Helen Jenkins (GBR) crushes the field in triathlon's return to San Diego at ITU World Triathlon Series
Great Britain's Helen Jenkins continued her brilliant start to 2012 with a dominating run to crush the field in San Diego, in a race that had a huge impact on London Olympic qualification. The victory further asserted Jenkins' position as the gold medal favourite for London 2012.
After an eight-women bike breakaway put 2 minutes and 30 seconds on the first chase group coming out of T2, Jenkins and Australia's Erin Densham went to the lead into the first lap of the 10km run. In see-sawing battle between the Australian Olympic hopeful and Jenkins, Densham pulled away in the second lap before Jenkins stunningly reeled in the difference and turned the tables. In an incredible second half, she went ahead to record a time of 1 hour 58 minutes and 21 seconds, over a minute ahead of Densham's time of 1:59:26. The USA's Laura Bennett claimed third, her first series podium, and with it her second consecutive Olympic Games berth.
Jenkins said it had been hard, but the support on the run had helped her through. It was her second podium of 2012, after she claimed silver in Sydney behind Densham.
"It was just such a good race, we really had to work really hard for that. I really pushed the swim and we really worked hard on the bike and that was hard all the way," Jenkins said. "I really enjoyed the run course, it was really cool, there was so many people out there supporting...it was awesome."
Densham's third consecutive major podium for 2012, after winning Mooloolaba and Sydney, was a huge boost for her own Olympic selection hopes. Densham was the first Australian, with Emma Moffatt finishing ninth, Ashleigh Gentle 10th, Emma Jackson 14th and Emma Snowsill 17th. So far, only Moffatt has been named in the Australian team for London.
In the nail biting race for the third USA women's spot, Bennett chose the perfect time to record her first series podium. Given that Gwen Jorgensen and Sarah Groff both qualified their places in London last year, the battle for the third women's spot was always expected to come down to Bennett and another Beijing Olympian Sarah Haskins. It turned out to be exactly that, as both were within metres of each other for almost the entire race and it was only in the final lap of the run that Bennett knew she had claimed her consecutive Olympic team. Haskins finished eighth, less than a minute behind Bennett.
Earlier in the day the first ITU race in San Diego, the birthplace of modern triathlon, started under a clear blue sky. Jenkins, Densham, Bennett, Haskins, Vicky Holland, Sarah Groff, Flora Duffy and Jessica Harrison exited the swim first and while they had a lead of almost 30 seconds on the rest of the field leaving T1, they worked quickly to extend that to almost a minute at the end of the first lap. Taking turns at the front to push the pace, that group extended the gap at every lap.
Behind them two distinct chase packs came together halfway through to make one main chase of 30 that included Emma Moffatt, Emma Snowsill, Emma Jackson, Ashleigh Gentle, Liz Blatchford, and Anne Haug. A third chase pack then formed about two minutes behind the first, that included Gwen Jorgensen and Daniela Ryf. Leaving T2, the front group had a lead of 2 minutes and 30 seconds on the first chase, and over four minutes on the second chase. At first, Jenkins, Holland and Bennett moved ahead in a frenetic first lap, but then Haskins bridged up. Halfway through, it looked like a battle between Jenkins, Densham, Haskins and Bennett.
Haskins then dropped off, and Densham and Jenkins pulled off the front to engage in their own battle. Jenkins run split was the fastest of the day, at 33 minutes and 34 seconds, to take the win from Densham. Bennett claimed third, but only just held off a late charge from Harrison who completed an incredible last lap to finish fourth. Holland's fifth place will mean plenty for her own Olympic selection, while Bermuda's Flora Duffy kept up her incredible form just one week after taking her first World Cup win in Huatulco with sixth.
Germany's Anne Haug completed the second fastest run of the day, her and Jenkins were the only two women to run under 34 minutes, to finish seventh. A total of 12 women didn't finish in a tough race, including Lisa Mensink, Debbie Tanner and Kathy Tremblay who withdrew after a bike crash leaving T1. Click here for full review
ITU World Triathlon San Diego - 11 May 2012
Final Results - Elite Women - 1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run
1. Helen Jenkins GBR 01:58:21 2. Erin Densham AUS 01:59:26 3. Laura Bennett USA 02:00:11 4. Jessica Harrison FRA 02:00:14 5. Vicky Holland GBR 02:00:28 6. Flora Duffy BER 02:00:46 7. Anne Haug GER 02:00:50 8. Sarah Haskins USA 02:00:56 9. Emma Moffatt AUS 02:01:18 10. Ashleigh Gentle AUS 02:01:33 Click here for full field results
