ITU World Triathlon Series

Press Release - 2003 ITU Gamagori World Cup - Elite Women

15 June 2003

ITU Media
Release: 15 June 2003

Liz Blatchford Takes Her First World Cup Victory in Gamagori

Gamagori, Japan, 15 June 2003: For immediate Release: The sky cleared just prior to the start of the women’s Gamagori ITU World Cup leaving air temperatures at 22oC and humidity at 94%. The non-wetsuit swim was in water temperature of 24oC. There was a gentle breeze from the southeast at 2.3 km/hr.

Shortly after a picture-perfect start to the 2 lap, 1500 metre swim course, Laura Reback of the USA took a 3 metre lead on a chase group of 9 which included Chinese teammates Meng Shi and Lin Xing, Sharon Donnelly of Canada, Silvia Gemignani of Italy, Emma Snowsill and Liz Blatchford of Australia and Japan’s Ai Ueda.

At the end of the swim, Italy’s Silvia Gemignani sprinted for the swim exit ramp and was first through the transition area and onto the 7 lap bike. She was followed closely by ten other women including Laura Reback, Sharon Donnelly, Meng Shi, Liz Blatchford, Emma Snowsill, Amanda Pagon and Julie Swail of the USA, Lin Xing and Giunia Chenevier of Italy. The chase pack was led through transition by Eva Brambock of Austria, Samantha Warriner of New Zealand, Olga Generalova of Russia, Gillian Moody of Canada, and Japanese teammates Eri Nakagawa, Kyomi Niwata and Akiko Sekine.

A bike crash on the first lap between Lenka Radova of the Czech Republic and Ai Ueda of Japan resulted in Radova withdrawing from the event. Ueda managed to dust herself off and continue.

Silvia Gemignani was at the front of the lead group of 9 as they went through to lap #2, with Laura Reback, Ming Shi, Sharon Donnelly, Liz Blatchford, Emma Snowsill, Amanda Pagon. Kiyomi Niwata and Gillian Moody were at the front of the chase group that was 40 seconds back at this point.

By the half way point on the bike, the chase pack led by Lin Xing of China and Gillian Moody of Canada started to close the 45 second gap to the leaders as Liz Blatchford took over at the front of the lead group. The 3rd group, lead by Natasha Filliol and Samantha McGlone of Canada and Emma Carney of Australia was also making up ground on the leaders. Meanwhile, overhead the skies were threatening to open up as the rain appeared to be returning.

On the last lap of the bike the chase group caught the leaders which resulted in a large group of 29 at the front. The new chase group led by Natasha Filliol and Emma Carney were also making up ground.. Lin Xing of China took over the lead at the front for the last lap.

Once onto the 3 lap, 10km run course, Laura Reback quickly moved through transition to take the lead, followed closely by Canadian teammates Sharon Donnelly and Natasha Filliol, Liz Blatchford, Mirinda Carfrae of the USA and Akiko Sekine. Carfrae soon dropped back, finding the pace at the front a little too swift and at one point was almost swallowed up by a surging Emma Carney who made a dramatic recovery after being back by about 50 seconds after the bike.

At the halfway point on the run, Laura Reback and Liz Blatchford continued to run together at the front, followed closely by the Japanese running specialist Akiko Sekine. Natasha Filliol was a short distance behind, with Mirinda Carfrae recovering her pace to maintain 5th place. Emma Carney, running very strongly had run through the field into 6th place.

At the start of the final lap, Liz Blatchford put the hammer down on Laura Reback and started to run away with the race. Akiko Sekine and Natasha Filliol were closing in on Laura Reback as the struggle for the silver and bronze medal was heating up.

Liz Blatchford continued to pull away from Laura Reback and crossed the line 12 seconds ahead, to reverse the finish of last weekend’s Tongyeong ITU World Cup event in Korea where she lost in a sprint finish to Reback. Akiko Sekine delighted the home country crowd of some 15,000 in the stadium by taking the final podium spot. Mirinda Crafrae passed Natasha Filliol on the last lap to take 4th, as Filliol was 5th. Emma Carney impressed many of her Japanese fans with a 6th place finish, her best in several years.

For complete results and photos, please visit www.triathlon.org.