SILVER LINING FOR AUSSIE TRIATHLETES AS ITU WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS COME TO A CLOSE IN EDMONTON

 
Triathlon Australia, September 1, 2014: Australia has completed its ITU World Championship campaign in Edmonton today with a silver lining after the Under 23s/Junior Mixed Teams Relay fought back to finish second to Great Britain.

It gave Australia a final combined medal tally for Elite, Age Group and Paratriathlon World Championships of 9 gold, 6 silver and 9 gold – second behind the USA.

Today’s Mixed Team Relay required each of the four relay team members is required to cover a 600m swim; 6.6km bike and 1.6km run.

The Australian foursome - Gillian Backhouse, Matt Baker, Brittany Dutton and Jacob Birtwhistle stuck to their guns despite dropping to sixth on two occasions.

After losing time trying to get her wetsuit off in T1, Youth Olympic Games gold medallist Brittany Dutton produced a dynamic bike ride and run to put the Australians back in the medal hunt.

She tagged anchor leg, individual World Championship Junior silver medallist Jake Birtwhistle in third place behind Great Britain and host nation Canada.



Birtwhistle was up against good friend, Canadian Tyler Mislawchuk his training partner and house mate from his Spanish training camp in Vitoria, Spain and after trailing Mislawchuk out of the water caught and passed him on the bike.

Both outstanding runners, it was Birtwhistle, one of the fastest Under 20 runners over 3000 and 5000m in Australia and this year's Junior Zatopek champion held his lead over the 1.6km course to seal second and his second silver medal of the championships.

It also gave Backhouse her second silver of the week after her second place finish yesterday in the Under 23s World Championship.

For Dutton it gives her a full set of gold, silver and bronze for her "championship season" - after the never-say-die 16-year-old gold in the Youth Olympic individual race and bronze in the YOG Mixed Teams Relay for Oceania.

It is also a deserved finale for Baker who was a close up 12th in the Under 23 individual event.

Earlier in the day in the Standard (Olympic) Distance Age Group World Championships Ken Murley completed a golden double when he added gold to his Sprint Distance World Championship from Friday.

There were also silvers to Elliot Brown and Craig Davis who added to Australia's medal tally on the final day.
Brown followed his gold in the Sprint Triathlon on Friday with a silver medal behind Ian Boggs (USA) in the 20/24 years Standard (Olympic) Distance event.

Davis won his second silver medal of the Championships, when he finished second to Great Britain's Neil Eddy in the 25/29 years age group.

There were also three gold medals to Australia’s Open Paratriathletes - Casey Hyde PT5 Open; Debbie Wendt PT3 Open and Mark Urquhart PT1 Open.

AUSTRALIA’S MEDALLISTS – 2014 ITU TRIATHLON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS EDMONTON:

GOLD (9)
Jane Pilbeam (PT3) Elite Paratriathlon

Elliot Brown (20-24 years Sprint)
Michellie Jones (45-49 years Sprint)
Jane Mountford (60-65 Sprint)
Ken Murley (70-74 years Sprint)

Ken Murley 70/74 years (Standard)
Casey Hyde PT5 Open
Debbie Wendt PT3 Open
Mark Urquhart PT1 Open

SILVER (6)
Jacob Birtwhistle (Junior Sprint)
Craig Davis (25-29 years Sprint)
Richard Burnell (50-55 years Sprint)

Gillian Backhouse (Under 23s Standard)

Elliot Brown (20/24 years Standard)
Craig Davis 25/29 years Standard)

BRONZE (9)
Calvin Quirk (Junior Sprint)
Kate Bramley (25-29 years Sprint)
Xavier Flynn (35-39 years Sprint)
Caitlin Wade (40-44 years Sprint)
Jennifer Strack (55-59 years Sprint)
Greg Salter (6-64 years Sprint)

Greg Salter (60/64 years Standard)
Brian Chandler (70/74 years Standard)
Ross Mason (PT4 Open)

 

Issued on behalf od Triathlon Australia by
Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia
Media Manager, 2014 Australian Commonwealth Games Team
Deputy Media Manager 2016 Australian Olympic Team
Media Manager 2014 Pan Pacs