Triple Podium for GB women at London Super League Triathlon Championship.
GB women take all three London Super League Triathlon Championship Podiums with Jess Learmonth winning, Georgina Taylor-Brown taking second and Vicki Holland running through to take third spot.
The men’s race was a tight affair which saw New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde using a tactical ploy of leaving the short chute to the final discipline of the day which enabled him to storm away from triathlon superstars Vincent Luis (FRA) and the in-form Jonny Brownlee (GB) to take the Championship title.
Women Race
The women’s Triple Mix came down to a Stage 3 showdown between the British stars, with Jess Learmonth using her renowned swim prowess to create an insurmountable advantage heading into the final run of the day.
The Triple Mix format involved three triathlon events run back-to-back, starting with a 300m swim/4km bike/1.6km run, before Stage 2’s 1.6km run/4km bike/300m swim, and Stage 3’s 4km bike/300m swim/1.6km run.
In the early rounds Zaferes was soon making her presence felt, as was French triathlete Leonie Periault (fifth at Tokyo 2020) and GB’s Beth Potter.
But it was Learmonth who would lead for the entirety of the final 1.6km run, with Taylor-Brown running her way back into second and Holland holding off USA’s Zafares in the battle for third. Sophie Coldwell and Beth Potter rounded out the top seven on a good day for the Brits on home soil. Learmonth’s Stage 3 win would see her take the overall title and take home a $20,000 winner’s cheque.
Mens Race
After relentless racing in Stages 1&2, the men’s Triple Mix came down to a Stage 3 showdown between Hayden Wilde of New Zealand and two of triathlon’s biggest names in France’s Vincent Luis and Jonny Brownlee of Great Britain.
In the mix in the early rounds was Portugal’s Vasco Vilaca the only athlete not wearing a wetsuit and Alex Yee GB’s Silver Medialist using his running prowess to make his mark with USA’s Seth Rider also making a claim for the title.
In the end it was the 22-year-old Kiwi who would produce a statement victory, utilising the Super League’s unique Short Shoot element to create a winning advantage on the final run of the day to take the win with Luis taking silver and Brownlee the bronze.
The event would also see the birth of Super League’s new team format, with multinational squads of Sharks, Rhinos, Cheetahs, Scorpions, and Eagles adding an extra level of excitement.
After the first round of 4 races the Eagles top the Teams Leaderboard.
