Koch’s Blistering Run Wins WTCS Huatulco
Twenty-three year old German star Annika Koch emerged from a huge pack of riders at T2 to lead the way into the run and never looked back. Koch accelerated through a race-best 16:48 split for the 5-kilometer run, hitting the tape in 1:00:01 with a 12 seconds margin over Emy Legault of Canada and 14 seconds over third place finisher Bianca Seregni of Italy.
“It’s amazing,” Koch told World Triathlon media. “I hoped for a podium, felt good the whole race and I gave it my all and I am really happy that it went so well.”
“it’s just the best feeling,” she said despite harrowingly hot temperatures. “I started running and felt quite good but said to myself not to keep the pace too high because from one second to the next, in the heat, it can get really bad, so just tried to cool down at every aid station.”
Women
The waters were calm in a non-wetsuit 30 degrees Celsius water as 56 women lined up for the 750 meter swim. Race number one Ericka Ackerlund of the U.S. took the right side of the line as she guessed that was the swiftest line to the first buoy. But Bianca Seregni of Italy opted for the far left and that proved the optimal choice and the Italian led the field by 20 seconds in clear water while Kira Gupta Baltazar, Lizbeth Rueda Santos, Kotomi Anzai and Yuka Sato gave chase.
The long run to transition gave Seregni a greater lead as the women mounted their bikes with Koch, Ackerlund and Baptista charged hard. In the heat, Seregni passed up a chance for a solo breakaway, allowing herself to be caught by Legault, Cecilia Perez of Mexico and Ivana Kuriakova of Slovakia.
Halfway through the 20-kilometer bike leg, 32 triathletes formed a massive pack and relaxed through the ride. Unfortunately tried to ride through a puncture on the bell lap, but veered into the curb and crashed.
Koch, Legault, Seregni and Baptista led the field our of transition and onto the run. Loch soon took the lead, with only Seregni and Legault able to match Koch’s pace for a time.
Once Koch separated herself from her two pursuers, Legault and Seregni traded places. As the dueling duo approached the blue carpet, the Italian left the Canadian in her wake with 1 kilometer to go and took the silver for her first World Cup podium.
World Triathlon Huatulco
June 18, 2022
Huatulco,
S 750m / B 20k / R 5k
Women
1. Annika Koch (GER) S 09:58 T1 00:54 B 31:53 T2 00:28 R 16:48 TOT 1:00:01
2. Emy Legault (Can) s 09:59 t1 00:54 b 30:49 t2 01:32 R 16:59 TOT 1:00:13
3. Bianca Seregni (ITA) S 09:28 T1 00:56 B 31:17 T2 01:33 R 17:01 TOT 1:00:15
4. Lisa Perterer (AUT) S 10:30 T1 00:54 B 30:18 T2 01:34 R 17:17 TOT 1:00:32
5. Rosa Maria Tapia Vidal (MEX) S 10:06 T1 00:54 B 30:45 T2 01:32 R 17:17 TOT 1:00:33
6. Luisa Baptista (BRA) S 10:05 T1 00:57 B 31:48 T2 00:25 R 17:29 TOT 1:00:44
7. Tereza Zimovjanova (CZE) S 10:31 T1 00:56 B 30:17 T2 01:31 R 17:32 TOT 1:00:47
8. Cecilia Sayuri Ramirez Alavez (MEX) S 10:22 T1 00:53 B 30:28 T2 01:35 R 17:30 TOT 1:00:47
9. Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto (COL) S 10:16 T1 00:56 B 30:32 T2 01:35 R 17:32 TOT 1:00:52
10. Costanza Arpinelli (ITA) S 10:22 T1 00:56 B 30:30 T2 01:35 R 17:31 TOT 1:00:54
32. Madison Lavin (USA) S 10:12 T1 01:01 B 30:44 T2 01:39 R 19:45 TOT 1:03:20
34. Annie Kelly (USA) S 10:32 T1 00:59 B 33:26 T2 00:28 R 18:13 TOT 1:03:38
40. Gina Sereno (USA) S 10:30 T1 00:59 B 32:24 T2 01:35 R 19:33 TOT 1:05:02
42. Gabrielle Lumkes (USA) S 10:31 T1 01:04 B 34:01 T2 00:28 R 19:07 TOT 1:05:12
46. Liberty Ricca (USA) S 10:02 T1 00:58 B 32:57 T2 01:41 R 20:17 TOT 1:05:55
DNF Ericka Ackerlund (UA) S 09:56 T1 00::53 B 00:00
