NEWS

Knibb nabs Women’s Junior World title

By Erin Greene | 16 Sep, 2016
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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
11 - Sep, 2016 • event pageall results
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