Callum McClusky scores huge upset win over Hayden Wilde in New Zealand
Sophie Linn takes women's win at World Triathlon Cup Napier
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World Triathlon
Olympic bronze medalist and home favourite Hayden Wilde managed to overcome a disastrous swim to bike and run his way to the silver medal, but it was Australia’s Callum McClusky who topped the podium at the World Triathlon Cup Napier. Another Australian, Sophie Linn, also took her first World Cup win to top the women’s race.
“Disaster” swim
The 750 m swim course featured choppy conditions that saw Italy’s Alessio Crociani lead the way out of the water, with Wilde having a tough time in the water and hitting T1 second to last and, more importantly, 47 seconds behind the leaders. Wilde would power the chase group, but try as he might that group hit T2 26 seconds behind the lead group that included McClusky, Casper Stornes (NOR), Alberto Gonzalez Garcia (ESP), Ben Djikstra (GBR) and Shachar Sagiv (ISR).
Even though Wilde followed up his scorching bike with the day’s fastest run, it wasn’t enough to catch McClusky, who took his first World Cup win, six seconds up on Wilde. Garcia would hang on for third, just two seconds behind Wilde.
“It’s amazing, it’s seven years since my first World Cup and it’s taken me seven years to get on the podium, it’s been a lot of hard work with my team and we’ve had to work really hard to get here, ” McClusky said.
“That was a disaster (the swim),” Wilde said after the race. “I worked really hard on the bike, we got some movement in the group, I was pulling pretty hard and I just wanted to keep the gap as small as possible and we got something going on. I was pretty sore for the run and I just went for it. I think I ran pretty fast, so I am really happy with that and the hard bike, it is a good preparation for Abu Dhabi. I might need to assess there (the swim) but it was a choppy swim and I just didn’t have a good day out there. ”
1.Callum McClusky AUS 00:49:41
2.Hayden Wilde NZL 00:49:47
3.Alberto Gonzalez Garcia ESP 00:49:49
4.Shachar Sagiv ISR 00:49:50
5.Dylan McCullough NZL 00:49:52
Full Results: Elite Men
Linn takes first World Cup
Australian Sophie Linn put herself in the Olympic qualifying mix with a big win in the women’s race. Linn was part of a lead group that was formed on the bike that included British swim leaders Sophie Alden and Olivia Mathias, along with New Zealand’s Eva Goodisson, Emma Jeffcoat (AUS), Paulina Klimas (POL), Melanie Santos (POR) and Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer (HUN).
The leaders hit T2 with a 30-second lead over the chase pack that included race favourites Gina Sereno (USA), Valerie Barthelemy (BEL), Natalie Van Coevorden (AUS) and Ilaria Zane (ITA).
The podium would go to members of that breakaway group, though, with Linn charging to the win ahead of Alden and Mathias.
“It feels amazing to come out in an Olympic year and get my first win at a World Cup, I couldn’t have asked for a better start,” Linn said after the race. “The season prep has been really good, I have just been based in Boulder, that’s where I am happiest with all of my friends, my dog and my partner so it’s been a really good winter of training. I came down here two weeks ago, just to get a bit of warm weather and it definitely paid off. I am going to stay in New Zealand for another week and then head to Abu Dhabi and then back to Boulder to prepare for Yokohama and Cagliari.”
1.Sophie Linn AUS 00:56:35
2.Sophie Alden GBR 00:56:43
3.Olivia Mathias GBR 00:56:44
4.Melanie Santos POR 00:57:04
5.Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer HUN 00:57:14
Women’s results: Elite Women
