Africa Triathlon

The final event of the 2010 season for Team ITU was highlighted by a season best for Leonardo Chacon of Costa Rica.  He crossed the line in 7th place, his highest placing at a World Cup this year and the best since his top-5 performance at this very event in 2008.  Chacon has often saved his best for Huatulco, having been in the top-10 for three years running now.

On an oppressively hot day in which 19 men were forced to withdraw, the other members of Team ITU hung tough and fared well.  Ognjen Stojanovic of Serbia finished 30th place, while Cuba’s Michel Gonzalez came across in 36th position.

Amongst the women of Team ITU, Elizabeth Bravo of Ecuador had the top result, finishing 23rd place.  Hungary’s Zsofia Toth wasn’t far behind in 25th place. 

Ukraine’s Yuliya Sapunova entered the race as a serious contender for the podium but finished 28th.  However, her performance was undoubtedly affected by racing with a borrowed bike after an airline mishap rendered her own bike unusable.  She fell behind on the bike portion and the deficit was too much to make up, even with her running prowess.

Emma Davis was in a good position after the swim and worked with Nicola Spirig to successfully bring the chase group amongst the leaders.  But unfortunately Davis was forced to pull out after a bike crash left a gash in her chin, resulting in five stitches. 

“There were some bumps in the road but it’s all part of racing,” said Libby Burrell, ITU Sport Development Director.  “These athletes never gave up and I’m proud of how they represented themselves and the team, not just in this race but all season long.”

One of the fundamental goals of Team ITU is provide support, resources and expertise to elite athletes from developing National Federations to compete at the highest level.  Members of Team ITU receive funds for travel and accommodation but perhaps most importantly, athletes have access to a world class coaching and support team.

Click here for the ITU Sport Development website