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Potts, Reed, Haskins take Podium
By Jason Mucher // USA Triathlon // June 11, 2007
VANCOUVER, B.C., Canada – Andy Potts (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Matt Reed (Colorado Springs, Colo.) finished second and third, respectively, in the men’s race, while Sarah Haskins (Colorado Springs, Colo.) grabbed second for the women at the 2007 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Cup on Sunday.
It’s the first time at least three Americans earned world cup podium finishes since 2005 in Edmonton.
It was the first podium finish for Haskins in her young career, as she finished just 37 seconds behind eventual winner Samantha Warriner of New Zealand. Rounding out the medals was current Under23 world champion Erin Densham of Australia, only 10 seconds back.
Trying conditions greeted the 40 athletes with wind and heavy rain making the already difficult course grueling at times with a number of athletes withdrawing, succumbing to the slippery and cold conditions.
After the opening 1,500 metre swim it was the American duo of Haskins and Sara McLarty who emerged first and headed out on the 8-lap 40-kilometre bike course. The two worked well together early into the bike to open a 30 second gap on the chase group of 16.
The two young women would continue to put time into the chase group of top contenders including; Warriner, Densham, Joelle Franzmann of Germany, Lauren Groves of Canada and Elizabeth May of Luxembourg. At the end of the 8-lap bike, Haskins and McLarty were 97 seconds ahead of the Warriner and the others.
Out on the run, the determined Warriner loped off 30 seconds of Haskin’s lead over the first of three laps. It would be a steady process from there as Warriner would first reel in McLarty and then set her sights on Haskins and her fourth world cup victory of her career. The slowing Haskins would hang on to second place, however, with a quickly approaching Densham nipping at her heels.
McLarty finished 9th, with teammate Sarah Groff close behind in 10th.
2007 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Cup – Elite Women results
1. WARRINER, Samantha (NZL) 2:03:25
2. HASKINS, Sarah (USA) 2:04:01 +:37
3. DENSHAM, Erin (AUS) 2:04:11 +:46
4. FRANZMANN, Joelle (GER) 2:04:36 +1:11
5. MAY, Elizabeth (LUX) 2:04:52 +1:27
6. IDE, Juri (JPN) 2:04:58 +1:33
7. NIWATA, Kiyomi (JPN) 2:04:59 +1:34
8. GROVES, Lauren (CAN) 2:05:14 +1:49
9. MCLARTY, Sara (USA) 2:05:56 +2:31
10. GROFF, Sarah (USA) 2:06:05 +2:40
12. Lavelle, Becky 02:06:23
14. Oeinck, Jasmine 02:06:30
21. Wassner, Rebeccah 02:08:13
Full Results: http://www.triathlon.org/zpg/zevt-dtl-prtcpnts_v4.php?
On the men’s side, Canada’s Simon Whitfield held off Potts by two seconds with a winning time of 1 hour 49 minutes and 16 seconds. Reed was third another 53 seconds back.
It was the fifth career podium finish for Potts and sixth for Reed.
Wetsuits would be worn in a chilly 1,500 metre swim in the 16 degree Celsius waters of English Bay. Seven men exited the water together including all three eventual medalists, Paul Tichelaar and Colin Jenkins of Canada, Alexander Brukhankov of Russia and Brian Fleischmann of the United States.
Many athletes agree that seven is the magic number on the bike, being the perfect size to work well together, spreading the load without becoming cumbersome. This was apparent in this race as this group managed to increase their lead over the 40 kilometre course to over two minutes.
Immediately on the run, the former Olympic and Commonwealth champion, Whitfield, would blast away from the rest of the group to the fastest run of the day, followed only by Potts. With only 400metres to go, Whitfield would pull out his famous sixth gear to accelerate away from the American to win his eighth career world cup gold.
Fleischmann continued his strong 2007 campaign, finishing in sixth. It marked the best world cup finish in his career.
2007 Vancouver BG Triathlon World Cup – Elite Men results
1. WHITFIELD, Simon (CAN) 1:49:16
2. POTTS, Andy (USA) 1:49:18 +:02
3. REED, Matt (USA) 1:50:11 +:55
4. BRUKHANKOV, Alexander (RUS) 1:50:35 +1:20
5. TICHELAAR, Paul (CAN) 1:51:29 +2:14
6. FLEISCHMANN, Brian (USA) 1:51:40 +2:25
7. JENKINS, Colin (CAN) 1:52:08 +2:52
8. THOMPSON, Simon (AUS) 1:53:15 +3:59
9. SEXTON, Brendan (AUS) 1:53:28 +4:13
10. GLUSHCHENKO, Andriy (UKR) 1:53:44 +4:29
17. Friman, Doug 01:54:08
19. Fretta, Mark 01:54:17
21. Umphenour, Joe 01:54:18
Full Results: http://www.triathlon.org/zpg/zevt-dtl-prtcpnts_v4.php?
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