In the women’s ITU Triathlon Junior World Championship race at the 2016 World Triathlon Grand Final Cozumel on Friday, Taylor Knibb (USA) nabbed her first world championship title with a dominating bike and run performance. Lisa Tertsch (GER) produced a speedy run for second and in a sprint finish, Hye Rim Jeong (KOR) out ran Ines Santiago (ESP) for bronze. The bronze is the first-ever World Championship medal of any level for Korea.
“That was probably the worst swim of my entire life, I just had to be patient and move my way up,” Knibb said. “If someone had told me that was how the race would have panned out, I would have just laughed. I live in DC, so it’s been a very humid summer, so I’m kinda used to going out and feeling like you hit a wall of heat.”
Japan’s Fuka Sega and Minami Kubono, along with Hungary’s Dorka Putnoczki, managed to maneuver their way through the swim first for a 10-second lead. While several pockets of women formed out of the swim, 32 women came together after the first of four bike laps, including pre-race favourites Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) and Taylor Knibb (USA).
Lena Meißner (GER), Therese Feuersinger (AUT) and Knibb knocked out a 20-second lead over the field midway through the bike. On the third lap, Knibb stretched out her top place over the main chase to 35 seconds, while her break away partners Feuersigner and Miesner dropped to 17 seconds back.
While the pair continued to fall back to the chase as the bike ended, Knibb ran out nearly half a minute before the rest of the women arrived to T2. Nimble on her feet as she is in saddle, Knibb hung onto her lead after the first of two run laps, while Lisa Tertsch (GER), Hye Rim Jeong (KOR), Cecilia Santamaria Surroca (ESP) and Ines Santiago (ESP) positioned themselves next in the run.
But there was no stopping or slowing Knibb as she cruised over the finish line to win the Junior World Title, meaning the US won both the men’s and women’s titles in the category.
Behind her, Tertsch went unchallenged in the final lap for silver, while Santiago and Jeong engaged in a sprint battle down the finish chute. In a last burst of speed, Jeong passed Santiago for the final medal.
Related Event: 2016 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Cozumel
Results: Elite Men | |||
---|---|---|---|
1. | Henri Schoeman | RSA | 01:46:50 |
2. | Jonathan Brownlee | GBR | 01:47:08 |
3. | Alistair Brownlee | GBR | 01:47:08 |
4. | Richard Murray | RSA | 01:47:35 |
5. | Mario Mola | ESP | 01:47:36 |
6. | Ryan Bailie | AUS | 01:47:40 |
7. | Crisanto Grajales | MEX | 01:47:46 |
8. | Jelle Geens | BEL | 01:47:52 |
9. | Fernando Alarza | ESP | 01:47:53 |
10. | Adam Bowden | GBR | 01:47:55 |
Results: Elite Women | |||
---|---|---|---|
1. | Flora Duffy | BER | 01:57:59 |
2. | Gwen Jorgensen | USA | 01:59:16 |
3. | Charlotte McShane | AUS | 01:59:25 |
4. | Helen Jenkins | GBR | 01:59:28 |
5. | Ai Ueda | JPN | 01:59:39 |
6. | Vendula Frintova | CZE | 01:59:44 |
7. | Sarah True | USA | 01:59:58 |
8. | Non Stanford | GBR | 02:00:16 |
9. | Mariya Shorets | RUS | 02:00:21 |
10. | Ashleigh Gentle | AUS | 02:00:34 |
Results: U23 Men | |||
---|---|---|---|
1. | Jorik Van Egdom | NED | 01:52:39 |
2. | Manoel Messias | BRA | 01:53:00 |
3. | Bence Bicsák | HUN | 01:53:02 |
4. | Simon Viain | FRA | 01:53:12 |
5. | Tom Richard | FRA | 01:53:13 |
6. | Cesar Saracho | MEX | 01:53:19 |
7. | Léo Bergere | FRA | 01:54:02 |
8. | István Király | HUN | 01:54:42 |
9. | Xavier Grenier-Talavera | CAN | 01:54:50 |
10. | Declan Wilson | AUS | 01:54:56 |
Results: U23 Women | |||
---|---|---|---|
1. | Laura Lindemann | GER | 01:59:18 |
2. | Leonie Periault | FRA | 01:59:33 |
3. | Sandra Dodet | FRA | 02:00:05 |
4. | Georgia Taylor-Brown | GBR | 02:00:50 |
5. | Kaidi Kivioja | EST | 02:01:07 |
6. | Sophie Coldwell | GBR | 02:01:36 |
7. | Julie Derron | SUI | 02:01:48 |
8. | Melanie Santos | POR | 02:02:06 |
9. | Jaz Hedgeland | AUS | 02:02:25 |
10. | Sara Papais | ITA | 02:02:44 |
Results: Junior Men | |||
---|---|---|---|
1. | Austin Hindman | USA | 00:54:02 |
2. | Charles Paquet | CAN | 00:54:12 |
3. | Ben Dijkstra | GBR | 00:54:20 |
4. | Daniel Hoy | NZL | 00:54:23 |
5. | Alex Yee | GBR | 00:54:24 |
6. | Oliver Blecher | CAN | 00:54:28 |
7. | Matevž Planko | SLO | 00:54:35 |
8. | Samuel Dickinson | GBR | 00:54:38 |
9. | Abraham Rodriguez Moreno | MEX | 00:54:41 |
10. | Vasco Vilaca | POR | 00:54:47 |
Results: Junior Women | |||
---|---|---|---|
1. | Taylor Knibb | USA | 00:59:05 |
2. | Lisa Tertsch | GER | 00:59:41 |
3. | Hye Rim Jeong | KOR | 00:59:50 |
4. | Ines Santiago Moron | ESP | 00:59:51 |
5. | Cecilia Santamaria Surroca | ESP | 00:59:56 |
6. | Desirae Ridenour | CAN | 01:00:02 |
7. | Lena Meißner | GER | 01:00:07 |
8. | Minami Kubono | JPN | 01:00:08 |
9. | Kyleigh Spearing | USA | 01:00:16 |
10. | Ekaterina Matiukh | RUS | 01:00:25 |