World Triathlon

Year In Review: MultiSport Champs

2008 Freudenstadt ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships, Germany
February 22, 2008

The irrepressible Sigrid Mutscheller of Germany has won the ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships for a record sixth time. She delighted the home crowds by leading a gold-silver sweep for the home team. Mutscheller won with a time of 1 hour, 51 minutes and 4 seconds, almost a full 90 seconds ahead of her closest competitor. Her team mate Anke Kullman won her first World Championship medal, taking the silver while Austrian Carina Wasle, last years runner-up, came across for the bronze.

From the beginning of the final leg, Mutscheller took command and stole the lead from Wasle for the first time in the race. After the first lap the defending champion opened up a 30-second gap, then parlayed that into a 90-second lead. From there, Mutscheller never looked back and the final result was inevitable, the same result the sport had seen at five previous World Championships. The battle was now on for silver and bronze. Wasle wasnt able to hold off Kullman, another charging German who surged past for the silver while Wasle settled for the bronze.

Final Results - Elite Women  
1 Mutscheller, Sigrid (GER) 1:51:04  
2 Kullmann, Anke (GER) 1:52:25  
3 Wasle, Carina (AUT) 1:53:20  

Norwegian Arne Post won the ITU Winter Triathlon World Championship for the second time, successfully defending his title. Frenchman Nicolas Lebrun, last years bronze medalist, won the silver this time around and current European Champion Andreas Svanebo of Sweden took the bronze.

It was a very good race for me. I had a good run and I had a good group on the bike so I did not have to use that much energy. Nobody followed me on the cross-country skiing, thats where Im at my best so its good for me when its a tough ski course and in tough conditions so I had a very good day, said Post. Click here for complete photo gallery

Final Results - Elite Men  
1 Post, Arne (NOR) 1:37:30  
2 Lebrun, Nicolas (FRA) 1:39:16  
3 Svanebo, Andreas (SWE) 1:39:39

Final Results - Under23 Women  
1 Myhre, Marthe K (NOR) 1:58:17  
2 Roullet, Germaine (ITA) 2:11:23  
3 Schmidt, Helen (EST) 2:12:00  

Final Results - Under23 Men  
1 Viana, Peter (ITA) 1:44:40  
2 Nordskar, Gjermund (NOR) 1:45:40  
3 Mosny, Peter (SVK) 1:46:49

Final Results - Junior Women  
1 Dalen, Anita (NOR) 1:29:36  
2 Schmidt, Kairi (EST) 1:37:03  
3 Kadlecova, Monika (SVK) 1:37:30  

Final Results - Junior Men  
1 Molard, Rudy (FRA) 1:19:37  
2 Zahula, Vit (CZE) 1:19:45  
3 Waldhuber, Felix (AUT) 1:19:54  
Click here for all results from the 2008 ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships

2008 Monterrey ITU Aquathlon World Championships, Mexico
June 28, 2008

Rivas delighted the home crowds easily winning the womens title over compatriot Melody Ramirez. Rivas began the race with the fastest opening run split and managed to hold onto that lead through the 1-kilometer swim and the final run leg. Dunia Gomez made it a Mexican sweep of the womens podium with the bronze.

Final Results - Elite Women
Gold Rivas, Claudia (MEX) 00:34:30
Silver Ramirez, Melody (MEX) 00:34:55
Bronze Gomez, Dunia (MEX) 00:35:12

In the elite mens field, the Kiwi Foster used the fastest swim time of the mens field to propel him to victory. Down the final stretch he out-sprinted Brazilian Antonio Mansur to become the Aquathlon world champion by a 3-second margin of victory. Mansur took silver for the second straight year while Mexican Crisanto Grajales came across the line for bronze, a further 11 seconds behind Mansur. Last years champion Sergio Sarmiento finished just off the podium in fourth place.  Click here for complete photo gallery

Final Results - Elite Men  
Elite Men Official Results
Gold Foster, Brent (NZL) 00:30:25
Silver Mansur, Antonio (BRA) 00:30:28
Bronze Grajales, Crisanto (MEX) 00:30:39

Final Results - Under23 Women  
1 Rivas, Claudia (MEX) 00:34:30  

Final Results - Under23 Men  
1 Grajales, Crisanto (MEX) 00:30:39  
2 Ramirez, Jorge (MEX) 00:33:58  

Final Results - Junior Women  
1 Saucedo, Marina (MEX) 00:35:19  
2 Villaseor, Alejandra (MEX) 00:35:26  
3 Ruiz, Claudia (MEX) 00:35:54  

Final Results - Junior Men  
1 Martinez, Jose Manuel (MEX) 00:30:57  
2 Martinez, Ricardo (MEX) 00:30:59  
3 Crdenas, Csar (MEX) 00:31:45  
Click here for all results from the 2008 ITU Aquathlon World Championships

2008 Geel ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championships, Belgium
August 10, 2008

Joerie VanSteelant of Belgium and Catriona Morrison of Great Britain have successfully defended their titles at the 2008 ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Champions. The two duathlon stars played to their strengths to pull away from the competition in decisive wins in both the mens and womens competitions of the run-bike-run event. The official distances of the 2008 Geel ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championships are an 18-kilometre run, 74-kilometre bike and 9-kilometre run.

Morrison was the heavy favourite coming into the competition as last years champion and two-time Duathlon world championship medallist and did not disappoint, breaking the tape first in a time of 3 hours 44 minutes and 23 seconds. In second place was Mariska Kramer-Postma of the Netherlands two minutes and 23 seconds back. Germanys Urlike Shwalbe claimed the bronze in her first long distance Duathlon world championships a further one minute and 35 seconds back.

Final Results - Elite Women  
1 Morrison, Catriona (GBR) 03:44:23  
2 Kramer-Postma, Mariska (NED) 03:46:46  
3 Shwalbe, Urlike (GER) 03:48:21  

In the mens event, reigning world champion Vansteelant gave the local crowds something to cheer about as he rode away from the competition for his third long distance Duathlon medal in as many years. Finishing second was another Belgian, Bart Aernouts, four minutes and five seconds back. Rounding out the podium was Lino Barruncho of Portugal in third, another two minutes and 18 seconds down.

The day belonged to Vansteelant as he led from tape to tape clocking the fastest opening run split and bike spilt by over five minutes leaving him able to soak up the cheers of thousands of Belgian supporters as he crossed the finish line. Vansteelant managed a torrid pace of almost 43km/hr over the 74-kilometre bike course to leave no doubt that he is currently the man to beat in the world of Duathlon. Aernouts was the next to cross the line for a silver medal in his debut long distance Duathlon event. A nice addition to his two silvers from the 2007 and 2006 Duathlon world championships.  Click here for complete photo gallery

Final Results - Elite Men  
1 Vansteelant, Joerie (BEL) 03:15:05  
2 Aernouts, Bart (BEL) 03:19:10  
3 Barruncho, Lino (POR) 03:21:28  
Click here for all results from the 2008 ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championships

2008 Almere ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Champions, Netherlands
August 30, 2008

Chrissie Wellington of Great Britain and Julien Loy of France won the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in Almere, Netherlands. For Ironman star Wellington, it was her first elite ITU world title. She cruised to victory with a dominating performance. Czech Lucie Zelenkova was first out of the water after the gruelling 4-kilometer swim. She was followed by Denmarks Charlotte Kolters and then Wellington a further two minutes down. But it was on the bike that Wellington began to take command. She rode more than six minutes faster than any other woman. She followed that up with the fastest 30-kilometer run split of the field to coast to the finish line. Kolters took the silver while Dutch long distance star and home favourite Yvonne van Vlerken delighted the crowds with the bronze.

Final Results - Elite Women  
1 Wellington, Chrissie (GBR) 06:12:44  
2 Kolters, Charlotte (DEN) 06:30:15  
3 Van Vlerken, Yvonne (NED) 06:31:56

In the mens field, Loy successfully defended his title, becoming just the third man to win back-to-back long distance triathlon world championships. The French men nearly duplicated last years feat of sweeping the podium at home in Lorient. Francois Chabaud made it a gold-silver day for the French but the sweep was thwarted by Martin Jensen of Denmark.  Click here for complete photo gallery

Final Results - Elite Men  
1 Loy, Julien (FRA) 05:43:22  
2 Chabaud, Francois (FRA) 05:45:36  
3 Jensen, Martin (DEN) 05:46:59
Click here for all results from the 2008 ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships

2008 Rimini ITU Duathlon World Championships, Italy
September 27, 2008

Olympic silver medallist Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal successfully defended her ITU Duathlon World Championship today in Italy. It was a commanding victory for Fernandes who finished ahead of 2-time Long Distance Duathlon World Champion Catriona Morrison of Great Britain and double Olympian Ana Burgos of Spain.

Fernandes opened the race with the fastest 10-kilometer run among the women, taking a 44-second lead heading out onto the 40-kilometer bike course. One of the most powerful cyclists in the sport, the defending champion extended her lead with the fastest bike split. Glasgow’s Catriona Morrison cut the deficit to put herself in medal contention but no one challenged Fernandes who coasted to victory and won by more than 90 seconds.

“Today I could do a good run and a good bike, it was a surprise for me but I think it was a good way to finish the season so I’m happy,” said Fernandes. Since taking silver at the Beijing Olympic Games, Fernandes won her 9th European title with the under23 championship and now her second Duathlon world title.

Final Results - Elite Women  
1 Fernandes, Vanessa (POR) 02:00:51  
2 Morrison, Catriona (GBR) 02:02:29  
3 Burgos, Ana (ESP) 02:04:27  

Paul Amey won his third ITU Duathlon World Championship on a day marred by controversy. Belgian Rob Woestenborghs was first across the line but after his own teammate lodged a protest, he was later disqualified by race officials.

The controversial men’s race opened with a pair of Portuguese men, Sergio Silva and Lino Barruncho, taking the early lead. But the main players, Amey, Woestenborghs and Belgians Bart Aernouts and Jurgen Dereere trailed by just seven seconds. The drama began early in the 40-kilometer bike segment as all six men were in the lead pack. According to Dereere, his Belgian teammate Woestenborghs was cycling dangerously. Eventually Amey, Aernouts and Woestenborghs broke away and went on to post the three fastest bike splits of the day by almost two full minutes. That lead was enough for all three to secure the podium.

However, after the race, Dereere filed a protest with race officials against Woestenborghs for his aggressive riding. Officials said it was a tough call but ultimately disqualified both men for what was deemed “unsportsmanlike and dangerous behaviour on the first lap of the bike segment which risked the safety of the competitors around them”.  Click here for complete photo gallery

Final Results - Elite Men  
1 Amey, Paul (GBR) 01:48:00  
2 Aernouts, Bart (BEL) 01:48:07  
3 Silva, Sergio (POR) 01:48:36  

Final Results - Under23 Women  
1 Jerzyk, Agnieszka (POL) 02:06:08  
2 Prystayko, Olesya (UKR) 02:07:05  
3 Riou, Morgane (FRA) 02:11:58  

Final Results - Under23 Men  
1 Cebin, Bojan (SLO) 01:49:29  
2 Fabian, Alessandro (ITA) 01:49:49  
3 Nicholls, Ritchie (GBR) 01:53:17  

Final Results - Junior Women  
1 Coleman, Sophie (GBR) 01:04:01  
2 Nivon Machoud, Ruth (MEX) 01:04:43  
3 Balogh, Barbara (HUN) 01:04:43  

Final Results - Junior Men  
1 Murray, Richard (RSA) 00:56:13  
2 Ascenzi, Alex (ITA) 00:56:19  
3 Vicente, Oscar (ESP) 00:56:23  
Click here for all results from the 2008 ITU Duathlon World Championships

Sigrid Mutscheller makes history at the 2008 ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships in Germany

Belgiums Joerie Vansteelant defends his title at the Long Distance Duathlon World Championships

Chrissie Wellington celebrates her first ever ITU world title at the Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in the Netherlands