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HAMBURG, Germany - The 19th world championships in ITU triathlon history opened today on a cold and wet day in Hamburg with men's and women junior and under23 events being contested. Germany, Great Britain, France and Australia tied for most medals, each taking home two. Thousands of enthusiastic fans lined the streets of downtown Hamburg, even in spite of poor conditions, and were rewarded with a full day of the world's top young athletes battling for their country's pride and eventually German gold.
Great Britain got off to a great start as rising young star Hollie Avil won the junior women's event with a time of 59 minutes and 43 seconds. Ashleigh Gentle of Australia took the silver, just 11 seconds back while hometown favorite Rebecca Robisch came across the line for her bronze for the second straight year. In all, 66 junior women from 27 countries took the start line. As they came off the bike, Robisch led the women as they headed out onto the 5-km run course but was reeled in by Avil within the first lap.
"On the downhill I started to pick it up and started to drop the girls off but they didn't give up and were coming back strong," said Avil.
Avil held on and crossed the finish line for her first world title, adding to a spectacular year in which she also won the junior European title. The junior men and women race half the Olympic distance.
Hamburg BG Triathlon World Championships - Final Junior Women's Results:
1st - Hollie Avil (GBR) 0:59:43
2nd - Ashleigh Gentle (AUS) 00:59:54 +0:00:11
3rd - Rebecca Robisch (GER) 01:00:10 +0:00:26
4th - Yuliya Yelistratova (UKR) 01:00:36 +0:00:53
5th - Zsofia Toth (HUN) 01:00:44 +0:01:01
6th - Paula Findlay (CAN) 01:00:52 + 0:01:08
7th - Kirsty McWilliam (GBR) 01:00:55 + 0:01:12
8th - Charlotte Morel (FRA) 01:01:00 + 0:01:17
9th - Anja Knapp (GER) 01:01:08 + 0:01:25
10th - Zsofia Kovacs (HUN) 01:01:12 + 0:01:28
Later in the morning, a strong field of 82 took the start line in the junior men's race. Aurélien Raphael of France won his first world title, winning with a time of 53 minutes and 43 seconds. Defending champion Alistair Brownlee of Great Britain came from behind to take silver. France dominated the podium as Raphael's teammate Vincent Luis finished with the bronze.
For much of the bike leg, a lead pack of five that included the two French athletes set the pace. They headed out onto the run together but Raphael broke away early and built a 22-second lead after the first lap. He held on without any problems and crossed the line to become the first Frenchman world junior champion since Frederic Belaubre in 2000. Down 53 seconds at the start of the 5-kilometre run, Brownlee looked out of contention but ran himself into the silver medal position with one of the faster run splits of the day.
"I was swimming as hard as I could but I could just see them in front of me.but the time kept going up and up and up so it was difficult but we were still working really hard," said Brownlee, the reigning junior European champion. "Then I got out onto the run and I gave it everything I had, seeing who I could catch."
With Luis taking the bronze, it marks the first time France has had multi-medalists in the junior men's division of the world championships. The junior men and women race half the Olympic distance.
2007 Hamburg BG Triathlon World Championships - Final Junior Men's Results:
1st - Aurélien Raphael (FRA) 00:53:43
2nd - Alistair Brownlee (GBR) 00:54:09 +00:00:26
3rd - Vincent Luis (FRA) 00:54:14 +00:00:31
4th - Artem Parienko (RUS) 00:54:31 +00:00:48
5th - Denis Vasiliev (RUS) 00:54:40 +00:00:57
6th - Joshua Amberger (AUS) 00:54:47 +00:01:04
7th - Giulio Molinari (ITA) 00:54:50 +00:01:07
8th - Joao Silva (POR) 00:55:00 +00:01:17
9th - Etienne Diemunsch (FRA) 00:55:01 +00:01:18
10th - Samuel Betten (AUS) 00:55:11 +00:01:28
Triathlon success continues to spread across the globe and for the first time in the sport's history, Sweden has a world champion. Lisa Norden came from behind to score a convincing win in today's under23 BG Triathlon World Championship with a time of 2 hours 1 minute and 24 seconds. American Jasmine Oeinck took the silver while Renata Koch of Hungary won bronze, becoming the first triathlete from her country to medal in this division.
The women had to battle tough conditions and a deluge of rain during the bike. Oeinck and Spain's Nuria Miro led out of the water and onto the bike course but almost immediately the American broke away and kept building her lead with every lap. Off the bike she headed out onto the run with over a minute lead. But Norden's running skills proved to be the difference today. She chipped away at the lead and by the second to last lap, she passed Oeinck and cruised to the finish line proudly carrying the Swedish flag.
"I really hope it can mean something to Sweden and it would increase the people back home doing triathlon. There was so many Swedish people out there today so it was great, having so many people cheering for you," said Norden, when asked about what it meant to be the first Swedish world champion.
Hamburg BG Triathlon World Championships - Final Under23 Women's Results:
1st - Lisa Norden (SWE) 02:01:24
2nd - Jasmine Oeinck (USA) 02:02:15 +00:00:51
3rd - Renata Koch (HUN) 02:02:41 +00:01:17
4th - Rosie Clarke (GBR) 02:02:45 +00:01:21
5th - Anastasiya Yatsenko (RUS) 02:03:43 +00:02:19
6th - Keiko Tanaka (JPN) 02:03:49 +00:02:25
7th - Kathrin Mueller (GER) 02:04:07 +00:02:43
8th - Kelly Bruce (NZL) 02:04:22 +00:02:58
9th - Samantha Beenie (AUS) 02:04:54 +00:03:30
10th - Camille Cierpik (FRA) 02:05:02 +00:03:38
In the final race of the day, little known Gregor Buchholz has become a national hero after becoming a world champion in the men's under23 division. In a surprising result, the German scored the biggest victory of his career and delighted the home crowds with a thrilling sprint to gold over Australian Brendan Sexton. Russian Ivan Vasiliev held on for the bronze medal.
At the start of the run the three medalists were in the lead pack with six others but the trio surged ahead and dropped the others by the second of four laps. As they approached the final stretch, it was a two-man foot race between Buchholz and Sexton. Spurred on by the partisan German crowd, Buchholz pulled away to secure the stunning upset.
"I can't describe my feelings. My first world championships and I just wanted to make it a good race and come in the top-10. I never imagined I could be world champion," said Buchholz.
He becomes the first German to win a world championship since Sebastian Dehmer won the same category in 2004.
Hamburg BG Triathlon World Championships - Final Under23 Men's Results:
1st - Gregor Buchholz (GER) 01:49:31
2nd - Brendan Sexton (AUS) 01:49:34 +00:00:03
3rd - Ivan Vasiliev (RUS) 01:49:40 +00:00:09
4th - Ritchie Nicholls (GBR) 01:49:45 +00:00:14
5th - Sebastian Rank (GER) 01:49:46 +00:00:15
6th - Thomas Springer (GER) 01:49:59 +00:00:28
7th - David Hauss (FRA) 01:50:00 +00:00:29
8th - Helge Muetschard (GER) 01:50:31 +00:01:00
9th - Alexander Brukhankov (RUS) 01:50:36 +00:01:05
10th - Charles Rusterholz (SUI) 01:51:00 +00:01:29
Up next:
Elite women start at 2:50pm (all times CEST) on Saturday and elite men at 3pm on Sunday.
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