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For the second straight year Great Britain won the junior women's world championship as Kirsty McWilliam from Glasgow overcame cold and wet conditions in Vancouver, Canada to win today's triathlon junior world title. Jonathan Brownlee took bronze in the junior men’s race.
“It was freezing out there this morning but I'm from Scotland so I'm very used to it,” said McWilliam. “I came into the race knowing I was in great form, but I didn’t think I would win. I can’t believe it!”
Ashleigh Gentle of Australia took the silver for the second year in a row while Hungarian Zsofia Toth finished in third.
McWilliam was down by more than 20 seconds after the swim but quickly bridged up to the two leaders on the second lap of the bike as they broke away at the front of the race. Midway through the five kilometre run the Corus British triathlete had built an insurmountable 39-second lead. Carrying the British and Scottish flags, McWilliam crossed the line in tears as she was crowed the 2008 junior world champion. Last year McWilliam finished seventh in a race won by compatriot, Hollie Avil.
In the junior men’s race Jonathan Brownlee from Leeds ran through to bronze having come into the final discipline over a minute down on the leaders. With a 15:05 split for his five kilometre run he overtook Australia’s Joshua Amberger in the last 400m to finish on the podium. Jonathan’s older brother, Alistair, won the junior men’s world championships in 2006.
Brownlee said on his bronze medal: “The weather was appalling but I just kept telling myself that it was like training in Yorkshire. I could see the guys in front of me getting closer and closer and when I went past Amberger just before the finish I knew I had to keep up the pace so he couldn’t come back past.
2008 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships - Junior Women
Gold - Kirsty McWilliam, Great Britain 1:04:05
Silver - Ashleigh Gentle, Australia 1:04:43
Bronze - Zsofia Toth, Hungary 1:04:47
2008 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships - Junior Men
Gold – Vincent Luis, France 0:57:06
Silver – Denis Vasiliev, Russia 0:57:36.02
Bronze – Jonathan Brownlee, Great Britain 57:43.08
Photo by Delly Carr/Triathlon.org
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