Navigation
Haskins, Potts Lead U.S. Athletes at Washington, DC Triathlon
By Jennifer Devlin with photos courtesy of Dan Hicok/Dextro Energy Triathlon
Washington, DC
June 21, 2009
For the Washington Running Report
Andy Potts and Sarah Haskins led the charge for the host United States at Sunday's Dextro Energy ITU World Championship Series races in Washington, DC.
Potts and Haskins each finished fourth in their respective races at the only U.S. stop in the inaugural eight-race series. It was the third stop on the tour, which will culminate in Gold Coast, Australia in September.
After the day opened with more than 1,000 age groupers racing in sprint and Olympic-distance events, the elite men took to the course for their 1.5K swim, 40K bike, and 10K run through the Potomac River and onto the streets of the Nation's Capital.
Potts led the men out of the water, and along with fellow American Hunter Kemper, Alistair Brownlee (Great Britain), Javier Gomez (Spain), and Maik Petzold (Germany), put a quick 40 seconds onto a large chase pack. But that lead ballooned to nearly two minutes by the time the eight loops of the bike were complete.
Out onto the run Brownlee (in photo) and Gomez pulled ahead with Petzold close behind and the Americans further back. The race at the front would change little through the four laps. Brownlee grabbed the win in 1:48:58, just 13 seconds ahead of 2008 Olympic champion Gomez. Petzold finished third in 1:49:24. Potts finished in 1:49:51 and Kemper was fifth in 1:50:24.
Jarrod Shoemaker grabbed eighth to cling to the fifth spot in the World Championships Series points race.
2009 Washington DC Dextro Energy Triathlon - ITU World Championship
Elite Men - Unofficial Results
Gold - Alistair Brownlee (GBR) 1:48:58
Silver - Javier Gomez (ESP) 1:49:11 +0:13
Bronze - Maik Petzold (GER) 1:49:24 +0:26
4th - Andy Potts (USA) 1:49:51 +0:53
5th - Hunter Kemper (USA) 1:50:24 +1:26
6th - Jan Frodeno (GER) 1:50:32 +1:34
7th - Laurent Vidal (FRA) 1:50:36 +1:38
8th - Jarrod Shoemaker (USA) 1:50:41 +1:43
9th - Steffen Justus (GER) 1:50:52 +1:54
10th - Will Clarke (GBR) 1:50:59 +2:01
2009 Dextro Energy Triathlon - ITU World Championship Rankings
After Race Three of Eight
1. Alistair Brownlee (GBR) 1600 pts
2. Brad Kahlefeldt (AUS) 1536 pts
3. Courtney Atkinson (AUS) 1437 pts
4. Javier Gomez (ESP) 1425 pts
5. Jarrod Shoemaker (USA) 1372 pts
In the women's race, Haskins was the first out of the water and entered the bike loops with teammates Laura Bennett and Sarah Groff along with a strong group of five other international athletes. That group was caught midway on the bike to form a large lead pack of 16 riders, but Haskins and fellow American Mary Beth Ellis made a break with a little over a lap to go that gave the pair a 30-second lead heading out onto the run.
That lead was short lived, however, as the strong runners made their move. Moffatt, (in photo) Emma Snowsill (Australia), and Daniela Ryf (Switzerland) were able to pull past the Americans. Haskins maintained a strong pace to hold onto fourth. Moffatt grabbed the win in 1:59:55 with Snowsill close behind in 2:00:25. Ryf was third in 2:01:01. Haskins' time was 2:01:27. Groff finished in ninth.
Washington DC Dextro Energy Triathlon - ITU World Championship
Elite Women - Unofficial Results
Gold - Emma Moffatt (AUS) 1:59:55
Silver - Emma Snowsill (AUS) 2:00:20 +0:25
Bronze - Daniela Ryf (SUI) 2:01:01 +1:06
4th - Sarah Haskins (USA) 2:01:18 +1:23
5th - Helen Jenkins (GBR) 2:01:27 +1:32
6th - Andrea Hewitt (NZL) 2:01:44 +1:49
7th - Jessica Harrison (FRA) 2:02:05 +2:10
8th - Juri Ide (JPN) 2:02:28 +2:33
9th - Sarah Groff (USA) 2:02:52 +2:57
10th - Lauren Groves (CAN) 2:02:59 +3:04
Dextro Energy Triathlon - ITU World Championship Rankings
After Race Three of Eight
1. Emma Moffatt (AUS) 1818 pts
2. Emma Snowsill (AUS) 1540 pts
3. Jessica Harrison (FRA) 1525 pts
4. Juri Ide (JPN) 1448 pts
5. Daniela Ryf (SUI) 1405 pts
Read the full coverage and see complete results of the men's race and the women's race at the ITU Web site.
About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the national governing body for triathlon - the fastest growing sport in the U.S. - as well as duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. USAT sanctions 2,500 races and connects with more than 115,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches, and race directors on the grassroots level, USAT provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Championships, Pan American Games, and the Olympic Games.
Read more news from USAT.
Web site: http://www.usatriathlon.org
In addition to the world championship series leg, the competition also included an age group race for both Sprint and Olympic distances.
With a start time of 6:30 a.m., the first sprint competitors crossed the finish line in just over an hour. First among the age group sprint distance was Sean Ruttkay, 28 years old from Garrett Park, MD, posting a time of 1:04:04. First among the sprint distance women was Michelle Bozarth, 27 years old, from Hampton, VA, with a time of 1:08:15. On the Olympic distance race, the men's winner was Jared Woodford, age 26 from Lakewood, OH with a finish time of 1:52:14. The women's winner was Hilary Cairns, age 38, from Washington, DC with a finish time of 2:09:54. Washington, DC's own Mayor Adrian Fenty (in photo) finished 16th among elite males, 61st overall and posted a time of 2:17:54.
In addition to the general race, a Race of Nations took place with competitors representing the country of their birth. The Race of Nations sprint winner was Jay Peluso from the US with a time of 1:02:31. The Race of Nations Olympic winner was Omar Nour from Egypt with a time of 1:58:47.
The competition took part during the 2009 Dextro Energy Triathlon -- ITU World Championship Series in Washington, DC, with the world's best men and women competing to share a purse of $150,000 and the chance to become the 2009 ITU World Champion at the Grand Final in Australia.