Sunday, April 11, 2010

Silver medal - Sydney World Championship Series




Hello,
I am so happy with my first big race of the year. It was a special race as my family and some friends were all here from NZ (and Sez from Dubai) to watch.
What a way to start the 2010 World Championship Series and what a close finish!
Yesterday, was the first round of the Triathlon World Championship Series. It was a warm day in Sydney, non wetsuit swim, hilly bike course and back up the same hill 4 times on the run.
There wasn't much spread after the swim which amounted in a large group of 30 on the bike. I felt the heat during the bike, I just sat in nicely though, there was no need to work as a group when the group was so big. With the final part of the bike leg being a long downhill, I couldn't make my way to the front for the 2nd transition to the run. The group strung out around the final 200m of the bike around some technical corners under the Sydney Opera House steps. I started in the middle of the group on the run up the first hill. I felt the pace change a lot during each part of the run course. We picked up the pace each time up the hill, slowed and recovered on the flat part on the bridge then took off again on the downhill section. The final few hundred metres proved the place decider for the race. I was in 2nd position just behind Barbara with 500m to go as we were running downhill. Then with a hundred metres to go on the roundabout Emma went past me which put me in 3rd position heading into the final straight. I managed to pass Emma but was 1 step behind Barbara as she crossed the tape in 1st. There was just 1 second between Barbara Riveros CHI 1st, myself 2nd and Emma Moffat AUS 3rd.

Full article and results are posted on www.triathlon.org