Canada has proven happy hunting ground for GB’s Vicky Holland as she today added Montreal to her Edmonton win from just one month ago. Today’s victory sees the Rio bronze medallist with three wins under her tri-suit heading into the Grand Final on Gold Coast in just three weeks’ time, yet because of the ITU points system she will start that final race behind the USA’s Katie Zaferes, who today finished second ahead of Holland’s teammate Georgia Taylor-Brown.
Advertisement
If the start was anything to go by, though, the win for Holland looked unlikely, as confusion over the starting horn caught several short, and which left the Brit entering the water in last place. Coming from a strong swim background, however, helped Holland stay relatively in contention, exiting the water in sixth after the first lap of 750m.
As in all her races this season, GB’s Jess Learmonth led the field out of the non-wetsuit 1.5km swim into T2, pulling through with series leader Zaferes, teammate Sophie Coldwell and Summer Cook (USA). Entering T2 alone in fifth, almost a minute down, Holland raced for almost the entire first lap with Italy’s Alice Betto, before the chase pack, led by reigning European champ Nicola Spirig, swallowed the pair up.
The Swiss Olympic champ set the pace from the off, and it was fast, bridging the gap to the lead now trio (Cook quickly dropped off the pace into the second chase group) after five laps of nine over the 40km city-street course. Now a group of 13, including all five GB girls (Jodie Stimpson made five), they worked tirelessly to pull out a lead over 3mins as they hit the blue carpet for the second transition.
And so the podium chase was on, with a quartet of Brits taking to the front in a dominant display of red, white and blue. Unfazed by the less-than-perfect start, Holland led from the off, making her title intentions known. Trading places behind her were her three teammates, Zaferes and Spirig, the latter the first to drop.
Unfortunately the Fab Four were forced to split at the start of the second lap, as Learmonth dropped down the chain, leaving Stimpson and Taylor-Brown to hold off the chasing American. With no chance of catching Holland, Zaferes set about chewing into the Brit pair’s podium places, finally making the move that stuck on lap three of four over the 10km run.
As the thermometer hit a high of 29°C, Holland ran down the finish chute to claim her third victory of 2018 and the fifth WTS win of her career, taking the title chase to the wire at the Grand Final.
Zaferes brought it home for second, while Taylor-Brown ran through for her third podium finish of the year.
Crowd favourite Joanna Brown of Canada took fourth, Spirig fifth, Stimpson sixth and Learmonth eighth.
Sadly the heat proved too much for Coldwell, who despite finishing was quickly wheeled off to the medical tent.
Advertisement
For all post-race interviews with the GB girls, check out our Instagram TV feed.
Click Here: liverpool mens jersey
In a complete contrast to yesterday’s women’s race under cloudless skies, what looked like an entire year’s worth of rain arrived on the Sunday morning for the start of the men’s race in Montreal. Not that the weather would have much bearing on the outcome of the seventh race in the 2018 World Triathlon Series, such was the two-time reigning champ Mario Mola’s lead at the start of the penultimate race in Canada’s second largest city. Wherever he finished he would still be in the lead for the Grand Final on Gold Coast in three weeks’ time, thanks in part to the absence of Vincent Luis (FRA), second in the rankings pre-race.
Advertisement
Yesterday ☀️ vs today
Click Here: liverpool mens jersey
In a complete contrast to yesterday’s women’s race under cloudless skies, what looked like an entire year’s worth of rain arrived on the Sunday morning for the start of the men’s race in Montreal. Not that the weather would have much bearing on the outcome of the seventh race in the 2018 World Triathlon Series, such was the two-time reigning champ Mario Mola’s lead at the start of the penultimate race in Canada’s second largest city. Wherever he finished he would still be in the lead for the Grand Final on Gold Coast in three weeks’ time, thanks in part to the absence of Vincent Luis (FRA), second in the rankings pre-race.
Advertisement
Yesterday ☀️ vs today
Click Here: liverpool mens jersey
Maintaining a consistent level of success across three sports at each and every race is the athlete’s holy grail, regardless of your level or ability. Yet there are a few things we can all do to at least ensure we have the best shot at racing strong for as long as possible.
Advertisement
For GB’s Vicky Holland, an unusual calf injury at the start of 2017 put a temporary stopper on what had been up until then a run of consistent top-10 results since 2014, which had culminated in a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“But once I’d rehabbed the injury and was back into training, things started to turn fairly quickly for me,” Holland told 220 a few days before this year’s Montreal WTS race, which she would go on to win. This to add to 2018 victories in Edmonton and Leeds, and that could see her crowned world champion in three weeks’ time at the Grand Final on the Gold Coast.
So how has she stayed at the top of the sport? And what can us age-groupers glean from her elite training? Here are her top-five train smart/race strong tips…
Consistency in training can’t be beaten
I don’t try and do hero weeks. I just layer one week on top of the next and I keep doing it again and again and again. And a key element with that is being patient that this will achieve the results you want. If you can put together three months of consistent training then you’re doing a lot better than most of your competitors are. So that’s a big one for me. And I still firmly believe in the approach that I take, which is a high-volume approach, which doesn’t necessarily work for everyone, but for me, it’s brought me my best results. There’s no denying that I’ve become a better runner off the bike since I’ve changed that element of my training. So the takeaway there is don’t shy away from riding your bike a lot!
Remain injury-free!
On the whole I’ve not had many injuries, but when I have been injured they’ve taken me out for quite a long time. A big factor in minimising those risks is gym work – I do more gym work than I probably ever have done. And I believe in it more than I ever have done as well. It doesn’t take that long to put together a good general conditioning programme that helps with injury prevention and that helps with strength. Those two factors are really important for performance. I also know what my warning signs are now, and across my body. So it’s just about keeping on top of everything.
Enjoy what you do
The moment you lose that enjoyment it translates into your results. It’s a hard sport, it’s a tough sport that we do, it takes up a lot of time. It can be gruelling and horrible in the winter but it gives me, and a lot of people, a lot back. And you have to bear that in mind, even on the days when maybe it’s not quite as much fun. But loving what I do has enabled me to keep on improving as I’ve got older.
Diet is not the most important thing!
For me, diet is part of the extra little 1%ers that you can add on the end. Obsessing too much about anything is bad. I believe that everything in moderation is fine. And as a whole my diet is pretty consistent all year round. I eat balanced meals, I like healthy meals but I also like hearty meals and I don’t believe you should ever cut out a main food group unless you’ve got a medical reason. The best and happiest you can be as an athlete is to enjoy what you eat and have a healthy attitude towards it.
Listen to your body
Advertisement
I do sleep a lot, most elite athletes do! I tend to get around eight, maybe up to nine hours’ sleep a night. That’s pretty normal for me. If I did get less than that I would try to top that up throughout the day. That said, I nap quite a lot during the day. Some days it’s not possible, just because of the training schedule but I go on feel more than anything. It depends on the training load you’re in. Just listen to your body and you can’t go too far wrong.
Maintaining a consistent level of success across three sports at each and every race is the athlete’s holy grail, regardless of your level or ability. Yet there are a few things we can all do to at least ensure we have the best shot at racing strong for as long as possible.
Advertisement
For GB’s Vicky Holland, an unusual calf injury at the start of 2017 put a temporary stopper on what had been up until then a run of consistent top-10 results since 2014, which had culminated in a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“But once I’d rehabbed the injury and was back into training, things started to turn fairly quickly for me,” Holland told 220 a few days before this year’s Montreal WTS race, which she would go on to win. This to add to 2018 victories in Edmonton and Leeds, and that could see her crowned world champion in three weeks’ time at the Grand Final on the Gold Coast.
So how has she stayed at the top of the sport? And what can us age-groupers glean from her elite training? Here are her top-five train smart/race strong tips…
Consistency in training can’t be beaten
I don’t try and do hero weeks. I just layer one week on top of the next and I keep doing it again and again and again. And a key element with that is being patient that this will achieve the results you want. If you can put together three months of consistent training then you’re doing a lot better than most of your competitors are. So that’s a big one for me. And I still firmly believe in the approach that I take, which is a high-volume approach, which doesn’t necessarily work for everyone, but for me, it’s brought me my best results. There’s no denying that I’ve become a better runner off the bike since I’ve changed that element of my training. So the takeaway there is don’t shy away from riding your bike a lot!
Remain injury-free!
On the whole I’ve not had many injuries, but when I have been injured they’ve taken me out for quite a long time. A big factor in minimising those risks is gym work – I do more gym work than I probably ever have done. And I believe in it more than I ever have done as well. It doesn’t take that long to put together a good general conditioning programme that helps with injury prevention and that helps with strength. Those two factors are really important for performance. I also know what my warning signs are now, and across my body. So it’s just about keeping on top of everything.
Enjoy what you do
The moment you lose that enjoyment it translates into your results. It’s a hard sport, it’s a tough sport that we do, it takes up a lot of time. It can be gruelling and horrible in the winter but it gives me, and a lot of people, a lot back. And you have to bear that in mind, even on the days when maybe it’s not quite as much fun. But loving what I do has enabled me to keep on improving as I’ve got older.
Diet is not the most important thing!
For me, diet is part of the extra little 1%ers that you can add on the end. Obsessing too much about anything is bad. I believe that everything in moderation is fine. And as a whole my diet is pretty consistent all year round. I eat balanced meals, I like healthy meals but I also like hearty meals and I don’t believe you should ever cut out a main food group unless you’ve got a medical reason. The best and happiest you can be as an athlete is to enjoy what you eat and have a healthy attitude towards it.
Listen to your body
Advertisement
I do sleep a lot, most elite athletes do! I tend to get around eight, maybe up to nine hours’ sleep a night. That’s pretty normal for me. If I did get less than that I would try to top that up throughout the day. That said, I nap quite a lot during the day. Some days it’s not possible, just because of the training schedule but I go on feel more than anything. It depends on the training load you’re in. Just listen to your body and you can’t go too far wrong.
It’s not often a triathlon film hits the cinemas, but that’s all set to change next month when the We Are Triathletes documentary arrives in the UK. But the screenings will only be confirmed if enough tickets are bought before the deadline of 5pm on Sunday 2nd September.
Advertisement
The film provides an insight into the lives of six pro athletes from four different countries, and shares how each trained and prepared for the 2014 edition of Challenge Roth, the world’s biggest long-distance triathlon with 200,000+ spectators and our greatest triathlon in the world.
We Are Triathletes will delve into the spirit of endurance sport, with candid interviews from 2014 Challenge Roth champion Mirinda Carfrae; eight-time Ironman champion Luke McKenzie; and double above-knee amputee athlete and four-time Paralympian and gold medalist Rudy Garcia-Tolson.
The film also features interviews with Ironman legends John and Judy Collins, Julie Moss, Kathleen McCartney, Scott Tinley, Dave Scott, and Mark Allen.
The documentary is produced and directed by Yanfeng Zhang and co-produced by Gwendolen Twist (producer of Spirit of the Marathon). It has already been handed the Award of Excellence by the Accolade Global Film Competition.
The film will be screened at the following locations, but triathletes will need to book tickets before 5pm on Sunday afternoon to be assured that the screenings will go ahead. The full screening list is below and tickets can be booked here: uk.demand.film/we-are-triathletes/
BERKSHIRE
BRACKNELL TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON BRACKNELL
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
MILTON KEYNES TUESDAY SEP 11 6:00PM ODEON MILTON KEYNES STADIUM
CITY OF BRISTOL
BRISTOL TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON BRISTOL
CITY OF DUNDEE
DUNDEE WEDNESDAY OCT 03 6:30PM ODEON DUNDEE
CITY OF EDINBURGH
EDINBURGH TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON EDINBURGH LOTHIAN ROAD
CORNWALL
TRURO WEDNESDAY SEP 12 6:30PM PLAZA CINEMA, TRURO
CUMBERLAND
CUMBRIA THURSDAY NOV 01 6:30PM VUE CARLISLE
CUMBRIA
PENRITH TUESDAY OCT 02 8:30PM LONSDALE ALHAMBRA PENRITH
DEVON
EXETER TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON EXETER
DORSET
DORCHESTER TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON DORCHESTER
EAST SUSSEX
BRIGHTON TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON BRIGHTON
GLAMORGAN
CARDIFF TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON CARDIFF
SWANSEA TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON SWANSEA
GREATER MANCHESTER
MANCHESTER TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON MANCHESTER GREAT NORTHERN
HAMPSHIRE
SOUTHAMPTON WEDNESDAY SEP 12 8:00PM ODEON SOUTHAMPTON
HERTFORDSHIRE
HATFIELD THURSDAY OCT 11 6:30PM ODEON HATFIELD
HATFIELD FRIDAY OCT 12 8:00PM ODEON HATFIELD
LEICESTERSHIRE
LOUGHBOROUGH THURSDAY SEP 27 6:00PM ODEON LOUGHBOROUGH
LINCOLNSHIRE
LINCOLN MONDAY NOV 05 5:00PM ODEON LINCOLN WHARF
LONDON
LONDON TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON PUTNEY
LONDON TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON COVENT GARDEN
WIMBLEDON TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON WIMBLEDON
NORFOLK
NORWICH THURSDAY SEP 13 6:30PM ODEON NORWICH
NORTH YORKSHIRE
HARROGATE SUNDAY NOV 11 6:00PM ODEON HARROGATE
OXFORDSHIRE
OXFORD TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON OXFORD GEORGE ST
SOMERSET
BATH TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON BATH
STAFFORDSHIRE
STOKE-ON-TRENT TUESDAY SEP 11 6:00PM ODEON STOKE ON TRENT
SURREY
KINGSTON TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON KINGSTON
TYNE AND WEAR
WALLSEND TUESDAY OCT 30 6:00PM ODEON SILVERLINK
WEST MIDLANDS
BIRMINGHAM TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET
COVENTRY THURSDAY SEP 20 6:30PM ODEON COVENTRY SKYDOME
WEST YORKSHIRE
BRADFORD TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON LEEDS BRADFORD
HUDDERSFIELD TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON HUDDERSFIELD
WILTSHIRE
Advertisement
SWINDON WEDNESDAY SEP 12 6:00PM EMPIRE SWINDON
It’s not often a triathlon film hits the cinemas, but that’s all set to change next month when the We Are Triathletes documentary arrives in the UK. But the screenings will only be confirmed if enough tickets are bought before the deadline of 5pm on Sunday 2nd September.
Advertisement
The film provides an insight into the lives of six pro athletes from four different countries, and shares how each trained and prepared for the 2014 edition of Challenge Roth, the world’s biggest long-distance triathlon with 200,000+ spectators and our greatest triathlon in the world.
We Are Triathletes will delve into the spirit of endurance sport, with candid interviews from 2014 Challenge Roth champion Mirinda Carfrae; eight-time Ironman champion Luke McKenzie; and double above-knee amputee athlete and four-time Paralympian and gold medalist Rudy Garcia-Tolson.
The film also features interviews with Ironman legends John and Judy Collins, Julie Moss, Kathleen McCartney, Scott Tinley, Dave Scott, and Mark Allen.
The documentary is produced and directed by Yanfeng Zhang and co-produced by Gwendolen Twist (producer of Spirit of the Marathon). It has already been handed the Award of Excellence by the Accolade Global Film Competition.
The film will be screened at the following locations, but triathletes will need to book tickets before 5pm on Sunday afternoon to be assured that the screenings will go ahead. The full screening list is below and tickets can be booked here: uk.demand.film/we-are-triathletes/
BERKSHIRE
BRACKNELL TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON BRACKNELL
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
MILTON KEYNES TUESDAY SEP 11 6:00PM ODEON MILTON KEYNES STADIUM
CITY OF BRISTOL
BRISTOL TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON BRISTOL
CITY OF DUNDEE
DUNDEE WEDNESDAY OCT 03 6:30PM ODEON DUNDEE
CITY OF EDINBURGH
EDINBURGH TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON EDINBURGH LOTHIAN ROAD
CORNWALL
TRURO WEDNESDAY SEP 12 6:30PM PLAZA CINEMA, TRURO
CUMBERLAND
CUMBRIA THURSDAY NOV 01 6:30PM VUE CARLISLE
CUMBRIA
PENRITH TUESDAY OCT 02 8:30PM LONSDALE ALHAMBRA PENRITH
DEVON
EXETER TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON EXETER
DORSET
DORCHESTER TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON DORCHESTER
EAST SUSSEX
BRIGHTON TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON BRIGHTON
GLAMORGAN
CARDIFF TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON CARDIFF
SWANSEA TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON SWANSEA
GREATER MANCHESTER
MANCHESTER TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON MANCHESTER GREAT NORTHERN
HAMPSHIRE
SOUTHAMPTON WEDNESDAY SEP 12 8:00PM ODEON SOUTHAMPTON
HERTFORDSHIRE
HATFIELD THURSDAY OCT 11 6:30PM ODEON HATFIELD
HATFIELD FRIDAY OCT 12 8:00PM ODEON HATFIELD
LEICESTERSHIRE
LOUGHBOROUGH THURSDAY SEP 27 6:00PM ODEON LOUGHBOROUGH
LINCOLNSHIRE
LINCOLN MONDAY NOV 05 5:00PM ODEON LINCOLN WHARF
LONDON
LONDON TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON PUTNEY
LONDON TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON COVENT GARDEN
WIMBLEDON TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON WIMBLEDON
NORFOLK
NORWICH THURSDAY SEP 13 6:30PM ODEON NORWICH
NORTH YORKSHIRE
HARROGATE SUNDAY NOV 11 6:00PM ODEON HARROGATE
OXFORDSHIRE
OXFORD TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON OXFORD GEORGE ST
SOMERSET
BATH TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON BATH
STAFFORDSHIRE
STOKE-ON-TRENT TUESDAY SEP 11 6:00PM ODEON STOKE ON TRENT
SURREY
KINGSTON TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON KINGSTON
TYNE AND WEAR
WALLSEND TUESDAY OCT 30 6:00PM ODEON SILVERLINK
WEST MIDLANDS
BIRMINGHAM TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET
COVENTRY THURSDAY SEP 20 6:30PM ODEON COVENTRY SKYDOME
WEST YORKSHIRE
BRADFORD TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON LEEDS BRADFORD
HUDDERSFIELD TUESDAY SEP 11 6:30PM ODEON HUDDERSFIELD
WILTSHIRE
Advertisement
SWINDON WEDNESDAY SEP 12 6:00PM EMPIRE SWINDON
From Beijing in 2008 to London 2012, Jan Frodeno, Alistair Brownlee and Javier Gomez have been involved in some epic short-course battles throughout their careers. Where Frodeno took the Olympic title in 2008 and Brownlee in 2012, today in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, it was once again Frodeno’s turn to take the honours at the 2018 Ironman 70.3 World Championships a day after Swiss star Daniela Ryf produced a record fourth Ironman 70.3 world title.
Advertisement
.@janfrodeno is your new Isuzu IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion – clocking in a winning time of 3:36:30!
From Beijing in 2008 to London 2012, Jan Frodeno, Alistair Brownlee and Javier Gomez have been involved in some epic short-course battles throughout their careers. Where Frodeno took the Olympic title in 2008 and Brownlee in 2012, today in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, it was once again Frodeno’s turn to take the honours at the 2018 Ironman 70.3 World Championships a day after Swiss star Daniela Ryf produced a record fourth Ironman 70.3 world title.
Advertisement
.@janfrodeno is your new Isuzu IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion – clocking in a winning time of 3:36:30!
“I’m going to throw a grenade. I believe the performance of Jan Frodeno at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship is the greatest triathlon performance in triathlon history.”
Advertisement
Not my words, but those tweeted by Australian triathlon legend Greg Bennett, and while the three-time Olympian might be erring a little on the hyperbolic, judging by the number of ‘likes’ there were plenty in agreement.
Given the podium in South Africa on Sunday also included Alistair Brownlee and Javier Gomez, it was undeniably the highest-calibre Ironman 70.3 race to date, a distance that has been gathering momentum since the world championship moved from Clearwater, Florida in 2011. But while it might have been standout in nature, it also had echoes of a former classic meeting between Brownlee, Frodeno and Gomez, almost exactly a decade earlier – the 2008 Olympic final in Beijing.
It’s uncanny how history has a knack of repeating itself. Back then, Gomez was the established force, having won 11 of his previous 13 ITU races, including the world title in Vancouver two months earlier. Frodeno arrived in China after a consistent season, but was far from a gold medal favourite. Brownlee had qualified late and was the wet-behind-the-ears 20-year-old out to ruffle feathers.
In Port Elizabeth at the weekend, Gomez had the 70.3 pedigree, having twice stood atop the world championship podium. Frodeno was an established performer, true, but with questionable footspeed to challenge his younger rivals. And Brownlee, despite impressive outings in Utah and Dubai, was still a comparative novice at the distance.
The comparisons don’t end there. Once the gun went and the swim had whittled the lead pack down to eight, the Yorkshireman – just as in 2008 – was a main aggressor, forcing a hard bike leg and taking off early on the run. And just as in China, while Brownlee couldn’t sustain the early pace, neither, ultimately, could Gomez, who clawed his way up to Frodeno before dropping back complaining of a stitch.
Frodeno emerged once again the triumphant, claiming a second 70.3 title to go with two full Ironman world crowns and that Beijing gold, with an emotional outpouring to match. This time, Brownlee stayed strong for second and was magnanimous in his reaction. It may not have been the result he desired, but returning to the gold-medal winning run form of London 2012 is asking a lot of a battle-worn body.
Just as in 2008 – although for differing reasons – he looked happy to be able to compete and relish what the future at this format holds. For Gomez, the disappointment, as with the fourth place in Beijing, was palpable. The final step on the podium in Nelson Mandela Bay being scant consolation for his efforts.
Advertisement
What’s perhaps most striking is the ability for the triumvirate to be racing one another – and still breaking new ground at the top level of the sport – 10 years apart. The opportunity for this longevity sets triathlon apart, but the story doesn’t end here. Injury and illness not withstanding, Frodeno and Gomez will renew their rivalry in Kona next month in one of the most eagerly awaited men’s Ironman World Championships to date. And while we might have to wait until after Tokyo 2020 for Brownlee to join them – and Frodeno will be pushing past 40 – at least it shouldn’t take another 10 years.