The 2015 ITU Women’s Under23 World Championship title went to Audrey Merle after she outran her French compatriot on the blue carpet in a down to the wire finish.
Finishing just a hair after Merle, compatriot Leonie Periault seized the silver medal. Melanie Santos (POR) walked away with the bronze medal, a feat that is especially significant this week as fellow Portuguese Olympic star Vanessa Fernandes was honoured in the ITU Hall of Fame the night before.
Athletes competed in a sprint-distance race due to unexpected weather patterns, which meant the title would go to the one that could produce the most speed.
With the swim shortened to just one lap, the women began the day with a wetsuit,deep-water start in Lake Michigan. Mexican Lizeth Rueda Santos broke away in the water and was able to exit the swim with a 20-second lead heading into the first transition.
Trailing not far behind in the water was Natalie Van Coevorden (AUS), who followed Rueda out of the transition zone and was able to push to create a peloton for the bike leg. Halfway through the cycle, a 12-woman strong pack formed that included Rueda, Merle, Avery Evenson (USA), Johanna Gartman (USA), Shiho Sato (JPN), Chloe Cook (GBR) and Dominika Jamnicky (CAN).
With the bell sounding off on the final lap of the bike, a four-person chase pack caught the leaders making for a total of 16 athletes in T2, leaving the hopes of the podium down to two 2.5 kilometre run laps. It was then that Merle ran with intent, as she began to drop her riding mates. Periault went with Merle, and the two French women ran together up until the very end.
Both women sprinted down the chute side by side, with Merle grabbing the gold medal only by a fraction of a second. Merle took home the bronze in the women’s Junior World Championship last year, so winning the title in 2015 gives her the redemption she was hoping for as she entered the new sport class.
Related Event: 2015 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Chicago
Results: Elite Men | |||
---|---|---|---|
1. | Mario Mola | ESP | 01:44:53 |
2. | Javier Gomez Noya | ESP | 01:44:57 |
3. | Richard Murray | RSA | 01:45:35 |
4. | Crisanto Grajales Valencia | MEX | 01:45:40 |
5. | Vincent Luis | FRA | 01:45:44 |
6. | Fernando Alarza | ESP | 01:45:52 |
7. | Aaron Royle | AUS | 01:46:03 |
8. | Jelle Geens | BEL | 01:46:10 |
9. | Joao Pereira | POR | 01:46:10 |
10. | Ryan Bailie | AUS | 01:46:13 |
Results: Elite Women | |||
---|---|---|---|
1. | Gwen Jorgensen | USA | 01:55:36 |
2. | Non Stanford | GBR | 01:56:05 |
3. | Vicky Holland | GBR | 01:56:20 |
4. | Andrea Hansen | NZL | 01:56:44 |
5. | Rachel Klamer | NED | 01:56:50 |
6. | Jodie Stimpson | GBR | 01:57:08 |
7. | Sarah True | USA | 01:57:19 |
8. | Ai Ueda | JPN | 01:57:29 |
9. | Aileen Reid | IRL | 01:57:37 |
10. | Juri Ide | JPN | 01:57:39 |
Results: Junior Men | |||
---|---|---|---|
1. | Manoel Messias | BRA | 00:51:50 |
2. | Peer Sönksen | GER | 00:51:51 |
3. | Léo Bergere | FRA | 00:52:01 |
4. | Roberto Sanchez Mantecon | ESP | 00:52:08 |
5. | Matthew Hauser | AUS | 00:52:10 |
6. | Luke Willian | AUS | 00:52:12 |
7. | Gustav Iden | NOR | 00:52:16 |
8. | Ben Dijkstra | GBR | 00:52:20 |
9. | Charles Paquet | CAN | 00:52:24 |
10. | Gabriel Sandör | SWE | 00:52:32 |
Results: Junior Women | |||
---|---|---|---|
1. | Laura Lindemann | GER | 00:57:28 |
2. | Taylor Knibb | USA | 00:58:14 |
3. | Lotte Miller | NOR | 00:58:39 |
4. | Alberte Kjær Pedersen | DEN | 00:58:40 |
5. | Hye Rim Jeong | KOR | 00:59:05 |
6. | Lena Meißner | GER | 00:59:19 |
7. | Ekaterina Matiukh | AIN | 00:59:20 |
8. | Emily Wagner | CAN | 00:59:38 |
9. | Tamara Gorman | USA | 00:59:45 |
10. | Lisa Tertsch | GER | 00:59:47 |
Results: U23 Men | |||
---|---|---|---|
1. | Jacob Birtwhistle | AUS | 01:40:51 |
2. | David Castro Fajardo | ESP | 01:41:05 |
3. | Nan Oliveras | ESP | 01:41:15 |
4. | Kevin McDowell | USA | 01:41:38 |
5. | Gordon Benson | GBR | 01:41:56 |
6. | Russell Pennock | CAN | 01:42:04 |
7. | Juan Jose Andrade Figueroa | ECU | 01:42:09 |
8. | Alexis Lepage | CAN | 01:42:18 |
9. | Christophe De Keyser | BEL | 01:42:27 |
10. | Shachar Sagiv | ISR | 01:42:31 |
Results: U23 Women | |||
---|---|---|---|
1. | Audrey Merle | FRA | 01:04:35 |
2. | Leonie Periault | FRA | 01:04:35 |
3. | Melanie Santos | POR | 01:04:46 |
4. | Avery Evenson | USA | 01:04:52 |
5. | Miriam Casillas García | ESP | 01:05:12 |
6. | Vanesa De La Torre | MEX | 01:05:20 |
7. | Natalie Van Coevorden | AUS | 01:05:23 |
8. | Chloe Cook | GBR | 01:05:26 |
9. | Johanna Gartman | USA | 01:05:29 |
10. | Lizeth Rueda Santos | MEX | 01:05:41 |