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Blood, sweat, rain and champagne… Jersey’s Super League Triathlon concluded yesterday with a crowning of Nordic speed-king Kristian Blummenfelt, and a shining silver for British Olympian and crowd favourite Jonny Brownlee.
Defending champion Richard Murray from South Africa was knocked into third place - but certainly not without a fight.
Their successes came hot off the heels of the hard-fought women’s race, which saw American girl Katie Zaferes ride off yesterday’s high in the Triple Mix category into first place once again.
Fellow US sportswoman Summer Cook clinched second, while Switzerland’s Nicola Spirig managed to hold off the powerful Kirsten Kasper who pushed hard to make it as the third stars and stripes wearer on the podium.
But yesterday wasn’t any old triathlon - it was ‘The Eliminator’, where every second counted. Athletes would be forced through three stages of swim-bike-run, with a number getting knocked out each round. Stage One would only see the 15 fastest competitors go through to Stage Two. That group would then be whittled down to just 10, who would battle for the ‘Eliminator’ Title.
Athletes had already felt the impact of the Super League format in the Triple Mix on sunny Saturday, with its shorter rounds favouring fighting strength over long-term stamina. But Sunday’s competition would see a new element thrown in that no one had expected: a course slicked with heavy rain, which would prove fatal for some.
Express reviews how they got on...
Britain’s Sophie Coldwell took an early lead with the 300-metre swim and powered ahead throughout Stage One, breaking onto her bike quicker than her fellow triathletes. Nicola Spirig - who had enjoyed second place in the Triple Mix the day before - kept her cool as GB’s Coldwell and Jodie Stimpson passed her, but couldn’t resist surging into third place by the end. The GB duo high-fived as they crossed the line.
While the clouds allowed for a brief peep of sunshine, the brutal rain didn’t let up, and four athletes came crashing down in Stage One alone - Emma Pallant (GB) and youngest athlete Desirae Ridenour (Canada) clashed, then one more lap took down Barbara Riveros (Chile) and Emma Jeffcoat (Australia).
Stage Two saw Coldwell and Stimpson hold their lead in the swim, but Coldwell later dropped off, allowing Spirig, Zaferes and Kasper a chance to push through. While the latter trio always remained near the front, a new voltage seemed to surge through them in the final round, leaving Stimpson behind and putting them on a certain path to victory. While Zaferes was the winner, Spirig perhaps deserved an award in an entirely separate category, having secured her second podium in one weekend mere months after having a baby.
Thank you for holding such a AWESOME and challenging event! So cool to be a part of it, and looking forward to the next one!
— Katie Zaferes (@KZaferes6) September 24, 2017
By the time the men assumed their positions, the pounding rain had reached its most ferocious point, with a slippery layer of water even more lethal than the one that had tortured the female athletes. But first, it was time to plunge into 16.5 degree water.
Brownlee was among the first to exit the depths of Elizabeth Marina - a strong start that would put him in good stead. Wild card athlete and ‘Pride of Jersey’ Dan Halksworth battled to do the island proud and did his best to keep away from the back of the pack. 18-year-old Youth Olympian Ben Dijkstra (GB) held firm around 17th place - keeping close to Spanish champ Mario Mola. Despite having a real chance of entering the top 15, a shock slide off his bike and a less-than-swift remount unfortunately pulled him out of the game. Russia’s Igor Polyanski faced the same fate after the roundabout proved a curve too far.
In Stage Two, Ryan Baillie (Australia) also faced a brutal slip on the roundabout, later removing himself from the runnings to a supportive crowd’s applause. During the final stage, the sea of umbrellas shrieked as Andreas Schilling (Denmark) skidded just before he approached the bend, nearly taking out a crew member in the process. After a fiddle with his bike, he remounted, but valuable time had been lost and he never rejoined the pack.
Pictured: A dramatic slip for Denmark's Schilling saw a course marshall dive out of the way. (Bailiwick Express)
Despite struggles with transition time yesterday, Brownlee was quick on his feet and into his running shoes at every round of the ‘Eliminator’. Growing up in not-so-sunny Yorkshire proved an advantage, and he remained unphased by the rain throughout. His power stopped former champ Richard Murray from catching up, but Brownlee couldn’t make up the distance with bolshy Blummenfelt, who fist-pumped the air as he ran his victorious final 100m.
The Norwegian winner celebrated his 'Blummen' good success by high fiving his young fans as he ascended the podium.
Brownlee and Murray took to their second and third spots respectively, shaking hands with broad smiles in relief.
Chief Minister Ian Gorst - who was accidentally introduced as Senator Lyndon Farnham just moments earlier - was visibly excited as he congratulated Blummenfelt, and shook the hands of his fellow sporting heroes.
Pictured: Ian Gorst congratulates the winning triathletes.
Cheques and trophies aside, the trio of triathlon heroes extended their broadest grins as they rejoiced in fizzing champagne - soaking each other and the crowd, who had to dive out of their way.
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