ITU Oceania Cup: Birtwhistle wins and Kelly Ann Perkins takes silver

 

 

Triathlon Australia, Mooloolaba, March 15, 2014: A rested Jake Birtwhistle times ITU Oceania Cup run to perfection. One of Triathlon Australia’s rising stars Jake Birtwhistle had to force himself to “hold back” before unleashing his lethal weapon on the way to a convincing ITU Triathlon Oceania Cup win at Mooloolaba today.

The Launceston born former track and field star who is now a full-time triathlete based in Wollongong under international coach Jamie Turner, admits he has a habit of going too hard too early.

“And I was feeling good today too – I had to keep reminding myself not to go too hard too early,” said the Australian Youth Olympic champion and OTU Oceania champion, who is about to embark on the ITU World Cup circuit.

“I tried to stay away from the front, which is hard for me but I was able to sit in the pack for a bit and put the pressure on in the second lap.”

Birtwhistle was able to time his run to perfection over the back end of the 1500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run undulating course around Mooloolaba to the Sunshine Coast Motorway and back around Alexandra Headland.

He split 32 minutes 06 for his 10km run after chasing down New Zealander Sam Osborne who led off the bike through T2 and set the pace through the early stages of the run before Birtwhistle and Gold Coaster Dan Coleman chased him down.

While Birtwhistle powered away to win it in 1:52.07 it was actually Victorian Nathan Buschkuehl (1:52.26) from the Mornington Peninsula who stormed home to grab second with Coleman (1:52.35) nine seconds back in third in an all-Australian finish.

Buschkuehl and Coleman are also youngsters on the rise and in very capable hands with Buschkuehl trained by Triathlon legend Stephen Foster in his Team Barefoot squad and Coleman has been nurtured by Olympian and Olympic coach Craig Walton the Gold Coast.

Foster will this week be inducted into the Triathlon Australia Hall of Fame at the Celebration of Championships Dinner in Melbourne on Thursday night.

The brave Osborne, who was forced out of the Devonport race with a stomach complaint, admitted he was also suffering from stomach pains in today’s race but still managed to get to the line in fourth place.

But for Birtwhistle it was a race that sets him up for his first major international escapade, starting with the Chengdu World Cup in China on March 23.

“This race was a pretty important for me today as I am moving onto the World Cups now,” said Birtwhistle.

“After Devonport (the Oceania Standard Distance Championships) a few weeks ago I was sore, I didn’t pull up very well and I was run down, I think  I pushed too hard.

 “I have only just managed to recover in the past couple of days which was just in time.

“You just have to listen to your body and rest, it’s for the best. You might miss out on those training sessions however it’s more important to be fit and healthy come race day.”

Other Australians Drew Box (5^th), early leader off the bike Jake Montgomery (6^th) James Davy (9^th) and Matt Baker (10^th) dominated the top 10.

 

Triathlon’s silver lining as Kelly Ann waves goodbye to surf

There were probably times today when former Ironwoman star Kelly Ann Perkins glanced seaward, thinking “one of those waves” would be handy but the ex-champion surf lifesaver has no regrets after making the biggest move of her career into the world of triathlon.

In front of her family and friends Perkins showed the fruits of a talent transfer into Triathlon Australia’s National Talent Academy with a confidence building silver medal in the ITU Triathlon Oceania Cup women’s race at Mooloolaba behind dominant Australian-based Canadian Sarah-Anne Brault’s.

The Standard Distance course of 1500m swim, 40km bike and the 10km run was a daunting task for the girl who was born and bred on the Sunshine Coast and a celebrated Queensland and National gold medallist with Metropolitan Caloundra and Mooloolaba Surf Clubs.

But a move to Olympic coach Craig Walton on the Gold Coast last year and a place on the NTA program has certainly payed dividends, quicker than she thought.

“I am really happy. Going into this race I was so nervous about how I was going to handle the longer distance but it turned out alright and I am stoked with second place,” said Perkins, who admitted she had been watching triathlon on television before making the move and has already shone overt the Sprint Distance this season.

“I wouldn’t expect that I would transfer (from Surf Ironman) and progress this quickly. Starting off under Craig, he really worked on my bike and I try and hang on in the run.

“There’s nothing better than doing a home race. I had friends and family out there supporting me which made it that little bit easier.

“Going for a five hour bike ride is a whole different step up from Surf Ironman, that’s for sure but I am adapting slowly, and I know it’s going to take a few years but I am really happy with how it’s going so far.

“The major difference is the leg dominance of triathlon. My past training has involved all upper body so with the cycling and running it’s taking a little more to get used to.”

“I will now sit down and work out what I am going to do after this. My goal was to get through today’s race.”

Perkins was second out of the water before the longer run into the bike transition and as hard as the lead group of riders tried they couldn’t lose the former surf star who hung tough on the bike through the tough, windy 40km course.

Coming up the first hill climb to Alexandra Headland it was the red-headed Quebec-born Brault who pushed hard to try and break away and as hard as Perkins tried she just couldn’t match it with the Canadian girl, who is now proudly a member of Jamie Turner’s Wollongong Wizards group.

Brault produced easily the fastest run leg of the day, splitting 38.09 to Perkins 39.30.

In the end Brault ran away with the gold medal in 2 hours 07.55 from Perkins (2:09.16) and New Zealander Penny Hayes (2:10.30).

“Training in Wollongong with the Wizards has helped with my training a lot. The group is a lot of fun,” said Brault, who said she had full recovered from an injury that had plagued her over the last 12 months.

“There has been a lot of great results with the Wizards this weekend so it looks like we’re doing something right down there.

“We push each other every day so it’s easy when you see your team mates winning then you believe you can and that’s part of the battle.

“I am really enjoying it here in Australia and I am not planning on going home; I like it here, especially in the winter.”

Meanwhile the Gold Coasts four-time World Paratriathlon champion Bill Chaffey showed why he loves the Mooloolaba course when he set a new world best time for Standard Distance (1500m swim 40km bike; 10km run) of 2 hours 08 minutes 23 seconds for a wheelchair athlete.

“I set a world record of 2 hours 8mins 50 secs last year and that was faster today, so another world record – I’m stoked,” said Chaffey, who admitted the tailwind coming from Alexandra Headland to Mooloolaba was helpful.

“It’s a great confidence booster to know all the training is paying off.”

Chaffey and Australia’s elite Paratriathletes, with their sights set on the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, are now preparing for their own ITU Paratriathlon circuit over the sprint distance (750 swim, 20km bike, 5km run).

http://www.multisportaustralia.com.au/Home/QuickResults?clientId=1&raceId=1019&raceName=Mooloolaba%20Triathlon%20Festival

Mooloolaba ITU Triathlon Oceania Cup

	First Name	Last Name	Country		Time	Swim	Bike	Run
1	Jacob	Birtwhistle	AUS		01:52:07	00:20:19	00:56:02	00:32:06
2	Nathan	Buschkuehl	AUS		01:52:26	00:20:36	00:55:47	00:32:27
3	Daniel	Coleman	AUS		01:52:35	00:20:25	00:56:02	00:32:32
4	Sam	Osborne	NZL		01:52:56	00:20:38	00:55:47	00:32:55
5	Drew	Box	AUS		01:53:16	00:20:23	00:55:55	00:33:09
6	Jake	Montgomery	AUS		01:53:29	00:20:24	00:55:51	00:33:34
7	Henrik	Goesch	FIN		01:53:40	00:20:27	00:55:56	00:33:34
8	Kohei	Tsubaki	JPN		01:53:50	00:20:23	00:55:53	00:33:50
9	James	Davy	AUS		01:54:05	00:20:27	00:55:55	00:34:00
10	Matthew	Baker	AUS		01:54:22	00:19:57	00:56:19	00:34:09

Mooloolaba ITU Triathlon Oceania Cup

	First Name	Last Name	Country		Time	Swim	Bike	Run
1	Sarah-anne	Brault	CAN		02:07:55	00:21:35	01:04:04	00:38:09
2	Kelly-ann	Perkins	AUS		02:09:16	00:20:53	01:04:39	00:39:30
3	Penny	Hayes	NZL		02:10:30	00:20:54	01:04:31	00:40:45
4	Annelise	Jefferies	AUS		02:11:26	00:23:46	01:05:37	00:37:44
5	Stephanie	Demestichas	AUS		02:12:44	00:21:16	01:07:05	00:39:56
6	Sarah	Deuble	AUS		02:12:50	00:21:45	01:07:36	00:39:06
7	Holly	Grice	AUS		02:18:20	00:21:35	01:04:04	00:48:15
8	Chloe	Butt	AUS		02:19:12	00:21:42	01:07:40	00:45:12
9	Amanda	Bohlin	SWE		02:21:16	00:25:50	01:08:51	00:42:00
10	Tomoko	Sakimoto	JPN		02:22:43	00:21:36	01:06:39	00:49:43

Television coverage: A one hour specialwill air on 7Mate, Sunday, 23 March at 2.30pm.

Photo credit: Barry Alsop

 

Issued on behalf of Triathlon Australia Ian Hanson by

 

 

 

Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia
Managing Director
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