Ryan Bailie’s fighting fourth – best ever WTS finish in London

Posted in Other News

Triathlon Australia, June 1, 2015: Australia’s Ryan Bailie has fallen agonisingly close to his first World Triathlon Series podium finish in London overnight.

The 24-year-old from Wollongong finished fourth – his best ever WTS finish – after a dramatic final lap sprint with Spain’s Fernando Alarza and Frenchman Vincent Luis.

BAILIE-RUN-2-6-2015

Bailie finished in 50 minutes 58 seconds – one second behind Luis (50:57) with Alarza (50.51) second in a race won by British Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee (50.39).

In his WTS rookie season, Tasmania’s Jacob Birtwhistle, 9^th in Yokohama a fortnight ago, again revelled in top company, finishing 11^th – clocking the third fastest 5km run split of the day – 14:23.

Fellow Australians were Aaron Royle (23^rd), Ryan Fisher (24^th) Declan Wilson (52^nd) and Brendan Sexton (53^rd).

In a Sprint Distance format (750m swim; 20km bike; 10km run) there was no time for error or mishap.

After the wetsuit swim Brownlee led the lead pack around Hyde Park alongside Royle, working hard for the Australians and Luis in an 18-man pack.

Expert sprinters Mario Mola (ESP) and Richard Murray (RSA) also missed the first group and were forced to start from a deficit on the two-lap run, but stormed home with Murray 5^th, clocking the fastest 5km run split 14:12 and Mola (14^th) running 14:22.

Luis and Brownlee continued their quest for a podium as they took the top spot early on the 2-lap run, with Bailie running his heart out, only to fall short, leaving him disappointed.

bailie-bike-6-2015

“I actually felt sluggish all day and I was lucky to make the front pack with Aaron (Royle) doing a lot of work on the bike for us,” said Bailie.

“In the run I just didn’t feel that flash and thought about things to take my mind away and in the end I just didn’t have the kick to get on the podium.

“I was disappointing, as an athlete you always want more, I guess and I really wanted a podium and I just felt short.”

It was Brownlee who left nothing to chance and blasted away on the first lap to create an insurmountable gap. A gap that would lead him right into the finish line and right into the position of hearing Great Britain’s national anthem alongside his national people.

WTS LONDON – MEN’S TOP TEN AND RANKINGS

Elite Men

1.	Alistair Brownlee	GBR	00:50:39
2.	Fernando Alarza	ESP	00:50:51
3.	Vincent Luis	FRA	00:50:57
4.	Ryan Bailie	AUS	00:50:58
5.	Richard Murray	RSA	00:51:01
6.	Dorian Coninx	FRA	00:51:06
7.	Henri Schoeman	RSA	00:51:08
8.	Tony Dodds	NZL	00:51:10
9.	Justus Nieschlag	GER	00:51:12
10.	Tyler Mislawchuk	CAN	00:51:14

View Full Results >>

Rankings Men

1.	Javier Gomez Noya	ESP	3507
2.	Mario Mola	ESP	2979
3.	Fernando Alarza	ESP	2961
4.	Richard Murray	RSA	2490
5.	Alistair Brownlee	GBR	2340
6.	Ryan Bailie	AUS	2305
7.	Jonathan Brownlee	GBR	2186
8.	Vincent Luis	FRA	2110
9.	Crisanto Grajales	MEX	2015
10.	Sven Riederer	SUI	1750

View Full Rankings >>

Erin Densham’s season best after suffering torn gluteal

Australia’s Olympic triathlon bronze medallist Erin Densham has produced her best performance of the season, finishing 12^th, in the WTS London overnight, revealing she had carried a torn gluteal muscle for two months.

The 30-year-old, who won her bronze in London in 2012, was unaware of how serious the problem was until after the WTS Cape Town race last month.

And her performance on limited running training has given her a huge confidence boost leading into the major races at the end of the season.

It was a sprint distance event again dominated by unbeaten Gwen Jorgensen and her US team mates Katie Zaferes and Sarah True in another American trifecta.

Densham was the best of the Australians followed by 2013 Under 23 ITU World Champion Charlotte McShane (16^th), Natalie Van Coevorden (26^th), Emma Jackson (39^th) and Gillian Backhouse (47^th).

The dual Olympian said she was “really happy with how that ended up” although not the swim she would have liked, saying she just tried to ride smart.

“I haven’t done the work on the run yet, I actually found out after Cape Town I had a torn glute for two months,” said Densham.

“I had been training and racing with the injury so I had to take time off running after Cape Town.

“But today’s run was beyond where I’m at; and I just tried to hang in there; it’s better than what I expected of myself and I actually asked myself what am I doing up here? I haven’t trained for this yet.

“It was good and I’m really happy with where I’m at leading into the major races like the Rio Test Event at the end of the year.

“I just haven’t been able to do the work yet; I’ve got time now there’s a gap between now and Rio (August 1); time to knuckle down and do the work

“But to be able to run the way I did today and not be close to 100 percent run fit is encouraging, I know its going to come to me.”

WTS LONDON – WOMEN’S TOP TEN AND RANKINGS

Elite Women

1.	Gwen Jorgensen	USA	00:55:45
2.	Katie Zaferes	USA	00:56:06
3.	Sarah True	USA	00:56:07
4.	Aileen Reid	IRL	00:56:25
5.	Vicky Holland	GBR	00:56:28
6.	Andrea Hewitt	NZL	00:56:31
7.	Barbara Riveros	CHI	00:56:32
8.	Paula Findlay	CAN	00:56:32
9.	Amelie Kretz	CAN	00:56:33
10.	Sophia Saller	GER	00:56:33

View Full Results >>

Rankings Women

1.	Gwen Jorgensen	USA	4000
2.	Katie Zaferes	USA	3645
3.	Andrea Hewitt	NZL	2910
4.	Sarah True	USA	2632
5.	Barbara Riveros	CHI	2100
6.	Aileen Reid	IRL	2078
7.	Emma Moffatt	AUS	1710
8.	Vendula Frintova	CZE	1414
9.	Lindsey Jerdonek	USA	1387
10.	Vicky Holland	GBR	1386

View Full Rankings >>

Issued on behalf of Triathlon Australia by
Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia

Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia Managing Director
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