ITU Duathlon World Champs : Adelaide, Australia – The Adelaide World Duathlon lived up to its promise providing the world’s best duathletes with ideal race conditions of glorious sunshine, gentle winds and a passionate, vocal crowd. Provided with the perfect recipe for inspiration, the Elite, under 23 and Junior athletes responded with an array of simply stunning performances.
Emma Pallant and Emelio Martin crowned ITU Duathlon World Champions
Europeans Emma Pallant (GBR) and Emilio Martin (ESP) stole the show Down Under when they were crowned Duathlon World Champions at the 2015 Adelaide ITU Duathlon World Championships on Saturday.
Women’s review
Former junior track and field star, Emma Pallant (GBR) scored a strong win for Great Britain, putting pay to the hopes of world champion Sandra Levenez (FRA) going back to back in Adelaide.
Holding off a fast finishing Ai Ueda (JAP) and relegating Levenez to an uncharacteristic third place, Pallant replicated the world duathlon title win of her coach Michelle Dillon a decade earlier here in Australia.
Midway through the 40km cycle leg Levenez, Ueda and Pallant thought they had the podium sorted but Gillian Backhouse (AUS) had other plans, charging through the final laps of the bike to make the cosy trio, a very nervous quartet.
Click here for the full Elite, U23, & Junior World Championship reviews
1. Emma Pallant GBR GB 01:58:21
2. Ai Ueda JPN JP 01:58:51
3. Sandra Levenez FRA FR 01:59:24
4. Gillian Backhouse AUS AU 02:00:07
5. Chelsea Burns USA US 02:01:20
6. Courtney Gillfillan AUS AU 02:01:33
7. Yuko Takahashi JPN JP 02:02:29
8. Sarah Crowley AUS AU 02:05:50
9. Annelise Jefferies AUS AU 02:05:51
10. Giorgia Priarone ITA IT 02:06:20
Men’s review
The elite men’s race was a demonstration of high speed running and power cycling with the return of Emelio Martin (ESP) to the world championship winner’s circle.
The men’s race was one of attrition from the gun with Martin throwing caution to the wind. Leading from start to finish he showed his class and left nothing in the tank, regaining the title he first won in 2012 in Nancy, to hold off the defending Benoit Nicolas (FRA) and Mark Buckingham (GBR).
“It is very important to win here because three years ago I won and last year I came third. This year I came out with race number four and I took a chance and I won. I am very happy to win this championship for Spain,” Martin said.
Former champion Rob Woestenborghs (BEL) was unable to regain his title in his final world championship appearance but his fourth place showed he is still a force in the duathlon world.
“This is my last season and my last world championship but I have another two races Powerman in the Phillipines and then a local race in my neighbourhood to celebrate my career and then I will finish. I am 39 so it is time to do other things in my life, spend more time with my children.”
Click here for the full Men’s Elite, U23 and Junior reviews
1. Emilio Martin ESP ES 01:47:11
2. Benoit Nicolas FRA FR 01:47:19
3. Mark Buckingham GBR GB 01:48:09
4. Rob Woestenborghs BEL BE 01:48:35
5. Yohan Le Berre FRA FR 01:48:47
6. Matthew Mcelroy USA US 01:49:39
7. Philip Wylie GBR GB 01:50:23
8. Dylan Evans AUS AU 01:50:28
9. Tadashi Mori JPN JP 01:50:31
10. Jose Luis Cordova MEX MX 01:50:32
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