Hugo Milner and Henry Urand both won at World Cup level for the first time with victories in Miyazaki and Taranto respectively. Mel Nicholls joined the pair on the top step of the podium as she returned to winning ways after back to back silver medals earlier this month, while Finley Jakes also added a third medal in as many races as he finished second.
Milner secured his first ever victory on the World Triathlon Cup stage with a win at World Triathlon Cup Miyazaki. The Brit ran his way through the field, after being 14th at the start of the 10km run, to claim first place by just four seconds from New Zealand’s Dylan McCullough with German Lasse Nygaard Priester in third. Fellow Brit Max Stapley crossed the line in tenth place with teammate Jack Willis just seven seconds behind in 11th. Samuel Dickinson was the next British triathlete to finish the race as he came 22nd. Harry Leleu finished 30th with Cameron Main crossing the line in 37th.
In the women’s race Hollie Elliott was the only Brit in action. She was part of the chase group on the bike that included eventual silver medallist American Gwen Jorgensen but was unable to close in on the top of the field as she crossed the line in 02:02:17 to finish 12th.
At World Triathlon Para Cup Taranto Henry Urand also stood on the top step of the podium, for the first time at this level of racing, as he won the men’s PTS3 race. The young Brit exited the water in fifth place but went onto put in the fastest bike and run times of the day to secure the gold medal by over a minute from Spain’s Diego Lardon Ferrer.
Like Urand, Mel Nicholls claimed gold in Italy as she beat Emelia Perry of the USA in the women’s PTWC race. Nicholls climbed to first place on the bike leg of the race and although Perry was quicker on the run, the advantage Nicholls built on the 21km bike section was enough to see her hold on for the win by almost two minutes. In the men’s PTWC race Josh Landmann finished in fifth with a strong performance that saw him put in the second fastest run time of the day.
Finley Jakes secured his third medal of the month as he came second in the men’s PTS4 category. Jakes was third after the 750m swim and dropped back on the 21km bike section before he put in the second fastest run time of the day to ensure he finished second behind Frenchman Gregoire Berthon.
Louis Rolfe was fourth in the men’s PTS2 race. A difficult swim left him almost six minutes off the pace and while he made up time on the bike and the run sections, he was unable to work his way onto the podium. Oscar Kelly and guide Charlie Harding were also fourth in the men’s PTVI race. The pair put in the second fastest swim time of the day but dropped back on the bike and run to finish behind Greece’s Gerasimos Lignos and his guide in third.
