Carla Moreno Wins Rio World Cup

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 9 November 2003: For immediate Release: The Brazilian   trio of Sandra Soldan, Mariana Ohata and Carla Morena teamed up from the start   of the Rio ITU World Cup Triathlon at the famous Copacabaña Beach.

The Brazilian women led through the entire 2-lap 1500 metre swim with Portugal’s   Vanessa Fernandes and Amanda Stevens of the USA a short distance back.

Stevens led through the first transition and onto the 8-lap 40km bike course,   but the separation was not enough to get away and a large group of 24 quickly   formed at the front. This pack also included a strong group of Canadians; Carol   Montgomery, Sharon Donnelly, Samantha McGlone and last weekend’s Cancun   World Cup winner Natasha Filliol. Austria’s Eva Brambock, Hungary’s   Andrea Walko and Zita Szabo and France’s Stephanie Gros and Marion Lorblanchet   were also at the front with the leaders.

The lead group settled down on the bike and worked well together, edging ahead   of the chase pack on each lap. By the midway point, the chase group led by Hungary’s   Nora Edosceny was back 1 minute.

In the latter stages of the bike, the chase group made up some time on the   leaders and entered the bike to run transition with a 40 second deficit on the   leaders.

Carla Morena of Brazil dazzled the home-country fans by sweeping through transition   first onto the 4 lap, 10km run as Vanessa Fernandez was left behind in transition.

On the first lap, Fernandes made up lost time and with Carol Montgomery moved   to the front with Morena. Montgomery appeared poised to repeat the World Cup   victory that she won here in 2000, however it was not to be.

The trio dropped all challengers and as they entered the final lap there was   little doubt about who would be on the podium – all three!.

Carla Morena, soaking up the energy from the huge crowd that lined the course,   pulled away from Montgomery on the last lap, determined not to disappoint her   home-country fans.

The deafening noise from the crowd lingered in the air as Morena captured her   first World Cup victory and the adoration of everyone at the event. Carol Montgomery   posted her second 2nd place finish of the season, 50 seconds back, with Vanessa   Fernandes 3rd.