Erin Densham’s nasty fall forces her out of ITU Mooloolaba World Cup return
Triathlon Australia, March 10, 2015: Olympic bronze medallist Erin Densham will be released from hospital today after a nasty fall from her bike on a training ride in Sydney on Sunday.
Densham, 29, suffered a nasty abrasion to her elbow and was taken to Campbelltown Hospital where doctors had to put the two-time Olympian under a general anesthetic to clean up what was a complicated wound.
She recently defended her Australian Cross Tri title at Lake Crackenback and will now be forced to curtail her return to ITU racing, scheduled for this weekend’s Mooloolaba ITU Triathlon World Cup, the start of her campaign for a third Olympics in Rio.
It is yet another setback for the tough-as-teak Densham who has overcome a heart condition, a bout of pneumonia in 2013 and more recently a chlorine overdose suffered when she inhaled the chemical at a training pool.
But is not going to stop the determined girl from Campbelltown, who has built up a solid training background at her US-training base in Scottsdale, Arizona, preparing for her ITU return.
“I’m still not sure exactly what happened, one minute I was riding along and the next I was on the ground, landing right on my elbow, I must have hit something on the road and it sent me crashing,” said Densham.
“I thought, oh no, after all the hard work I’ve done and I was really looking forward to racing this weekend in Mooloolaba.
“The doctors took one look at it and knew they had some major work to do to clean it up and they’ve done a great job, it looks a whole lot better now that when I did it on Sunday.
“It’s in a nasty place and while I could probably still ride and run, I can’t swim for at least seven to 10 days because of the threat of infection.
“I have had two stitches and I also suffered a couple of puncture wounds which the doctors are letting heal on their own.
“I’m going home with a course of antibiotics and under strict orders not to get the wound wet and to take it easy, so as not to risk infection.
“But I hope to be recovered in time to be able to take my place on the start line for the WTS race in Auckland on March 28,29.”
Densham’s husband, Jono Hall, the USA Triathlon Performance Advisor, arrived home from the opening WTS round in Abu Dhabi on Monday morning to the news.
“I turned my phone on after getting off the plane and virtually went straight to the hospital,” said Hall.
“It’s a nasty gash and doctors didn’t take any chances and put her under a general anesthetic.
“I said if she was riding on the Tour, she would be patched up and sent back out the next day but being a triathlete she can’t swim so it’s going to take time.
“It’s a shame because she was so looking forward to getting back to racing after all the work she has done and I know a lot of people were keen to see her back racing again.
“It’s been a long time coming but as I said to Erin, no use looking back, you have to look forward and hopefully she’ll be right for Auckland.”
It is a big week in Triathlon with the weekend’s Mooloolaba World Cup and Oceania Cup races preceded by the National Youth Championships at Twin Waters on Thursday and Friday and the Sunshine Coast ITU Paratriathlon Event also at Twin Waters on Friday.
What’s coming up……
GOLD COAST TO HOST ROUND THREE OF THE WTS: The world’s best triathletes will descend on the Gold Coast (Queensland, Australia), as they take on round three of the International Triathlon Union World Triathlon Series, on Saturday 11 April 2015.
Mooloolaba (AUS) World Cup (March 14,15)
Sprint Distance (750m; 20km; 5km)
MEN
Jake Birtwhistle (TAS)
Cameron Good (NSW)
Declan Wilson (ACT)
Kenji Nener (WA)
Courtney Atkinson (QLD)
Matt Baker (NSW)
Peter Kerr (VIC)
Jesse Featonby (ACT)
WOMEN
Ashleigh Gentle (QLD)
Gillian Backhouse (QLD)
Natalie Van Coervorden (NSW)
Jaz Hedgeland (WA)
Erin Densham (NSW)
Grace Musgrove (NSW)
Felicity Sheedy-Ryan (WA)
Ellie Salthouse (QLD)
New Plymouth (NZL) World Cup (March 21, 22)
Sprint Distance (750m; 20km; 5km)
MEN
Kenji Nener (WA)
Luke Willian (QLD)
Courtney Atkinson (QLD)
Drew Box (QLD)
Jesse Featonby (ACT)
WOMEN
Natalie Van Coervorden (NSW)
Grace Musgrove (NSW)
Erin Densham (NSW)
Felicity Sheedy-Ryan (WA)
Ellie Salthouse (QLD)
Auckland (NZL) World Triathlon Series (March 28, 29)
Standard Distance (1.5km; 40km; 10km)
MEN
Aaron Royle (NSW))
Ryan Bailie (WA)
Dan Wilson (QLD)
Jake Birtwhistle (TAS)
Brendan Sexton (NSW)
Cameron Good (NSW)
WOMEN
Emma Moffatt (QLD)
Ashleigh Gentle (QLD)
Emma Jackson (QLD)
Gillian Backhouse (QLD)
Erin Densham (NSW)
Charlotte McShane (NSW)
Issued on behalf of 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
Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia Managing Director
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