Avil, Loeschke top U23 Worlds
Germany seems perfectly ready to continue the Olympic distance success established by 2007 ITU World Champion Daniel Unger and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Jan Frodeno as young Franz Loeschke outran Australia’s James Seear by six seconds to take the men’s Under 23 world championship gold Thursday at Australia’s Gold Coast.
"It was a very fast race, very good," said Loeschke, who combined a 17:47 swim, a 56:30 bike and a 31:18 run to finish the flat as a pool table course in 1:46:19. "With so many role models, like Jan Frodeno, Daniel Unger and Maik Petzold, it’s a great time to be a German, and hopefully I can become as successful as them."
On a sunny day in Queensland, Great Britain ruled the women’s Under 23 worlds with a 1-2-4 finish led by 2008 Olympian Hollie Avil’s 23-seconds margin of victory over fellow Brit Jodie Stimpson. Avil led a breakaway pack of eight that included fellow Brits Stimpson and Vicky Holland, Canada’s Paula Findlay, and the Ukraine’s Yuliya Sapunova. Working hard, they put three minutes on the chase pack by the end of the bike. On the final of four laps on the 10k run, Avil and Stimpson dropped Findlay and Holland. Midway through the last lap, Avil, the 2007 ITU Junior world champ, took charge on her way to a race-best 35:20 run and hit the line in 1:56:38. Stimpson held off Findlay by 14 seconds for the silver, with Holland another 15 seconds back in 4th.
"When you win a race the like that, working hard and really pushing the bike for the whole 40km and then getting off and nailing 10km of running, it feels great," Avil told ITU media. "With three of us in the top four it just proves how much talent there is coming through and how well Great Britain’s world class program is working."
In the glow of her victory, Avil, just 19, aims still higher. "With one junior world title, and now an under 23 world title, I guess the senior one comes next, but that might take a few years," she added.
Dextro Energy Triathlon
ITU World Championship Under 23 Grand Final
Gold Coast, Australia
September 10, 2009
S 1.5l/B 40k/ R 10k
Results
Under 23 Women
1. Hollie Avil (GBR) 1:56:38
2. Jodie Stimpson (GBR) 1:57:01
3. Paula Findlay (CAN) 1:57:15
4. Vicky Holland (GBR) 1:57:30
5. Yuliya Sapunova (UKR) 1:59:48
6. Sarah Fladung (GER) 2:00:22
7. Annamaria Mazzetti (ITA) 2:00:31
8. Charlotte Morel (FRA) 2:00:32
9. Agniesza Jerzyk (POL) 2:00:44
10. Dan Bi Hong (KOR) 2:00:50
12. Lauren Goldstein-Kral (USA) 2:00:57
DQ Jennifer Spieldenner (USA) S 19:14
DNF Amanda Hahn (USA) S 20:45
Under 23 Men
1. Franz Loeschke (GER) 1:46:19
2. James Seear (AUS) 1:46:25
3. Joao Pereira (BRA) 1:46:32
4. Tony Dodds (NZL) 1:46:39
5. Jonathan Zipf (GER) 1:46:41
6. Jose Miguel Perez (ESP) 1:46:57
7. Ivan Tutukin (RUS) 1:47:04
8. Crisanto Grajales (MEX) 1:47:15
9. Lukas Salvisberg (SUI) 1:47:30
10. Denis Vasiliev (RUS) 1:47:34
12. Gregor Bucholz (GER) 1:48:00 * past champion
13. Gregory Billington (USA) 1:48:05
23. Derek Oskutis (USA) 1:49:39
28. Nicholas Vandam (USA) 1:50:28
