Jacqui Slack reaches the World Championship podium in Penticton
The ITU Cross Triathlon Championships on Wednesday formed the second discipline at the Penticton ITU Multisport World Championships Festival in Canada.
It was another good day for the British team, with Jacqui Slack continuing the success of the duathletes earlier in the week by finishing second, to earn her first career World Championship podium. Leading a group of four out of the opening 1.5km swim, she held second place to eventual winner, Melanie McQuaid (CAN) at T2, and then added the fastest run split of the day to take a hard-earned Silver medal. Jacqui’s previous best World Championship performance was fourth place in Sardegna, Italy in 2015.
There was a top-ten finish too in the Elite men’s race for Doug Hall, in his first GB Elite start since the 2013 World Championships in The Hague. The men’s podium was a very tightly contested affair, with Francisco Serrano (MEX) managing to run down the three-time defending champion, Ruben Ruzafa (ESP) to break the tape with a winning margin of just 11 seconds.
The British Age-Group team for the event may have been small in number, but the ten athletes still finished with four medals, headed by Silver for Alex Rhodes (M25-29) and Sharn Hooper (F30-34).
The next event in Penticton will see the ITU Aquathlon World Championships take place on Friday, where Jacqui Slack is scheduled to race again alongside Emma Pallant.
Penticton ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships
1.5km Swim - 31km MTB - 8km Run
Elite Women
1st – Melanie McQuaid (CAN) – 2:34:35
2nd – Jacqui Slack (GBR) – 2:36:40
3rd – Ladina Buss (SUI) – 2:39:09
12th – Jessie Roberts (GBR) – 2:48:49
Elite Men
1st – Francisco Serrano (MEX) – 2:09:25
2nd – Ruben Ruzafa (ESP) – 2:09:36
3rd – Kyle Smith (NZL) – 2:10:16
10th – Doug Hall (GBR) – 2:16:17
18th – Henry Sleight (GBR) – 2:21:48
Great Britain Age-Group Medals
- Alex Rhodes – Silver, M25-29
- Sharn Hooper – Silver, F30-34
- Ruth Owen Evans – Bronze, F30-34
- Sarah Jepson – Bronze, F35-39
Full results: http://www.triathlon.org/results/result/2017_penticton_itu_cross_triathlon_world_championships
