Africa Triathlon

Jodie Stimpson’s perfect start to the season kept on rolling in Mooloolaba, as the British star pulled off a confident win in the opening World Cup of the season.

Straight from a win in the opening World Triathlon Series race in Abu Dhabi last weekend, Stimpson was part of a 10-woman lead group on the bike, and then pulled away from the field on the run to make it two from two to start the 2016 season.

“It’s great to back to back in Mooloolaba, it’s like a home race, I’ve spent a lot of time here since 2009 and you know I’ve got quite a lot of friends here. It’s a nice feeling to be back here. I got second last time I was here to Annie Haug, so it’s nice to get the win,” Stimpson said.

In particular, Stimpson was happy to have a swim this week that better reflected her training form.

“I swam absolutely shocking in Abu Dhabi and it wasn’t a reflection of how my swimming has gone… to be honest I was probably a little bit behind but I managed to catch a brilliant wave coming in, I got dunked a little bit, but I just caught a cracking wave and it made me come up a little bit…goggles were half off, but it was great fun,” she said.

The day started with hot, humid and windy conditions in Mooloolaba, with the women met with an impressive swell. And it was the USA’s Kirsten Kasper who made the most of the waves as she bodysurfed into the beach, ahead of Australia’s Emma Jeffcoat, Emma Moffatt and Spain’s Caroline Routier.

Together with Stimpson, Lisa Norden, Sara Vilic, Gillian Backhouse, Taylor Spivey and Nicole Van Der Kaay, a group of 10 formed and pushed out a 35 second lead on the first lap. With Norden and Australian trio of Moffatt, Backhouse and Jeffcoat pushing the pace, that group kept eeking out more time against the chase group.

While Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle led that chase, as she did in Abu Dhabi, this time she couldn’t make much ground. Halfway through the 20km, the gap was 45seconds and by the time the leaders hit T2 it was almost a minute.

Meanwhile in the lead pack it was Backhouse who led out onto the run. But Stimpson made her move early in the first lap and stayed there, finishing strongly to win in a time of 58 minutes and 30 seconds.

Behind her Australia’s Moffatt started her 2016 season perfectly in silver, with yet another Mooloolaba medal to add to her tally.

Kasper claimed her second World Cup podium in third, with a strong all-round performance. It came off the back of a second place in a Wollongong Oceania Cup event last weekend, only behind current World Champion Gwen Jorgensen.

Behind the podium it was strong performances from three women all backing up from Abu Dhabi, Sara Vilic, Renee Tomlin and Ashleigh Gentle claiming top seven results for the second week in a row.