EMMA JACKSON LEADS AUSSIE ASSAULT ON KITZBUEHEL HORN

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Triathlon Australia, July 7, 2013: Australia’s London Olympian Emma Jackson has climbed her way back to her best form with a courageous silver medal in the ITU’s toughest World Triathlon Series race in Kitzbuehel today.

The 21-year-old Queenslander tackled the un-forgiving 11.5km hill climb to the notorious Kitzbuehel Horn on the bike and 2.5km run with a ferocious tenacity after a 750m swim in the picturesque Austrian Alpine resort town.

It was a huge confidence booster for Jackson and a reward for her persistence, belief and hard work after an indifferent post Olympic year.

As hard as she tried, Jackson. who has been based in Aix Les Bains in France under QAS coach Stephen Moss, couldn’t catch winner Great Britain’s Jodie Stimpson but held off Germany’s world number two Anne Haug, to post her best result of the year.

“I tried as hard as I could but just couldn’t go with Jodie,” said Jackson, who said she gained inspiration from watching Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee (GBR) take out the men’s race.

“I’m very, very happy with that result – my third silver medal in a WTS race and it’s great to be back on the podium. I haven't started the season so well.

“My goal was to stay with the leaders and if I could attack I'd attack, but when Jodie went I couldn't go with her so I wanted to stay with Anne (Haug) and Nicki (Samuels) and see what I could do on the run."

Before the race Moss was confident Jackson was on the verge of a return to the kind of form that has saw her win the ITU World Under 23 title and make last year’s Olympic team after a break through year in 2011.

“Emma has been training well and has her sights set on certain goals for this year and I feel we are on track to achieving those goals,” said Moss.

“We are settled in our base in France and she loves training there – it’s a real home away from home. Her first real race back was in French Grand Prix and that was a positive start for her.”

Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle, who prepared for her attack on the brutal Kitzbuehel Horn with training rides up Springbrook mountain on the Gold Coast, finished a creditable 9th while two-time Olympian Emma Moffatt was 19th and Felicity Abram, who took a groin injury into the race finished 34th.

Australian now has three women in the top ten on the WTS rankings after five rounds with Moffatt sixth, Abram eighth and Gentle 10th while Jackson has jumped from outside the top 58 to 27th.

Meanwhile in the men’s race 22-year-old Wollongong-based Western Australian Ryan Bailie showed why he is an Australian triathlete very much on the rise.

Bailie, a noted hill climber, mixed it with the best in the world to finish in ninth place while team mate Dan Wilson was 29th.

Brownlee proved yet again why he is one of the greatest triathletes of all time with another breath-taking performance.

Mario Mola (ESP) who started the day in third place in the World Series Triathlon rankings, claimed a silver medal while Sven Riederer (SUI) held off Henri Schoeman (RSA) to win bronze.

Bailie left five of the world’s top 10 ranked triathletes in his wake – including world number one, Olympic silver medallist and two-time world champion Javier Gomez (ESP) who was 13th – itself a courageous effort after a bike crash just days before the killer 750m swim; 11.5km ride and 2.5km swim.

Also behind him was world number two Joao Silva (Portugal), fourth ranked Richard Murray (RSA) who was 21st; seventh ranked Laurent Vidal (FRA) 40th and eighth ranked David McNamee (GBR) who was 33rd.

The continuous climb certainly took its toll on some the best ITU triathletes in the world as the killer hill tested the legs of every competitor.

Bailie is now sitting 11th on the WTS rankings with Hamburg, Stockholm and London remaining.

Olympic bronze medallist Jonathan Brownlee was a late withdrawal from the race with a case of food poisoning.

WOMEN’S WRAP

1.      Jodie Stimpson (GBR)
2.      Emma Jackson (AUS)
3.      Anne Haug (GER)

After finishing third in the last two WTS events (Yokohama and Madrid) and sitting third in the overall rankings, Jodie Stimpson made the step up to win the race billed as one the world's toughest triathlons. Stimpson finished ahead of Emma Jackson (AUS) in 1:04:21 and Anne Haug (GER) in 1:04:34.

"I got half way and my legs were not feeling too bad and people were breathing heavy," Stimpson said. "I was like 'make sure you're feeling alright', I was like 'no way it's going to hit me soon' and then I got to 2k and my legs were OK. Darren (Smith, coach) said 'if you get to 2k then let it rip'. I just had to give it a go."

With the 11.5km bike demanding a 867m climb, with a gradient of between 17 and 22 percent in the final 1km, the cycling specialists quickly made their moves after a close swim. One of those was Anne Haug (GER), who started the race second in the overall rankings.

Haug, an expert in clawing her way back on the bike, benefited from the shorter 750m swim in Kitzbuehel. Although she exited the water in 27th place, she soon made up a relatively small 30-second deficit and got herself to the front of the pack as they began the daunting climb.

When the bike entered the most demanding section, four triathletes began to break away from a large lead group. The leaders were made up of Stimpson, Haug, Nicky Samuels (NZL) and Jackson but in the last 2km Stimpson made her move and began to create a strong lead to take into the 2.55km run. When Stimpson hit the run, she was 43 seconds ahead of the chasing pack and never looked like being caught during the 136m climb.

After a disappointing season so far, Jackson said she was pleased to make a podium. "I haven't started the season so well so I'm happy to be back on the podium. This is my third silver medal in a world series event so I'm so happy to do it here. My goal was to stay with the leaders and if I could attack I'd attack, but when Jodie went I couldn't go with her so I wanted to stay with Anne and Nicki and see what I could do on the run."

"I didn't want to risk anything so maybe it was the wrong decision, maybe it was the right decision," Haug said." But I'm on third place so I have to be happy with that. It was an amazing swim for me - I was almost in the first group, it was a little bit shocking for me. But it's a series and you have to be consistent all season and I'm in third place so I have to happy."

Click here for the full rankings

ITU World Triathlon Kitzbuehel - 6 July 2013
Final Results - Elite Women - 750m swim, 11.5km bike, 2.5km run

Click here for full field results

High res images, audio interviews and more at the ITU Online Media Centre

MEN’S WRAP

1.      Alistair Brownlee (GBR)
2.      Mario Mola (ESP)
3.      Sven Riederer (SUI)

Alistair Brownlee hadn't raced since winning in San Diego in April because of an ankle injury but blew away the field with an incredible display of endurance, winning in 55 minutes, 23 seconds on the new dynamic course that consisted of a 750m swim, followed by a 11.5km bike and a 2.5km run up the Kitzbuehel horn.

The highlight of Brownlee's performance was on that tough bike. After coming out of the water in eighth place, he hit the front of the pack as a short downhill section turned into a gruelling 867m climb. Initially Javier Gomez (ESP) broke away with Brownlee but couldn't keep up as Brownlee started pulling away, creating an astonishing 1km lead as the as the climb started to take its toll on the rest of the field.

Despite a huge lead, Brownlee continued to run hard and only let up with 200m to go to enjoy the adulation of the support with the finish line in sight.

"I mean if any course is going to be my course, this is going to be my thing," Brownlee said. "The background of mountains and mountain running, and it's what I love doing, it was fantastic today."

It was Brownlee's 14th career World Triathlon Series win and he said of the tough bike course it was just a matter of keeping to his own plan.

"I just kind of got away and then it was just all about holding my own rhythm," he said. "Once I was riding there was nothing I could do. My stomach was an absolute wreck, I was sort of on that line the whole time and if I went too hard it hurt too much, so I was just trying to keep a steady rhythm and thankfully it was enough."

Without late omission Jonathan Brownlee, it gave other triathletes a chance to gain vital ranking points in the race billed to be the toughest triathlon in the world.

Mario Mola (ESP) who started the day in third place in the World Series Triathlon rankings, claimed a silver medal in a time of 56 minutes. Mola only came out of the 750m swim in 18th place but an impressive bike leg elevated him into second place and he held on during the run.

Sven Riederer (SUI) held off Henri Schoeman (RSA) to win bronze in a time of 56:46, just three seconds ahead of the rising South African star. Schoeman had come out of the swim in third place and held a consistent pace, but was overtaken by master cyclist Riederer early on in the 11.5km bike ride, who had exited the water in 26th place.

Even though Gomez ended-up having an off day, he did enough to retain his overall series rankings lead. With Hamburg, Stockholm and the London Grand Final still to come, Mario Mola sits in second place and Joao Silva in third.

Click here for the full rankings

ITU World Triathlon Kitzbuehel - 6 July 2013
Final Results - Elite Men - 750m swim, 11.5km bike, 2.5km run

Click here for full field results

High res images, audio interviews and more at the ITU Online Media Centre

Issued on behalf of Triathlon Australia…..

Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia
Managing Director

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