Africa Triathlon

Samantha Warriner of New Zealand won the 2007 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Cup in the official test event for the 2008 triathlon world championships, with one of the fastest women’s 10-kilometre run splits the sport has seen.  Warriner ran her way back from an unusually slow swim and eventual 90-second deficit off the bike with a blistering 33:16 10km split.  Sarah Haskins of the United States finished in second place 36 seconds back for the first world cup podium of her young career.  Rounding out the medals were current Under23 world champion Erin Densham of Australia, only 10 seconds back.

Trying conditions greeted the 40 athletes with wind and heavy rain making the already difficult course gruelling at times with a number of athletes withdrawing, succumbing to the slippery and cold conditions. 

After the opening 1,500 metre swim the American duo of Sarah Haskins and Sara McLarty emerged first and headed out on the 8-lap 40-kilometre bike course.  The two worked well together early into the bike to open a 30 second gap on the chase group of 16.

The two young women continued to put time into the chase group of top contenders including; Warriner, Densham, Joelle Franzmann of Germany, Lauren Groves of Canada and Elizabeth May of Luxembourg.  At the end of the 8-lap bike, Haskins and McLarty were 97 seconds ahead of the Warriner and the others.

Out on the run, the determined Warriner lopped off 30 seconds of Haskin’s lead over the first of three laps.  It was a steady process from there as Warriner first reeled in McLarty and then set her sights on Haskins and her fourth world cup victory of her career.  The slowing Haskins hung on to second place, however, with a quickly approaching Densham nipping at her heels.

2007 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Cup – Elite Women results
1. WARRINER, Samantha (NZL) 2:03:25
2. HASKINS, Sarah (USA) 2:04:01 +:37
3. DENSHAM, Erin (AUS) 2:04:11 +:46
4. FRANZMANN, Joelle (GER) 2:04:36 +1:11
5. MAY, Elizabeth (LUX) 2:04:52 +1:27
6. IDE, Juri (JPN) 2:04:58 +1:33
7. NIWATA, Kiyomi (JPN) 2:04:59 +1:34
8. GROVES, Lauren (CAN) 2:05:14 +1:49
9. MCLARTY, Sara (USA) 2:05:56 +2:31
10. GROFF, Sarah (USA) 2:06:05 +2:40

Full results are available here.

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Canada’s triathlon golden boy Simon Whitfield elated the hometown crowds by winning the 2007 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Cup in a time of 1 hour 49 minutes and 16 seconds. Only 2 seconds behind was American powerhouse Andy Potts in seconds place with his team-mate Matt Reed in third another 53 seconds back.

Wetsuits were worn in a chilly 1,500 metre swim in the 16 degree Celsius waters of English Bay. Seven men exited the water together including all three eventual medalists, Paul Tichelaar and Colin Jenkins of Canada, Alexander Brukhankov of Russia and Brian Fleischmann of the United States.
Many athletes agree that seven is the magic number on the bike, being the perfect size to work well together, spreading the load without becoming cumbersome. This was apparent today as this group managed to increase their lead over the 40 kilometre course to over two minutes.

Immediately on the run, the former Olympic and Commonwealth champion, Whitfield, blasted away from the rest of the group to the fastest run of the day, followed only by Potts. With only 400metres to go, Whitfield pulled out his famous sixth gear to accelerate away from the American to win his eighth career world cup gold. With eight world cup gold medals in his cabinet, Whitfield has the most wins of any active world cup man on the circuit.

In fourth and fifth position was Brukhankov and fellow Canadian Tichelaar, respectively.

2007 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Cup – Elite Men results
1. WHITFIELD, Simon (CAN) 1:49:16
2. POTTS, Andy (USA) 1:49:18 +:02
3. REED, Matt (USA) 1:50:11 +:55
4. BRUKHANKOV, Alexander (RUS) 1:50:35 +1:20
5. TICHELAAR, Paul (CAN) 1:51:29 +2:14
6. FLEISCHMANN, Brian (USA) 1:51:40 +2:25
7. JENKINS, Colin (CAN) 1:52:08 +2:52
8. THOMPSON, Simon (AUS) 1:53:15 +3:59
9. SEXTON, Brendan (AUS) 1:53:28 +4:13
10. GLUSHCHENKO, Andriy (UKR) 1:53:44 +4:29

Full results are available here.

Watch exclusive race video now.

Click here for the official race gallery