Day 2 also to Jorgensen, Gomez
The longest event of the 3-day long Island House Invitational Triathlon was an Olympic Enduro, and again the event found Javier Gomez and Gwen Jorgensen well. The invited athletes had to swim 500 meters, bike 13km and run 3.3km, and repeat that sprint distance 3 times to make a full Olympic distance. Unlike yesterday where bib numbers were drawn to determine the TT start order, today athletes wore the bib number of their current ranking in the event. The Spanish ITU World Champion went into the race with number 1 and added 34 seconds to his advantage over South African Richard Murray. Women's favorite Gwen Jorgensen also padded her lead with a 32 seconds advantage over XTERRA World Champion Flora Duffy and almost a minute over day 1 runner-up Lisa Norden. The 2015 ITU World Champion Jorgensen will thus wear number 1 again tomorrow, a digit she is very familiar with.
The women
After the opening 500 meter swim, Lisa Norden led Flora Duffy and Gwen Jorgensen into T1 with Lauren Brandon hot on their heels but just far enough back to not catch the ITU trio.
Brandon then rode with Rachel Klamer, Alicia Kaye, Leanda Cave and Rachel Joyce about 19 seconds adrift. Heather Wurtele and Mirinda Carfrae were further back. Norden soon got a flat tire and although the repair was swift, the two athletes in the lead were now gone. Norden was joined by Alicia Kaye, who had pulled away from her chasing group, and these 2 athletes continued to battle for that final podium spot through all 3 mini triathlons. Meanwhile up front, Jorgensen pulled away and as she started the second round on the bike she had a roughly 50 seconds advantage over a group of 4 that contained Duffy, Norden, Kaye and Klamer; but soon these 5 ITU athletes were in close proximity again. Behind them Heather Wurtele, Mirinda Carfrae, Leanda Cave, Rachel Joyce and Lauren Brandon tried hard to reel in the leaders, or limit the damage. The race for the podium however was up the road. Jorgensen looked very much in control and on this day only Duffy appeared to challenge the lanky, fast-running American. In the end Jorgensen pulled away from Duffy and crossed the finish in 2:01:30, 32 seconds ahead of Duffy. Norden managed to get away from Kaye and took the final podium spot in 2:02:27. Kaye and Klamer crossed the line together.
The Roka swim prime went to Lauren Brandon, the Cervelo bike prime to Flora Duffy, and the Coca Cola run prime to Gwen Jorgensen.
The men
Race leader and ITU World Champion Javier Gomez was first out of the water, with Cameron Dye not far behind and then a gap to the next group.
On the bike Gomez and Dye were joined by Richard Murray and Tim Don, and the 4 stayed together until the first run. Ben Hoffman and Luke McKenzie came into T2 just as the four front runners were heading out on the 3.33km run. Gomez though pulled away, and only Murray and Don managed to stay in the same time zone. Hoffman and Leon Griffin were next and that is how it roughly stayed until the stage 2 Olympic Enduro was over.
Javier Gomez was fully in control and seemed untouchable, but Murray and Don made it interesting for the runner-up spots. Griffin and Hoffman also battled hard. Gomez crossed the line in 1:50:43 and now leads the event by just about a minute.
Richard Murray was next in 1:51:17 and Tim Don rounded out the podium in 1:51:32. Leon Griffin got away from Hoffman to finish fourth in 1:53:08.
Javier Gomez also captured the Roka swim and Coca Cola run primes, and Tim Don took the Cervelo bike prime.
Island House Invitational Triathlon
Day 2 500m swim / 13km bike / 3.3km run x 3
Top women
1. Gwen Jorgensen (USA) 2:01:30
2. Flora Duffy (BER) 2:02:02
3. Lisa Norden (SWE) 2:02:27
4. Alicia Kaye (USA) 2:03:43
5. Rachel Klamer (NED) 2:03:43
Top men
1. Javier Gomez (ESP) 1:50:43
2. Richard Murray (RSA) 1:51:17
3. Tim Don (GBR) 1:51:32
4. Leon Griffin (AUS) 1:53:08
5. Ben Hoffman (USA) 1:53:18
General Classification after 2 events
Women
1. Gwen Jorgensen (USA) 2:25:22
2. Flora Duffy (BER) + :41
3. Lisa Norden (SWE) + 1:03
4. Alicia Kaye (USA) + 2:40
5. Rachel Klamer (NED) + 3:09
6. Heather Wurtele (CAN) + 6:30
7. Rachel Joyce (GBR) + 6:45
8. Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) + 7:00
9. Lauren Brandon (USA) + 7:08
10. Leanda Cave (GBR) +7:44
Men
1. Javier Gomez (ESP) 2:12:19
2. Richard Murray (RSA) + :58
3. Tim Don (GBR) + 1:20
4. Leon Griffin (AUS) + 3:21
5. Ben Hoffman (USA) + 3:37
6. Cam Dye (USA) + 4:00
7. Luke McKenzie (AUS) + 6:28
8. Trevor Wurtele (CAN) +7:32
9. Barrett Brandon (USA) +7:57
10. Tim O’Donnell (USA) + 11:06
