Sunday 7th October 2012 – Midmar Dam

Entries for the 2nd Midlands UTRA Triathlon have been launched with the exciting new addition of a canoe ½ ironman distance race. The second event of the prestigious Midlands ULTRA Tri – Series takes place on the 7th of October 2012. This exciting ½ iron man and sprint distance event is staged at the beautiful setting of Midmar Dam deep in the heart of the KZN Midlands and attracts over 800 competitors to each event annually.

The introduction of the CANOE ULTRA Triathlon to the already exciting line-up means that paddlers from around South Africa will have the opportunity to take on a challenging ½ ironman triathlon event. The successful first event in the series took place in March this year with over 750 athletes challenging themselves to the various race distances.

This popular Triathlon which has been developed by owners B-Active Sports into a ½ iron man triathlon series, gives competitors two perfectly located triathlon events at different ends of the racing calendar. The October event will include a ULTRA Triathlon race consisting of a 1.9km Swim, 90km Cycle and a 21km Run, a CANOE ULTRA race consisting of 15km Paddle, 90km Cycle and a 21km Run as well as the popular SPRINT distance race, which consists of a 600m Swim, 20km Cycle and a 5km Run. This “Tri-Series” is the ONLY one of its kind on the African continent and will give competitors an exciting series to work towards throughout the year, hopefully helping them achieve their goals.

The updated running route, which is possibly one of the most scenic running routes in south Africa, takes athletes around the beautiful Midmar Dam. The run course is fairly flat and will remain an out and back look consisting of 10.5km per lap. The sprint distance athletes will compete along the same course, however only taking on a short 5km distance run. The running route boasts 8 water tables along the whole 21km route, which will be stocked with GU to keep the competitors are kept well hydrated and energised at a possibly hot time of year.

All levels of athletes will enjoy this unique race set in a spectacular and beautiful environment. A broad range of categories are open that cater for top athletes, weekend warriors as well as relay teams. With a healthy prize purse of R40 000, all of SA’s top triathletes will be battling it out for overall line honours.

EARLY Bird entries are open until the 31st of July. Athletes entering before the 31st of July stand a chance of winning accommodation for their race weekend for 2 people, at the popular Woodridge Hotel and Spa in the Natal Midlands or a THULE Bike rack worth R1600.00. For more information on the event and to enter, go to www.midlandsultra.com or contact B-Active Sports at info@midlandsultra.com

Great Britain’s Jonathan Brownlee kicked off his Olympic season with a dominant performance in San Diego, winning his second ITU World Triathlon Series event ahead of Switzerland’s Sven Riederer and South Africa’s Richard Murray.

In the race that had a huge impact on the Olympic picture, Brownlee was part of a small break at the start of the bike. However that didn’t last long, as a huge pack of over 50 athletes hit T2 together. From there it came down to the run, and Brownlee and Murray charged to the front on the first lap. They went toe to toe for almost half of the 10km run, before Brownlee laid down the trademark family kick to win in 1 hour 48 minutes and 47 seconds, his first race in almost seven months.

“For me it was the first race of the season, I didn’t really know what to expect,” Brownlee said. “Seven months is a long time out, I was in a bit of shock at the race briefing thinking wow, ‘It’s been a long long time since I’ve been in one of these,’ I went into the race very relaxed really because I knew I didn’t have to do anything, I didn’t have to finish top nine, top four or anything, I just had to race my own race, and yeah, I was pleased.”

“The swim and the bike were good, I wasn’t sure what to expect on that, but I have been running well all winter and my cross country races have been good. I felt good on the run. I felt a bit tired towards the end, I think I lacked a bit of racing there. Sven Riederer is a tough guy, he’s chased me down a few times before, in Beijing he chased me down down and he never gives up. Someone offered me a Yorkshire flag towards the end and I was to tired to take it, I thought I’m not going for that in case I blew up towards the end, I thought that would look a bit silly. It was a good race, I’m pleased to win, it shows that the training has gone well over the winter and I’m looking forward to the next race really.”

Behind him, Riederer and Spain’s Mario Mola were catching Murray, and Riederer eventually passed Murray to stamp another series medal onto his resume. It was enough for 2004 Athens Olympics bronze medallist to confirm his London 2012 Olympics spot, and also means he is now the equal most successful man in series history without a win. Riederer now has five medals, three bronze and two silver, alongside Alexander Bryukhankov. Riederer said his race strategy came off perfectly.

“I tried to save my energy on the bike, I was riding at the end of the pack and then in the end I was pushing for transition, and the race was just perfect, it went so well and I could run my perfect technique,” Riederer said. “For the Olympic qualifier, I needed to have a top 15 today and I have it so I’m very happy.”

Murray’s bronze medal added another brilliant turn in his stunning rise. In his first ITU World Triathlon Series race this year in Sydney, he claimed Africa’s first series medal with silver. The result in San Diego means that Murray is also now the 2012 ITU World Triathlon Series rankings leader, another first for an African athlete. He said afterwards if someone had told him he would be in that position, last year, he wouldn’t have believed them.

“I would have said you would have had to be lying to me, because I don’t think that would be possible,” Murray said. “I think Jonathan is definitely in a league of his own, because I tried to hold onto him but he managed to surge and I was actually on the limit and then Sven he ran with me for a bit and then he also had another gear so I was just holding on for dear life. I was expecting probably a top 10 because on the second lap I was cramping up… it was so hard out there today.”

But the excitement wasn’t finished there, as just like the battle between Laura Bennett and Sarah Haskins in the elite women’s race, the fight to decide who would be on the men’s U.S. Olympic team went down to the nerve-wracking wire. Matt Chrabot, Jarrod Shoemaker, Manuel Huerta and Hunter Kemper were the main contenders and all left T2 within 20 seconds of each other. Huerta went with the leaders early, and at one point was sitting in fifth place, while Kemper steadily worked his way through the field.

Heading into the final lap, Huerta was in sixth and Kemper ninth, before the veteran pulled off an incredible last kilometre surge to finish in fifth. Huerta held on for ninth, which meant both booked their tickets to London. It means Kemper has qualified for his fourth consecutive Olympics, joining a club of only a select few.

In another beautiful sunny San Diego day, tactics were on display from the start of the elite men’s race. New Zealand’s Kris Gemmell, who already had his Olympic spot, took the widest possible entry into the water to ensure maximum running time and it paid off as he came out of the two-lap swim in a lead group of nine. That group, which included Brownlee, Chrabot, Ivan Vasiliev, Ivan Rana and Alessandro Fabian, led for the first two laps but a chase pack that had Riederer, Murray, Shoemaker, Kemper, William Clarke, Simon Whitfield, Brent McMahon, Kyle Jones, Courtney Atkinson, Ryan Sissons, Bevan Docherty, Joao Silva and Brad Kahlefeldt attacked and cut a 20-second lead to ten second before catching the leaders in the third of eight laps.

The third chase group – led by Chris McCormack and Tim Don – then also caught the leaders and for the final three laps a huge group of over 50 athletes rode together, leaving only a small group of eight, including Brendan Sexton, Jan Van Berkel and Dan Alterman at the back around two minutes behind. While a few athletes attempted a break, including Japan’s Yuichi Hosoda who went off the front, none managed to get away as almost all of the field reached T2 en masse.

In a frenetic first lap of the run, Brownlee and Murray went off the front but the battle for the top 10 unfolded behind them. Don, who was chasing his fourth Olympics berth and a chance to be GB’s third team member with the Brownlees, initially led the chase with Riederer, Gemmell, Kahlefeldt, Sissons, Docherty, Mola and Silva just behind. Just behind them were Atkinson and Whitfield, locked in an important Olympic qualifying battle, and the final few kilometres saw position changes and athletes fading as plenty put it all on the line. Mola finished fourth, the second time he’s just missed the podium this year after also finishing fourth in Mooloolaba.

Whitfield’s 11th place didn’t allow him to overtake Atkinson, but he did move ahead of Portugal’s Joao Pereira, which right now gives Canada three men’s spots at London 2012, while Portugal dropped back down to two. Canada is in eighth out of eight NOCs who can qualify the maximum, and Australia in seventh. The New Zealand Olympic team of Docherty, Gemmell and Sissons secured their three spots after all three finished in the top-10. It moved New Zealand to third in the list of eight teams, ahead of France and Spain.

Elite Men

 In see-sawing battle between the Australian Olympic hopeful and Jenkins, Densham pulled away to almost 10 metres in front in second lap before Jenkins stunningly reeled in the difference and turned the tables. In an incredible second half, she went ahead to record a time of 1 hour 58 minutes and 21 seconds, over a minute ahead of Densham’s time of 1:59:26. The USA’s Laura Bennett claimed third, her first series podium, and with it her second consecutive Olympic Games berth. Jenkins said it had been hard, but the support on the run had helped her through. “It was just such a good race, we really had to work really hard for that. I really pushed the swim and we really worked hard on the bike and that was hard all the way,” Jenkins said. “I really enjoyed the run course, it was really cool, there was so many people out there supporting…it was awesome.” Densham’s third consecutive major podium for 2012 was a huge boost for her own Olympic selection hopes. Densham was the first Australian, with Emma Moffatt finishing ninth, Ashleigh Gentle 10th, Emma Jackson 14th and Emma Snowsill 17th. So far, only Moffatt has been named in the Australian team for London. “I was hurting out there, I just hope I’ve done enough. Ideally I would have taken a break after Sydney and not raced here, but I’ve had to push through and I really do hope that’s enough,” Densham said. In the nail biting race for the third USA women’s spot, Bennett chose the perfect time to record her first series podium. Given that Gwen Jorgensen and Sarah Groff both qualified their places in London last year, the battle for the third women’s spot was expected to come down to Bennett and another Beijing Olympian Sarah Haskins. It turned out to be exactly that, as both were in metres of each other for almost the entire race. It was only in the final lap of the run that Bennett knew she had claimed her second consecutive Olympic Games spot, after she finished fourth at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. “It’s tough when you have go up against a good friend,” Bennett said. “I put a lot of pressure on this day, last year in London I just had a terrible day for some reason, I’m still just not quite sure what happened. In the end I think it was a blessing in disguise because there was things that I changed in my training that I wouldn’t have changed if I had made the team and I think it has made me a better athlete, it’s hard to have the courage to change things when things are going well. So, I’m really happy.” The first ITU race in San Diego, the original birthplace of modern triathlon started under a clear blue sky. Jenkins, Densham, Bennett, Haskins, Vicky Holland, Sarah Groff, Flora Duffy and Jessica Harrison exited the swim first. While they had a lead of almost 30 seconds on the rest of the field leaving T1, they worked quickly to extend that to almost a minute at the end of the first lap. Taking turns at the front to drive the pace, that lead group extended the gap at every one of the eight laps of the bike. Behind them two distinct chase packs came together halfway through to make one main chase of 30 women that included Moffatt, Snowsill, Emma Jackson, Gentle, Liz Blatchford, and Anne Haug. A third chase pack then formed about two minutes behind the first, which included Gwen Jorgensen, Daniela Ryf and Carole Peon. Leaving T2, the front group had a lead of 2 minutes and 30 seconds on the rest and while it was clear that the podium places would come from that lead group of eight, the outcome was far from decided. At first, Jenkins, Holland and Bennett moved ahead in a frenetic first lap, but then Haskins bridged up. Halfway through, it looked like a battle between Jenkins, Densham, Haskins and Bennett. Haskins then dropped off, and Densham and Jenkins pulled off the front to engage in their own battle. Jenkins’ run split was the fastest of the day, at 33 minutes and 34 seconds, to take a commanding victory, ahead of Densham. Bennett held on for third, but only just staved off a late charge from Harrison who completed an incredible last lap to finish fourth. Holland’s fifth place will mean plenty for her own Olympic selection, as only Jenkins is currently on the British Olympic team for the women, while Bermuda’s Flora Duffy confirmed her place in London and kept up her incredible form just one week after taking her first World Cup win in Huatulco. Germany’s Anne Haug completed the second fastest run of the day – her and Jenkins were the only two women to run under 34 minutes – to finish seventh. While she is still Germany’s fourth women on the Olympic rankings list, it was a boost for her own selection chances as so far only Anja Dittmer has been selected. It also makes it tough for Switzerland to now qualify three spots for London, as Haug is on the verge of overtaking Daniela Ryf – who failed to finish in San Diego. A total of 12 women didn’t finish in a tough race, including Lisa Mensink, Debbie Tanner and Kathy Tremblay who withdrew after a crash leaving T1. Haskins finished up in eighth place while Moffatt and Gentle rounded out the top ten, making it three Aussies in the top ten.

Elite Women 1. Helen Jenkins GBR 01:58:21 2. Erin Densham AUS 01:59:26 3. Laura Bennett USA 02:00:11 4. Jessica Harrison FRA 02:00:14 5. Vicky Holland GBR 02:00:28 6. Flora Duffy BER 02:00:46 7. Anne Haug GER 02:00:50 8. Sarah Haskins USA 02:00:56 9. Emma Moffatt AUS 02:01:18 10. Ashleigh Gentle AUS 02:01:33

By now, we are all fairly familiar with the advent of GPS and what it presents in our normal everyday lives. The use of GPS devices for multisport and triathlon have slowly gained in-roads as triathletes and coaches alike look for the benefits that come with such devices.

The initial thought when considers going the GPS route is, will it be easy to use and do I really need a device such as this for an athlete of my calibre and ability?Most newly launched GPS units have become extremely easy to use and understand. There have been cases in the past where you needed a rocket science degree just to open up the box it came in let alone understand the dynamics and operations behind the unit. These days, technology has slowly become our next best friend as manufacturers go the extra yard to ensure that these GPS units are easy to use and understand, even for the layman who has no clue what 2+2 equals.

What are the benefits of using GPS? 

Time Your Swim:

Most GPS units like the Garmin Forerunner 310 and 910 are water-proof, so you can wear it in the pool or the open water and time your swim. Their slim design and flexible wristband make them easy to wear in any conditions.  

Run, Sync, Store and Share: Once you’ve logged some mileage while using the GPS units in either training or racing conditions, innovative ANT+ wireless technology (in most cases especially with the more advanced units) automatically transfer data to your computer when the device is in range. No cables or hook-ups – the data is just there, ready for you to analyze, categories and share through each manufacturer’s online community. 

Collect Workout Data: Most GPS devices track your position precisely with GPS satellite data and records time, distance, pace and in some models, heart rate. High-sensitivity GPS and HotFix satellite prediction means it acquires satellites quickly and tracks your movement even near tall buildings or under tree cover. 

These are just some of the benefits that come with using a GPS unit for training and racing. One of the biggest advances in GPS units used for multisport over the last few months have come in the swimming pool and open water swim environment. There have been problems in the past with lost satellite tracking while the athlete was busy swimming. These technical glitches have now been examined and refined with the advent of more precise satellite tracking devices (Garmin 910XT), while the unit is exposed to water. A triathlete is definitely looking for an edge when it comes to swimming.  They want the unit to tell them how fast they are swimming and how far they have swum. The GPS unit is a perfect tool for this purpose. You can also use some of the models indoors and track your laps in the training pool via the technology that comes with the more advanced units.

Huatulco, Mexico (6 May 2012) – Bermuda’s Flora Duffy (BER) and Belgium’s Simon De Cuyper (BEL) earned their first ITU World Cup victories in hot and humid conditions in Huatulco on Sunday. In the women’s race, Duffy used a brilliant first run lap to set up her win over silver medallist Pamela Oliveira (BRA) and bronze medallist Claudia Rivas (MEX). In the men’s race, an incredible third-lap run surge led De Cuyper to the win ahead of Ryan Sissons (NZL) and Danylo Sapunov (UKR).

Elite Women’s Review
Despite an early start time, the elite women competing in Huatulco at the third stop of the 2012 ITU World Cup circuit were confronted with debilitating heat. The high air and water temperatures, combined with a steep climb on the bike and a hilly run, provided the scene for a challenging day. While some athletes fell victim to the brutal conditions, others prevailed, making it a day of firsts. With a powerful run, Flora Duffy (BER) claimed the top spot, earning her first World Cup victory. Similarly, Pamela Oliveira (BRA) secured her first-ever World Cup medal, gaining essential Olympic points along the way. Home favourite Claudia Rivas rounded out the top three, making her the first Mexican woman to medal at a World Cup since 1993.

“I’m starting to tear up I’m so happy,” Duffy said. “It’s been a long road to get here. Today was a hard race and a hard course, but I think that’s what I needed to make me focus and really push. It totally played to my strengths today.”

The three were a part of a lead pack that proved impossible to chase down from early on. Rivas and Oliveira led the ladies out of the swim. With a quick transition, Oliveira wasted no time using her strong bike legs to conquer the monster 24% grade hill. By the first lap, the top finishers, along with Alexandra Razarenova (RUS), Line Jensen (DEN), Yuko Takahaski (JPN) and Margit Vanek (HUN) had opened up a minute and a half lead. The ladies took turns at the helm, pushing the group of seven further and further in front of a struggling chase pack. By the end of the eight-lap bike course, there was a three and a half minute time gap between the two groups.

The question then became who had enough left to finish the run. Duffy answered, splitting the fastest transition time to sprint out ahead of the group on the first run lap. It was a small, but decisive move in the race. Duffy blazed through the first lap to gain a 28-second lead. While her own pace dropped on the second lap, she still managed to increase her lead by another 20 seconds.

Behind her, Rivas, Oliveira, Razarenova, and Jensen ran shoulder-to-shoulder until the final lap. In a battle to the end, Oliveira, who spoke of improving her running at the press conference on Friday, surged slightly ahead. Rivas followed Oliveria’s pace, while Razarenova and Jensen couldn’t muster enough stamina to maintain the speed. After Duffy sailed to the win in 2 hours 13 minutes and 17 seconds, an elated Oliveira crossed over thirty seconds later at 2:13:47 for the silver. Cheered on by the locals, Rivas took third six seconds behind Oliveira. Razarenova came across the line in fouth place while Jensen rounded out the top five. Yuliya Yelistratova (UKR) was tops for ITU’s development team in 7th place, clocking the day’s fastest run. Fellow Team ITU competitor Mateja Simic (SLO) finished just behind her in the 8th spot.

Huatulco ITU Triathlon World Cup – 6 May 2012
Final Results – Elite Women – 1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run
1. Flora Duffy
BER 02:13:17
2. Pamela Oliveira
BRA 02:13:47
3. Claudia Rivas
MEX 02:13:53
4. Alexandra Razarenova
RUS 02:14:11
5. Line Jensen
DEN 02:14:27
6. Yuko Takahashi
JPN 02:15:33
7. Yuliya Yelistratova
UKR 02:15:51
8. Mateja Simic
SLO 02:16:21
9. Lisa Perterer
AUT 02:16:28
10. Katrien Verstuyft
BEL 02:16:28

Elite Men’s Review
While the high temperatures for the women were punishing, the men battled through even more intense conditions in Huatulco. With a start time close to high noon, the men dove into 28.6 degree Celsius water and ran under the sun at its strongest. Like the ebbing water at the swim start, the full moon also seemed to have a tidal effect on the men’s race, as each leg brought in a new wave of leaders. In the end, Simon De Cuyper (BEL), Ryan Sissons (NZL) and Danylo Sapunov (UKR) stood atop the podium.

In the beginning, Aurelien Raphael (FRA) exited the water in front with Richard Varga (SVK), to blaze through the first lap of the bike, which gained him a 31-second lead. However, his pace decreased over the next two laps, allowing Joshua Amberger (AUS), Ryan Bailie (AUS) and Andrew Yorke (CAN) to join him. Meanwhile, Sapunov followed a minute behind at the front of the first chase pack. De Cuyper and Sissons were even further behind, sitting in a second chase group nearly two minutes behind the leaders.

“In the first lap I felt very bad,” De Cuyper said of his run. “I thought, ‘Let’s get to the water and cool down.’ Once I was fresh, I had some good feeling in my legs. I thought I could push and catch some of the athletes. I came back and suddenly I was in first position.”

Led by a monstrous break away from Tyler Butterfield (BER) midway through the bike, the two chase groups united to tackle the treacherous course together. Up ahead, the four leading men steadily maintained their distance of more than 45 seconds into the final transition. Similar to the women’s race, the second transition was a pivotal point in the leader board for the men. Yorke bolted out in front of the lead group, but a hungry chase pack was out for vengeance by the time they rolled in to store their bikes. Led by Spain’s Ivan Rana, the men wasted no time hammering out a speedy pace.

Yorke, who had previously never placed in the top 20 at a World Cup, blazed through the first two laps seemingly unaffected by the dehydrating temperatures. Sapunov was also quickly covering ground, pulling within 35 seconds and two places of Yorke on just the first run lap. Trailing another 20 seconds behind were De Cuyper and Sissons, patiently waiting to make their move.

Their chance came in the third lap when De Cuyper surged to the front, surpassing 13 men including Yorke and Sapunov. Sissons, who had De Cuyper in sight, didn’t miss a beat. He quickened his pace to follow the Belgian over the finish line.

Huatulco ITU Triathlon World Cup – 6 May 2012
Final Results – Elite Men – 1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run
1. Simon De Cuyper
BEL 02:02:34
2. Ryan Sissons
NZL 02:02:50
3. Danylo Sapunov
UKR 02:02:54
4. Tyler Butterfield
BER 02:03:04
5. Carlos Javier Quinchará Forero
COL 02:03:07
6. Andrew Yorke
CAN 02:03:13
7. Davide Uccellari
ITA 02:03:20
8. Alessandro Fabian
ITA 02:03:27
9. Ruedi Wild
SUI 02:03:41
10. Ryan Bailie
AUS 02:03:48

It is a tale of victory and defeat, living the life of a pro athlete, conquering the world of triathlon as well as the serious doubts and concerns of big setbacks. The book is Rasmus Henning’s journal from Ironman Hawaii 2010 to Ironman Hawaii 2011. The ultimate goal was a top-place finish in the world’s toughest one-day event: The Ironman World Championship on Kona, Hawaii. The journey to attain that dream was a road marred by unexplainable cramps and bad performances as well as challenges in his family life. In the book we follow Rasmus Henning through a full year. In competition, dealing with cramps, through the process of switching coaches, all while balancing a family life. He also provides input about training, motivation and goal setting.

“My goal with this book has been to give the whole picture of the athlete and the person behind Rasmus Henning. I think many people have a glorified picture of being a professional athlete, because you mostly see us when we are on top, capturing great victories and big prize checks, or doing media appearances. Only rarely do you hear the story behind the DNF’s, the bad results or huge disappointments, or get behind the scenes of the defeats or the fight to bounce back. Those don’t get much attention because fans want to see and listen to winners.
As a professional athlete I put my heart and soul into the sport of triathlon, and as euphoric as I am about the big victories, I get just as deeply disappointed when things go wrong. I am so passionate about my athletic career that the defeats haunt me, and my fight against those demons is one of the things you can read about in my book. It provides a frank insight into one of the most difficult years of my career” says Rasmus Henning who has already won twice this year, first and foremost in the stacked Abu Dhabi International Triathlon in March with a $50,000 prize check for the winner.

The triathlete substantiates that despite the focus on a less successful year, the book is not a lament, but simply an honest insight into the prerequisites of being a professional: success and failure.

”We usually hear the victory speeches and the winners’ view of the races, but we seldom hear much about the guy that got 20th or DNF’d – even though that part of elite sport also tells interesting stories. I certainly didn’t write this book in order for people to pity me; however 2011 happened to become a year with many challenges and subsequently more pessimism than usual. This is also a part of life in sports, and it shows us the importance of having the strategies and tools to turn the situation around and re-find your motivation and the belief in yourself. If you can handle defeat and adversity in a good way, it will make you stronger” says the triathlete.

Background of “PRO Chasing The Dream”
The book mirrors the year 2010-2011 in which Rasmus Henning tried to bounce back from his awful and embarrassing 23rd place in Hawaii, despite going in as one of the pre-race favorites. The book was written in the form of a journal and reveals Rasmus’ thoughts and emotions as they were, right there and then. Had it been any other year, the book would have been different. Rasmus and his wife Anita who has also given her input in her own chapter, made the choice to be completely honest about the events of that year. The couple was conscious about the fact that the book would expose weaknesses and properties that they were not necessarily proud of, but which were necessary to paint the whole picture of an athlete, his family, his dreams and disappointments. Through this the book offers a unique insight into a top athlete’s life as it happens.

Link to downloading the E-book: http://www.prochasingthedream.com/

Eilat, Israel (21 April 2012) - Spain’s Javier Gomez stormed the run and left nothing to chance at the 2012 Eilat ETU Triathlon European Championships to take the European title for the third time in his career. Russia took silver and bronze with powerful performances by Alexander Bryukhankov and Ivan Vasiliev who just beat Tony Moulai (FRA) in a sprint to the line for third. 

“It was a tough race with conditions in the heat and the wind,” said Gomez. “The course was tough too, it was very complicated but I felt good the whole time and I kept pretty solid on the bike and I knew I had energy for the run. Although it wasn’t a very fast run, it was the same conditions for everyone and I managed to push hard on the first lap and make a pretty good gap and then I just kept it. I felt tired but pretty happy.”

Elite Men’s Review

The winds began to pick up as the elite men lined up at Eilat beach for the start of the race.

Maximilian Schwetz (GER) led the way entering the second lap and was still heading the pack exiting the swim. By the end of the lengthy run up to transition, Dmitry Polyansky (RUS) left T2 first leading a large pack including Bryukhankov, Alessandro Fabian (ITA), Ivan Rana (ESP) and Gomez bringing up the rear. 

An incredible bike leg followed, beginning with the formation of two main packs. Russian Anton Chuchko pulled out ahead on the first lap with a 6-second lead over a group of 15 athletes including Sven Riederer (SUI) and Joao Silva (POR) followed by a second pack of similar size. Chuchko soon fell back into the pack and it was Rana and Vasiliev’s turn to attempt a breakaway gaining seven seconds on the lead pack.

By the halfway mark on the bike, strong sandy winds were blowing the riders and not only was Rana and Vasiliev’s breakaway short lived, but the second chase pack had caught the leaders forming a huge group of over 30. 

Another breakaway was yet to come when Andreas Schilling (DEN) powered ahead, retaining his lead all the way up to the last lap when he was joined by Moulai. Behind them, the final lap brought the entire field back together to form one giant group entering T2. 

Moulai just had the edge over Schilling running out of transition with the huge pack following over half a minute behind. Rana and Peter Croes (BEL) were next out closely followed by Gomez, Riederer and a swarm of runners. 

Gomez wasted no time in picking up the pace taking the lead on the first lap of the run to gain ten seconds on his nearest challenger, Moulai. Bryukankhov was pacing himself in third position while Aurélien Raphael (FRA) and Fabian led a string of athletes. Unable to stay with the leaders, Riederer and Silva were running together already a minute behind Gomez by the end of the first lap. 

Entering the final lap Gomez had extended his lead with an extraordinary run, while disaster struck Moulai who had to serve a time penalty for failing to place his swim cap in the box during T1. Moulai dropped behind Bryukankhov as a result and was left to fight for bronze as Vasiliev made a surge for the podium along with Fabian in the final stages. 

Gomez proved untouchable throughout the run and powered home to claim his third European Championship title and first since 2009. Bryukankhov stayed strong in second position for silver and it was countryman Vasiliev who won the sprint to the line for bronze.

Eilat ETU Triathlon European Championships – 21 April 2012

Final Results – Elite Men – 1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run

 Elite Women’s Review

 Canada’s Kathy Tremblay credited her first ITU World Cup win to a new mindset, and a stellar run that saw her surge away from the field. Tremblay was one of the first out of the water on the small Japanese island, rode in the lead pack of 23 for the seven-lap ride, before making her move out of T2. She quickly blew away the rest of the field, and went on to win by 20 seconds ahead of Morrison, who claimed her second consecutive silver medal in Ishigaki. Brault ensured it was a banner day for Canada, claiming bronze and her first trip to the World Cup podium. Tremblay said a different focus to racing had helped her brilliant start to 2012, where an 8th place in Sydney and the Ishigaki win have put her firmly back in the Olympics frame. “I just think I’m going to cry in five minutes from now when I’ve realised what happened today, because in 17 years that has never happened to me, but I guess you know nothing is taken for granted. If it happened today it’s because I worked really hard. I do have a lot of respect for all my competition because I know they do work as hard as me, but I guess today I was just able to put it all together,” said Tremblay. At the start, the 29-year-old led the field from the swim exit into T1, but 15 other women all emerged from the water within 16 seconds of each other, including Melanie Annaheim, Kathrin Muller, Elizabeth Bravo and Brault, to make it a busy T1. The one notable who missed the pack was Ai Ueda, who was wearing the #1, and exited almost two minutes down from the leaders and faced a significant deficit. From there, a few smaller packs merged into one leading group of 21. Over laps two and three out of seven, Annamaria Mazzetti and Chantell Widney closed a 30-second gap to make the leading pack 23. Tremblay took control of the run from the very first lap, while behind her Morrison and Brault jostled for the other podium places. South Africa’s Gillian Sanders and Mazzetti also ran through the field, they couldn’t do enough to catch the two in front who went toe-to-toe for almost the entire 10km. It was Morrison’s second consecutive podium in Ishigaki, Sanders finished just off the podium in fourth, her best World Cup result, while Mazzetti rounded out the top five. Reigning Youth Olympic Games gold medallist Yuka Sato was tops for the home team, finishing in sixth place. In other notable results, Ueda eventually caught the field and ran past six to finish 23rd. 

 Ishigaki ITU Triathlon World Cup – 22 April 2012 Final Results – Elite Women – 1.5km swim, 42km bike, 10km run 1. Kathy Tremblay CAN 02:05:38 2. Aileen Morrison IRL 02:05:58 3. Sarah-Anne Brault CAN 02:06:03 4. Gillian Sanders RSA 02:06:30 5. Annamaria Mazzetti ITA 02:06:48 6. Yuka Sato JPN 02:06:54 7. Kathrin Muller GER 02:07:05 8. Anna Burova RUS 02:07:20 9. Pamela Oliveira BRA 02:07:24 10. Elizabeth Bravo ECU 02:07:30 

 Elite Men’s Review

 France’s David Hauss allowed his brilliant run to carry him to his career first ITU World Cup victory, after he made up a 50-second deficit from T2 to win the 2012 Ishigaki ITU Triathlon World Cup on Sunday. Hauss was among the leaders after the swim and was part of a seven-man breakaway that led the field for almost five laps. After being reeled in, another group of five surged away in the late stages of the bike leg and took a 50-second lead into T2. But the five weren’t in front for long as Hauss quickly overtook four members of that group. It then just took him another five minutes to push past Ryosuke Yamamoto, and from there he cruised home for his first major ITU win. He said before the race his goal was to win, but he said afterwards it was actually taking the pressure off that allowed him to glide past the field. “I did it, I said it yesterday and I did it today, for sure it’s a great day for me,” Hauss said. “I’m really happy to win this race, I was really pushing hard on the swim to try to breakaway and that’s what I did, then we worked really hard on the bike but behind was faster than us, so after the bike, I thought it would be really hard for me but I thought I’m not pressured so I have to try to go as fast as I can. I was in good shape and was flying, so after two laps I controlled the race, I really enjoyed the last lap. Finally I did it.” While he comfortably ran away to the win, the battle for podium places behind Hauss became really interesting when Italy’s Davide Uccellari, Argentina’s Gonzalo Raul Tellechea, Germany’s Christian Prochnow, Ivan Ivanov, Reto Hug and Tyler Butterfield started to run through the field. It ended up being a breakthrough result for Uccellari, whose run split was even faster than Hauss’, at 30 minutes and 42 seconds, as he claimed silver. It was a race full of breakthroughs. As well as a first winner and two first-time medallists on the rest of the podium, it was the best career World Cup for Prochnow, Ivanov, Butterfield and Jason Wilson. It’s the fifth ITU World Cup win in sixth months for France, after Jessica Harrison, Carole Peon and Etienne Diemunsch won in Tongyeong and Guatape respectively in 2011, while Laurent Vidal took out the season opening Mooloolaba ITU World Cup last month in Australia. 

 Ishigaki ITU Triathlon World Cup – 22 April 2012 Final Results – Elite Men – 1.5km swim, 42km bike, 10km run 1. David Hauss FRA 01:50:06 2. Davide Uccellari ITA 01:50:10 3. Gonzalo Raul Tellechea ARG 01:50:19 4. Christian Prochnow GER 01:50:25 5. Ivan Ivanov UKR 01:50:30 6. Reto Hug SUI 01:50:33 7. Tyler Butterfield BER 01:50:36 8. Brent McMahon CAN 01:50:36 9. Ryosuke Yamamoto JPN 01:50:40 10. Harunobu Sato JPN 01:50:50

 The 8th edition of the Spec-Savers IRONMAN South Africa provided a true test of character today as athletes were faced with trying weather conditions. Spain’s Clemente Alonso-McKernan came out on top after a long battle with Andi Boecherer (GER) and Cyril Viennot (FRA) while Natascha Badmann (SUI) completed her comeback by winning at the place where she last won a title. Things looked ominous in the evening before the event and Sunday morning didn’t give much cause for optimism. Rain and strong winds lashed the Port Elizabeth beachfront as many athletes became anxious about whether there’d be a swim start. Fears were allayed as conditions improved slightly and the swim start went ahead with 1553 athletes in the mass swim start. Boecherer made his intentions clear from the outset, backing up his confident words leading up to the race. He was the first man out of the water for the first loop followed by Alonso-McKernan and Switzerland’s Mike Aigroz. After a relatively slow swim, Boecherer exited the water first in a swim split of 00:54:58 in hot pursuit by Alonso-McKernan 00:54:53 heading into T1. Kent Horner, in 3rd, was the first South African out of the water in 00:57:55. With Raynard Tissink not competing for a win, the local hopes were pinned firmly on Horner. Out on the bike was when things started to get difficult as the athletes cycled into a strong head wind towards the turning point. This was the trend on every loop as the wind speed picked up during the day reaching 57km per hour near the turnaround. Boecherer however, never looked troubled as he powered on eventually amassing a lead of 2 minutes over Alonso-McKernan and Cyril Viennot. Boecherer proceeded to stretch his lead to nearly 4 minutes only for the chasing pair of Alonso-McKernan and Viennot to close the gap heading into T2 to 2 minutes. Boecherer went into T2 with a bike split of 04:44:03. With Boecherer out in front, an interesting sub-plot developed between 2nd and 3rd with only 24 seconds between the two heading out onto the run. With both Alonso-McKernan 04:48:51 and Viennot 04:43:58 both strong runners the outcome was still difficult to predict despite Boecherer’s, until then, largely unchallenged lead. As it often does in South Africa the race came down to the run with Boecherer pushing hard to maintain his lead over the chasers. The German looked good for his lead until after the 14km mark when he eventually withdrew after 18km on the run. Boecherer’s withdrawal opened the way for Alonso-McKernan and Viennot and also left a slight opening for Switzerland’s Mike Aigroz. This was how things remained for the duration of the race and the Spaniard took the title in a time of 08:41:48 ahead of Cyril Viennot 08:46:04 and Aigroz 08:57:21. The times are a far cry from the records of last year, but with the conditions being as challenging as they were, it made the victory that much sweeter. The ladies race was similar with Simone Braendli holding a lead for much of the race, only for her compatriot, Natascha Badmann to come from behind to take her fourth Spec-Savers IRONMAN South Africa title. Braendli was the first lady out of the water in loop one and maintained her lead until she went into T1 in a sime split of 01:00:04. Spain’s Virginia Berasategui 01:03:54 followed Braendli into Transition with South Africa’s Dianne McEwan 01:07:00 out of the water in third. Once on the bike Braendli asserted some early dominance as she set out to stretch her lead over Berasategui. At the 60km mark the Swiss had a lead of 2 minutes 57 seconds over Berasategui eventually becoming 11 minutes at the 120km mark. By this time, last year’s third place finisher, Diana Riesler made her move into third place. On the final loop of the bike, positions began to change with Berasategui falling back. Badmann made her move and was in second place heading into T2, trailing by 9 minutes. Braendli went into T2 with a bike split of 05:14:54 while Badmann recorded the fastest bike split in a time of 05:14:54 while Riesler came into T2 with a bike split of 05:26:57. Braendli saw her lead slowly dissipate with Badmann becoming dominant on the run. By the 9km mark Braendli’s 9 minute lead was cut down to only 5 and by the 18km mark Badmann was closing in, only 44 seconds behind. At this stage Badmann’s fourth title was imminent as she eventually took the lead after 23km. There was little doubt from that point onwards as to who the 2012 ladies champion would be as the Swiss Miss crossed the red carpet to rapturous applause from the knowledgeable crowd who saw her do the same three times before at Ironman South Africa. She finished in a time of 09:47:10. After a failed return last year and amidst some trying conditions, this victory will surely go down as one of her most memorable. The last time Badmann won an Ironman was on this very finish line. It was a day when that unmistakable smile returned. Braendli 09:52:26 and Riesler 10:01:14 made up second and third respectively. The 2012 Spec-Savers IRONMAN South Africa was truly a test of the athlete’s credentials but despite the conditions, the event was once again enjoyed by spectators and respected by the athletes. The 8th edition of the event will surely be talked about for a long time to come.

Provisional Results Top 10 PRO Men 1. Clemente Alonso-McKernan (ESP) 08:34:35 2. Cyril Viennot (FRA) 08:41:48 3. Mike Aigroz (SUI) 08:46:04 4. Markus Fachbach (GER) 08:57:21 5. Trevor Delsaut (FRA) 09:03:03 6. Petr Vabrousek(CZE) 09:09:57 7. Craig Twigg (GBR) 09:10:48 8. Sylvain Rota (FRA) 09:11:24 9. Kent Horner (RSA) 09:14:39 10. Guilherme Manocchio (BRA) 09:20:56

 Provisional Results Top 5 Ladies 1. Natascha Badmann (SUI) 09:47:10 2. Simone Braendli (SUI) 09:52:26 3. Diana Riesler (GER) 10:01:14 4. Dianne McEwan (RSA) 10:07:55 5. Susan Dietrich (GER) 10:08:02