Golden finish for Team Australia at Cross Tri Worlds

Triathlon Australia: November 20, 2016: Gold Coast Commonwealth Games hopeful Charlotte McShane has finished off 2016 on a gold medal moment in Lake Crackenback today – although she did have a little help from her friends.
 
McShane, who stormed home to take the bronze medal in this year’s World Triathlon Series grand final in Cozumel in September = after missing Olympic selection for Rio, was fourth in yesterday’s ITU World Cross Triathlon World Championship.
 
And although her body was still recovering from the three hours of getting “dirty down under” she backed up today to play her part in the gold medal-winning performance from Australia in the World Teams Relay.

 
She combined with Australia’s No 1 Cross Triathlete, Wollongong’s Ben Allen (fifth in yesterday’s Elite men’s race) and world champion age groupers Kate Bramley from Geelong and Rowan Beggs-French from Canberra.
 
The Aussies blitzed the field to take the gold medals from New Zealand with the second team from Australia (Brodie Gardner, Penny Hosken, Guy Andrews, Virgine Bernard) winning bronze.
 
McShane will now take some more time off before resuming training under coach Jamie Turner in Wollongong in January.
 
Her first major race for 2017 will be the ITU World Triathlon Series race on the Gold Coast on April 8 as she focuses on automatic selection for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
 
“It is so much fun to race in Australia. We don’t get too many chances to race at home so its exciting when we get those chances," said McShane.
 
“I really don’t want to leave anything to chance in the run up to the Games and I really want that automatic selection and I am ready to go for that - it starts next year.
 
“It’s exciting to have the Games on home soil.”
 
Allen will join McShane with Turner’s squad as he joins the likes of Aaron Royle, Ryan Bailie and Jake Birtwhistle in their Gold Coast Games campaign and will also line up in the Australian Olympic Distance triathlon.
 
But the next big race on his calendar will be his wedding day in March when he marries fellow Cross Triathlete, British girl Jackie Slack.
 
“That’s going to be a big day and I can’t wait,” said Allen.
 
Team Australia wrapped up its campaign with three gold, a silver and two bronze medals after three tough days of racing around the spectacular Lake Crackenback.
 
Sutherland schoolgirl Laura May and 42-year-old Albury father Justin Godfrey rounded off a perfect finale with gold medals in the Junior Female and the Paratriathlon PT3 divisions.
 
Silver came from 17-year-old Brisbane schoolboy Dean Cane who stormed home to finish second to South Africa’s Michael Ferreira with Spain’s Sixto Vaquero taking the bronze.
 
While Australia’s final medal, a bronze went to Georgia Silvestri in the Junior women.
 
The Aussies finished the day the way they started it, with a barnstorming victory in the Cross Tri Teams Relay to Ben Allen, Charlotte McShane, Kate Bramley and Rowan Beggs-French with the team of Brodie Gardner, Penny Hosken, Guy Andrews, Virgine Bernard bringing home the bronze.
 
In all Australia finished with a tally of 40 medals - 16 gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze medals.

GOLD
Laura May (Under 19 Junior Female)
Justin Godfrey (PT3 Paratriathlon)
Penny Slater (20-24 Female)
Rowan Beggs-French (25-29 Male)
Kate Bramley (25-29 Female)
Anne Alford (30-34 Female)
George Tambly (30-34 Male)
Leela Hancox (35-39 Female)
Naantali Marshall (40-44 Female)
Kim Becksinsale (45-49 Female)
Tim Lane (45-49 Male)
Ian Martin (50-54 Male)
Amanda Richards (50-54 Female)
Jenny Alcorn (55-59 Female)
Richard Jeffery (60-64 Male)
Australia (Ben Allen, Charlotte McShane, Kate Bramley, Rowan Beggs-French)
 
SILVER
Dean Cane (Under 19 Junior Male)
Max Neumann (Under 23 Male)
Chris Dimos (55-59 Male)
Jennifer Strack (55-59 Female)
Peter Walker (50-54 Male)
Lindy Kronen (50-54 Female)
Rebecca Beagley (25-29 Female)
Craig Davis (25-29 Male)
Jacob Storey (30-34Male)
Shane Gibbs (35-39 Male)
Sam Hume (40-44 Male)

BRONZE
Georgia Silvestri (Junior Female)
Robbie Hunt (20-25 Male)
Bardie Gruber (65-69 Female)
Stephen Wise (60-64 Male)
Philip Cook (50-54 Male)
Kerrie Muir (50-54 Female)
Elizabeth Mutton (25-29 Female)
Grant Davis (25-29 Male)
Brenda Turner (30-34 Female)
Virgine Bernard (35-39 Female)
Yoko Okuda (40-44 Female)
Guy Andrews (45-49 Male)
Australia (Brodie Gardner, Penny Hosken, Guy Andrews, Virgine Bernard).

Photo credit: Delly Carr
Full results will be posted here.