WTS Bermuda | Norway makes history as first men’s team to sweep podium
In an unpredicted and exciting finish for the Norway triathlon team, the men’s squad swept the podium today at WTS Bermuda, becoming the first national men’s team to ever do so in WTS history. Led by first-time WTS winner Casper Stornes and circuit favourite Kristian Blummenfelt, Gustav Iden rounded out the podium for the Norwegian men and beat the likes of Mario Mola, Richard Murray and Henri Schoeman in the process:
“Not when I was in the big group, but when I saw that they just let me go (on the bike) I saw I had a chance, so I just took it. I won, so I am very happy!” said Stornes on thinking if he had a chance from the beginning to win gold. “I was thinking many times that maybe I should slow down and inhale a little bit, but I just pushed on and got more time.”
“That was impressive! I thought with 90 seconds we might be able to catch him, but he was running too strong. I think we only took about five seconds in the first five kilometres, I’m so glad for him,” said Blummenfelt on the strength of Stornes’ performance.
Iden added on Norway sweeping the podium, “It was just like in training, it has been just like this all winter. We have done this almost everyday, so it is just unbelievable to do it in a competition as well. I don’t think many people thought that it was possible like four years ago, but we are here and we are ready to take the world.
Thousands of cheering fans lined the streets in Hamilton, Bermuda for the inaugural event. Despite early forecasts of rain, the weather, yet windy, was clear and eager to welcome the men kick off WTS Bermuda.
In the women’s race, it was no surprise that Bermudan Flora Duffy gave her country a win on home soil.
“I don’t think this moment is going to sink in for a while, but what I will say when it does is that this will probably be one of the highlights of my career. I mean this is incredible, the streets were lined, and it was just a phenomenal atmosphere, it was incredible. It was hard for me to control my emotions throughout that whole 10km, but with like 9.5km to go I just thought I need to smile and celebrate and soak this in,” Duffy said of her hometown-hero win.
Canada’s Joanna Brown took 10th in the women’s race and Tyler Mislawchuk took 24th for the men.
