Densham tops Sydney WTS
Erin Densham broke away in the last kilometer from a tight battle with Helen Jenkins and Andrea Hewitt to take the win at the Sydney round of the ITU World Triathlon Series Saturday.
"I didn't pay any attention to the external pressures," said Densham, referring to her desperate bid to crash the early advantage held by the three Emmas (Moffatt, Snowsill, Jackson) in the Australian women's Olympic qualification chase.
"I just worried about my own race and having the race I am capable of," she told ITU media. "I was pushed the whole way by Helen (Jenkins) and Andrea (Hewitt). I didn't know if I could win, but I put in a little surge and finally broke them at the end."
Densham hit the tape in 2:01:29 with an 8-seconds margin over 2011 ITU World Championship Series winner Helen Jenkins and 16 seconds on New Zealand’s Andrea Hewitt — both of whom have already secured Olympic slots for Great Britain and New Zealand respectively.
Densham’s win, following her spectacular victory at the Mooloolaba ITU World Cup a few weeks ago, made a persuasive bid to gain her a spot on the Australian 2012 Olympic women’s triathlon team. Densham kept her cool until the last kilometer of the run, then tuned on the jets for a race-best 34:28 to wrest the race from Jenkins (34:32 run) and Hewitt (34:38 run).
Going into Sydney, two-time ITU World Champion Emma Moffatt had secured the first Aussie women’s Olympic slot and defending 2008 Olympic champion Emma Snowsill and rising Australian star Emma Jackson were favored to make the 2012 Australian team a Three Emmas cast. But after a 35:46 run and a 14th place finish for Snowsill, one spot back of an obviously conservatively paced Emma Moffatt, and a disappointing 33rd place finish for Jackson, Densham looks to have muscled her way into the equation and likely nudged out one of the Emmas.
Gwen Jorgensen, a USA Olympic team member after her second place finish last summer at the London round of the WCS, put in an impressive 4th-best 34:58 run to advance from mid pack to 4th at the line, 27 seconds back of Hewitt. Nicola Spirig of Switzerland, who drove the chase pack of 30 women back to join the two dozen leaders by the 6th lap of the bike, finished with a strong 5th-best 35:16 run to take 5th place, 7 seconds back of Jorgensen. Ainhoa Murua of Spain, who ran with the front pack early on the 10k run until Densham, Jenkins and Hewitt broke away, finished 6th 7 seconds back of Spirig after a 35:21 run.
Kathy Tremblay of Canada made a bold bid for the second spot on the Canadian Olympic team by finishing strong with a 35:27 run to take 8th – which technically made her eligible for Canadian selectors to choose her to follow the powerful Paula Findlay on the team. Findlay was a non-starter due to illness.
Laura Bennett of the USA, whose 4th place finish at Beijing made her the top American finisher in the 2008 Olympics, rode near the top of the bike all the way and started the run in the lead pack, likely pulled back to a conservative 36:01 run to take 15th and conserve her vital energy for the all-important duel against Sarah Haskins for the final US women’s Olympic slot next at the WTS race in San Diego.
Sydney ITU World Triathlon Series
Sydney, Australia
April 14, 2012
S 1.5k / B 40k / R 10k
Results
Elite Women
1. Erin Densham, (AUS) 2:01:29
2. Helen Jenkins (GBR) 2:01:38
3. Andrea Hewitt (NZL) 2:01:45
4. Gwen Jorgensen (USA) 2:02:12
5. Nicola Spirig (SUI) 2:02:19
6. Ainhoa Murua (ESP) 2:02:26
7. Anne Haug (GER) 2:02:32
8. Kathy Tremblay (CAN) 2:02:34
9. Mariko Adachi (JPN) 2:02:39
10. Ashleigh Gentle (AUS) 2:02:40
13. Emma Moffatt (AUS) 2:02:55
14. Emma Snowsill (AUS) 2:02:59
15. Laura Bennett (USA) 2:03:02
17. Lisa Norden (SWE) 2:03:09
31. Kiyomi Niwata (JPN) 2:03:56 *three-time Olympian
43. Sarah Groff (USA) 2:05:10
51. Jillian Peterson (USA) 2:07:13
