SVARC, Premyal (CZE) - 1:59:08
HUERTA, Manuel (USA) - 1:59:19
SEYMOUR, Matthew (USA) - 1:59:43
FREEMAN, Oliver (GBR) - 1:59:58
RUSTERHOLZ, Charles (SUI) - 2:00:06
JANOUR, Jan (CZE) - 2:00:16
Full results are available at: Results.ultimate.dk.
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