Spain’s Javier Gomez Runs to Fourth WTS Title of 2014 in Chicago
American Joe Maloy wins first USA Triathlon Elite Nationals title
CHICAGO — The inaugural ITU World Triathlon Chicago came to a close Sunday in spectacular fashion, with Spain’s Javier Gomez breaking away from the field to earn his fourth ITU World Triathlon Series title of the season.
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Joe Maloy won his first USA Triathlon Elite Nationals title on Sunday. (Paul Phillips/Jonathan Phillips/Competitive Image)
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Gomez made his move on the third lap of the run to finish in 1 hour, 47 minutes, 21 seconds on the 1,500-meter swim, 38.1-kilometer bike, 10-kilometer run course, clinching his fourth victory in five World Triathlon Series events this season. Joao Pereira of Portugal also had solid run split, moving his way into second place and finishing in 1:47:29, and Spain’s Mario Mola was third in 1:47:40 for his third consecutive WTS podium finish.
Joe Maloy (Wildwood Crest, N.J.) was the first American across the line, capturing his first USA Triathlon Elite National Championships title in the process. Maloy clocked in at 1:49:24 for 17th place overall, which is his best career finish on the ITU World Triathlon Series circuit.
“It’s really special,” Maloy said. “To tell you the truth I don’t really know what to say. I knew if I did things right, I’d have the race I was capable of. But nothing is given here. You’re always one mistake away. It just came down to really taking things one step at a time and I’m thrilled.”
Hunter Kemper (Colorado Springs, Colo.) was the second American and 23rd overall in his first WTS race since April 2013 with a time of 1:49:52, and William Huffman (Colleyville, Texas) rounded out the national championship podium with a 26th overall place in 1:50:12.
The men’s race started with a much calmer Lake Michigan than the women’s race on the previous day, and Ben Kanute (Tucson, Ariz.), originally from nearby Geneva, Ill., pushed the pace on the second lap of the swim to lead the field out of the water. Two packs formed early on the bike, but Tom Davison of New Zealand and Cameron Good of Australia made a break on the sixth of eight laps to try and get ahead of the charging chase group.
Heading into the run, Davison and Good were more than 40 seconds up on nearly 50 men who had combined to form one large pack in the final laps of the bike, but the lead was short-lived. Gomez and Mola surged ahead, with Pereira not far behind. Gomez used the last of his energy to burst ahead with less than 5k left on the hot and humid run course, holding off Pereira, who finished one better than his WTS podium finish in London.
Gomez remains the top-ranked male triathlete in the Threadneedle ITU World Triathlon Series standings with 3,742 points. Mola is second with 3,322 points and Jonathan Brownlee (Great Britain), who did not race in Chicago, is in third place with 2,652 points.
The men’s contest was the last of six races held over two days at Grant Park’s Buckingham Fountain. It was the first time the city had hosted the elite competition, and the global triathlon scene will return to Chicago next September when the city will serve as the host of the 2015 ITU World Triathlon Series Grand Final and World Championships.
The next stop on the ITU World Triathlon Series circuit will be Hamburg, Germany, on July 12-13. Only three races remain in the 2014 series, including the Grand Final and World Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, scheduled for Aug. 26-Sept. 1.
ITU World Triathlon Chicago
1,500m swim, 38.1k bike, 10k run
Men – Click here for complete results
1. Javier Gomez (ESP), 1:47:21
2. Joao Pereira (POR), 1:47:29
3. Mario Mola (ESP), 1:47:40
17. Joe Malloy (Wildwood Crest, N.J.), 1:49:24
23. Hunter Kemper (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 1:49:52
26. William Huffman (Colleyville, Texas), 1:50:12
32. Kaleb Vanort (Mishawaka, Ind.), 1:50:48
34. Alex Libin (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 1:50:58
40. Jarrod Shoemaker (Clermont, Fla.), 1:52:30
43. Ben Kanute (Tucson, Ariz.), 1:54:29
44. Jason Pedersen (Simi Valley, Calif.), 1:54:46
DNF Lukas Verzbicas (Orland Hills, Ill.), Reeven Nathan (Highland Park, Ill.)
USA Triathlon Elite National Championships Podium
1. Joe Maloy (Wildwood Crest, N.J.)
2. Hunter Kemper (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 1:49:52
3. William Huffman (Colleyville, Texas), 1:50:12
English
