Juniors swelter as they try to qualify
Queenslanders Ashleigh Gentle and Drew Viles thrived in brutal conditions to book themselves a ticket to the world championships in Budapest later this year by taking out the Australian Junior Triathlon Series race in Canberra today.
Gentle, a dual silver medallist at junior level at previous world championships, gave a dominant display to announce a stunning return to form following a disappointing 2009. A top 10 finish in the 750-metre swim leg ensured she was among a lead bike pack at the halfway mark of the 20km ride. But with no-one willing to attack and put themselves at the mercy of hot and blustery winds, they were caught by a hard-working chase pack, resulting in a lead group of 25 hitting transition together for the 5km run.
It was Gentle though, that stamped her authority early, opening a 50-metre lead after just one kilometre and holding her form impressively to eventually take out the race by 50 seconds in 1hr 2min 9secs. Fellow Queenslander Ellie Salthouse was the surprise package, running into second place ahead of Victoria’s Holly Aitken. With the elite junior race also doubling as a selection race for the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in August, Salthouse, as the first eligible athlete home under the age restrictions for the event, will be the sole Oceania nomination.
“Once the chase pack caught us on the bike it was just a matter of sitting in being careful because it was all a bit chaotic out there,” Gentle said. “Then, on the run, it was always the plan to just go out hard and not look back. I’ve just come off a three-week camp here at the AIS in Canberra so I’ve got some miles under me even though the leg speed probably isn’t there at the moment. But I’m so happy because I’ve clinched a world champs spot.”
Salthouse was ecstatic with her silver medal. “It’s so exciting to be going to the Youth Olympics. My coach, Warwick Dalziel, has had me doing plenty of midday training sessions to get used to the heat and it seems to have paid off. It was really hot out there but I couldn’t be happier.”
The men’s race went down to the wire, with Viles and Perth’s Michael Lori locked in a sprint finish over the final stages. Viles won by four seconds in a time of 57min 03secs – a win all the more impressive considering he fell heavily while running with his bike in the transition area when his front wheel was accidently clipped by a competitor. He was one of three to go down among a pack of about 35 athletes jockeying for position before setting off on the run.
The stronger runners swept past a group of three that had attacked on the bike and by the halfway stage of the run the conditions had strung out the field and the race was between Viles and Lori. Ryan Fisher secured the bronze medal, but it was Canberra’s Michael Gosman in fourth who won the prized Youth Olympics spot as the first eligible athlete home.
“There was a bit of carnage in transition because it was just so compact with so many people,” Viles said. “I hit the deck and just tried to stay calm because it could have been a lot worse. By the time I got out on the road I was about 200 metres behind but I worked my way into it then had a bit of a dig and only Michael came with me. I’m stoked. My form has been good and now I don’t have to think about qualifying (for Budapest). I’ll be going as hard as ever for the rest of the season but I can really enjoy it now that I don’t have that pressure on me.”
Gosman, who turns 18 in March, flew the ACT flag with distinction, with Youth Olympic selection only just sinking in. “I struggled to stay on the back of the pack in the bike, so that was a bit of a worry, but you learn so much from these sorts of races,” he said. “The Youth Olympics . . . wow. I was just trying to concentrate on the process during the race, but now that I think about it that should be pretty cool!”
Australian Junior Triathlon Series
ITU Junior Females:
- Ashleigh Gentle (Qld)
- Ellie Salthouse (Qld)
- Holly Aitken (Vic)
ITU Junior Males:
- Drew Viles (Qld)
- Michael Lori (WA)
- Ryan Fisher (Qld)
