NEWS

Brownlee dominates but Gomez gets world title

By Lisa Pringle | 31 Aug, 2014
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Great Britain's Alistair Brownlee returned to the top of the podium today with an emphatic win at the ITU World Championship Grand Final. Brownlee was in a league of his own to secure his...

Great Britain’s Alistair Brownlee returned to the top of the podium today with an emphatic win at the ITU World Championship Grand Final. Brownlee was in a league of his own to secure his second WTS win of the season. Mario Mola (ESP) out sprinted his compatriot Javier Gomez (ESP) to grab silver. A third place for Gomez today was good enough to earn him a fourth World Championship title matching only the great Simon Lessing.

Gomez, still suffering the effects of a stomach virus, played out a smart race to ensure that he earned the fourth world championship title.

“It’s just amazing I remember my first international race in 2002. He (Simon Lessing) won the race and I got sixth. After 12 years now – four time World Champion. I can’t believe it,” said Gomez.

“I knew I had to be with Jonny all the time. When Alistair broke away it was not my role. I just stayed there and saved energy for the run and tried to secure the world title,” said Gomez.

It was tactical race that eventually saw Alistair with an explosive breakaway in the final stages of the bike with Reinaldo Colucci (BRA), Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR. The gap turned into a one minute and 18 second lead, more than enough for him to easily win.

“To be honest on that break away I got really really lucky, I jumped at the right time when those two packs came together. The two strongest guys in the race came across to me,” said Brownlee.

“It was fantastic today on the early part of the bike I was basically trying to gap Johnny from Gomez doing all I could from that. I realized that wasn’t going to work.The course looks quite hard on paper but nowhere as hard as it was looks, it was fast and hard for a few guys,” said Brownlee.

“We worked really well together on the run. Going on to the last lap I pushed as hard as I could. I got to drop Jonny, and Mario could keep up and (he) kept going. I’m really happy for him, he got second in the Series. A Spain 1-2 is really, really good,” add Gomez.

It was no surprise to see Richard Varga (SVK) immediately go straight to the front of the swim setting a brutal pace and stringing out the field. Henri Schoeman (RSA) and Alistair Brownlee, who had lost both cap and goggles, were not far behind at the end of the first lap and the trio led into transition.

First lap of the bike a group of six got away but eventually were caught by the chasers and a 21 strong pack formed with all the contenders in there.

The six lap bike was gruelling enough for the field but Brownlee exploded on the third lap. Colucci and Blummenfelt helped Brownlee establish a minute lead over the final 10km of the bike, putting himself in a winning position with the other two athletes not noted runners.

With Brownlee up the road, the minor medals and championship title would come down to the four that had cleared out from the chase group within the first kilometre of the run.

Johnny, Gomez and Mola, who had a poor swim today but made up with a solid bike to put him back into contention, all cleared out in the first kilometre of the run and stayed together for the first three laps. The younger Brownlee, not on his game today, was the first to fade and it came down to a sprint finish with Mola and Gomez, with Mola getting the better of his countryman today.

Alistair collapsed at the finish with the effort but was happy to be back in good form an add another WTS title to his name.

“It was good to have that gap, I was feeling awful. The last two laps of the run were the longest 5km I’ve ever run,” said Brownlee

“It’s been a dodgy few years to be honest. I’m delighted now to be Olympic Champion, European Champion, Commonwealth Champion and Grand Final champion. It’s all the biggest single day races,” added Brownlee.

Related Event: 2014 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Edmonton
29 - Sep, 2014 • event pageall results
Results: Elite Men
1. Alistair Brownlee GBR 01:48:44
2. Mario Mola ESP 01:49:04
3. Javier Gomez Noya ESP 01:49:07
4. Jonathan Brownlee GBR 01:49:22
5. Joao Pereira POR 01:49:44
6. Crisanto Grajales MEX 01:49:48
7. Jarrod Shoemaker USA 01:49:50
8. Joao Silva POR 01:49:55
9. Dmitry Polyanskiy RUS 01:50:19
10. Reinaldo Colucci BRA 01:50:29
Results: Elite Women
1. Gwen Jorgensen USA 02:00:05
2. Andrea Hansen NZL 02:00:21
3. Nicky Samuels NZL 02:00:31
4. Sarah True USA 02:01:20
5. Aileen Reid IRL 02:01:21
6. Claudia Rivas MEX 02:01:22
7. Sara Vilic AUT 02:01:24
8. Pamella Oliveira BRA 02:01:26
9. Katie Zaferes USA 02:01:27
10. Rachel Klamer NED 02:01:30
Results: U23 Men
1. Dorian Coninx FRA 01:53:06
2. Marc Austin GBR 01:53:20
3. Gordon Benson GBR 01:53:30
4. Simon Viain FRA 01:53:46
5. Marten Van Riel BEL 01:53:56
6. Ben Kanute USA 01:54:01
7. Alexis Lepage CAN 01:54:07
8. Tyler Mislawchuk CAN 01:54:15
9. Wian Sullwald RSA 01:54:21
10. Andrey Bryukhankov RUS 01:54:24
Results: U23 Women
1. Sophia Saller GER 02:04:52
2. Gillian Backhouse AUS 02:05:25
3. Erin Storie USA 02:06:59
4. Kirsten Kasper USA 02:07:33
5. Leonie Periault FRA 02:07:48
6. Amelie Kretz CAN 02:07:57
7. Paola Diaz MEX 02:08:22
8. Hanna Philippin GER 02:08:25
9. Sophie Corbidge NZL 02:08:30
10. Johanna Gartman USA 02:09:02
Results: Junior Men
1. Raphael Montoya FRA 00:56:27
2. Jacob Birtwhistle AUS 00:56:28
3. Calvin Quirk AUS 00:56:45
4. Lasse Nygaard Priester GER 00:56:50
5. Russell Pennock CAN 00:57:05
6. Manoel Messias BRA 00:57:11
7. Lukas Pertl AUT 00:57:13
8. Gustav Iden NOR 00:57:14
9. Xavier Grenier-Talavera CAN 00:57:18
10. Lucas Jacolin FRA 00:57:20
Results: Junior Women
1. Laura Lindemann GER 01:02:35
2. Cassandre Beaugrand FRA 01:02:38
3. Audrey Merle FRA 01:02:44
4. Sophie Coldwell GBR 01:03:37
5. Avery Evenson USA 01:03:44
6. Brittany Dutton AUS 01:04:05
7. Margot Garabedian FRA 01:04:06
8. Vanesa De La Torre MEX 01:04:10
9. Taylor Knibb USA 01:04:13
10. Ditte Kristensen DEN 01:04:24