AUSSIE GIRLS LEAD TRIATHLON TRIUMPHS

TRIATHLON,. July 11:Australia’s world champion triathletes Emma Moffatt, Ashleigh Gentle and Emma Jackson have produced a stellar weekend of results in an encouraging boost for the Australian team at major international triathlons in Paris and Edmonton.

Defending world ITU champion and Olympic bronze medallist Moffatt and reigning world under 23 champion Emma Jackson scored a thrilling 1-2 quinella in the French Grand Prix in Paris.

While in Edmonton, 20-year-old Gold Coast world junior champion Gentle scored a major breakthrough to win her first ever ITU World Cup race ahead of 31-year-old Slovenian mother Mateja Simic and 19-year-old-old Austrian Lisa Perterer.

Gold Coast-based Moffatt and Brisbane’s Jackson dominated the sprint format in Paris when they raced in the major French domestic teams competition to beat local star Emmie Charayron with notables Jodie Lee Stimpson (Great Britain), Barbara Riveros (Chile), Sarah Groff (France) and Kirsten Sweetland (Canada) fourth through seventh respectively.

A third Australian Felicity Sheedy-Ryan was an encouraging tenth to give the Aussies three of the top 10

But there were tears of joy and relief for Gentle in Edmonton after the realization of five years of ups and downs in the rigors of international triathlon had finally come to fruition.

With pre-race favourite and home town hero Paula Findlay an 11th hour withdrawal due to a painful hip injury, it left the field wide open for someone to breakthrough.

And it was Gentle, the 2010 World Junior Champion, who had missed out on the World Championships with a disastrous year in 2009 after being the runner-up in 2007 and 2008, who made the most of the opportunity.

“It was pretty rough in the swim and I had to work hard on the bike. It’s quite a tough course actually,” said Gentle.

“That hill was tough each time but I felt good and strong going up it. There was a bit of wind too that that’s always a factor.”

Gentle said she was grateful for a helping hand from several of her competitors on the bike which saw them eventually catch the first pack.

“I knew if I was within striking range coming off the bike I could just nail the run and hopefully get past a few girls and not look back.

“I started to get positive feedback from everyone on the course. I was actually making (up) time. I was stoked with that and really pumped up to get the group going and to reel that front group in. So that was pretty much the break through.

“When you can see the front pack on the run it is always good, you have the leaders in your sites. I could see the water station at the bottom of the hill and chose not to take a drink and to run around the outside of the leaders and no one came with me and that was a good thing.”

Gentle had no luck in the ITU Ishigaki World Cup and reflected emotionally on how she had comeback from a pretty round year inn 2009.

“I was in the main pack in Ishigaki earlier this year and I was really happy with how my race was going but actually punctured at 20km, so that was a bit unfortunate, but this makes it just as sweet,” said Gentle.

“The year 2009 was a pretty rough year for me. I was struggling with my asthma and (my swim) so to break through and win last year at junior world’s after finishing second in 2007 and 2008 and having a shocking year in 2009, was amazing.

“When things start to come together and all your hard work pays off, I guess it’s all a bit emotional.

“But this has been a massive break through; I’m totally happy with it. I’m not going to get carried away but I think it’s a big move forward for me.”

The triathlon trio continued what has been an extraordinary week for Queenslanders in major sport, following the Reds win over the Crusaders in the Super Rugby and Queensland’s sixth State of Origin win.

It is an ideal preparation for Australia’s tilt at this weekend’s Dextro Energy ITI World Championship round in Hamburg and just a month out from the all-important ITU round and Olympic qualifier in London (August 6 and 7).

In another significant results, NSW North Coast triathlete Mitch Robins also scored a break through victory in the Olympic distance 2011 Holten ITU Triathlon Premium European Cup in the Netherlands.

Robins, Australia’s 2011 Continental Cup winner in Mooloolaba, held off Simon de Cuyper (Belgium) and Franz Loeschkre (Germany) to record a stunning victory.

{audio}/images/stories/news-articles/audio/gentle%20wins%20edmonton%20interview.mp3{/audio}