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Sharpe takes second at Sarasota-Bradenton Triathlon

Amelie Kretz and Kira Gupta-Baltazar take close fourth-place finishes

Photo by: Kevin Mackinnon

Canadian Olympic hopeful Matthew Sharpe moved up a step on the podium this weekend, following up his third-place finish at last weekend’s Clermont Draft Legal Triathlon with a runner-up finish at the sprint-distance Sarasota-Bradenton Triathlon. 2016 Olympian Amelie Kretz was outsprinted for the final podium spot in the women’s race by last weekend’s winner, Iceland’s Edda Hannesdottir, while Dominika Jamnicky finished seventh.

Like the Clermont race last weekend, the Sarasota-Bradenton race is traditionally a PATCO event, but didn’t have that designation this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Photo: USA Triathlon/ JP Elite

McDowell takes the men’s race

The men’s race was won by American Kevin McDowell after a big group stayed close together through the swim and the bike to set up a running race for the men’s title. McDowell’s 14:54 run split got him to the line almost 20 seconds ahead of Sharpe, who managed to out sprint American Austin Hindman for the silver medal.

Elite Men — Complete Results
1. Kevin McDowell (Geneva, Ill.), 49:15
2. Matthew Sharpe (CAN), 49:34
3. Austin Hindman (Wildwood, Mo.), 49:35

DNF – Tristen Jones, (CAN)

Sereno runs to the women’s win

As with the men the race turned into a footrace after much of the women’s field grouped together through the bike. Sereno took her first elite win thanks to a 16:40 run split that pulled her away from the rest of the women in the race. France’s Sandra Dodet took second, 12-seconds back, while Hannesdottir outsprinted Kretz by two seconds to round out the podium. In addition to Jamnicky (7th), other Canadians in the field included

Elite Women — Complete Results

  1. Gina Sereno (Madison, Wis.), 55:49
  2. Sandra Dodet (FRA), 56:01
  3. Edda Hannesdottir (ISL), 56:11
  4. Amelie Kretz (CAN), 56:13
  5. Dominika Jamnicky (CAN), 56:41
  6. Kyla Roy (CAN), 58:15
  7. Ella Kubas (CAN), 58:45
  8. Brittany Warly (CAN), 59:47

Gupta-Baltazar takes fourth in junior race

Canadian junior stand out Kira Gupta-Baltazar was in the hunt for a podium finish after dominating the swim with a blazing 9:25 swim, over 45-seconds faster than the next fastest woman out of  the water. A group of women set out on the 5 km run together, with American athletes sweeping the podium just ahead of Gupta-Baltazar

Junior Elite Female — Complete Results

  1. Gabby Martin (USA), 59:21
  2. Alexandra Poole (USA), 59:22
  3. Jenna Buchanan (USA), 59:25
  4. Kira Gupta-Baltazar (CAN), 59:31