Jenkins sixth in Yokohama and Bowden breaks through

World Champion, Helen Jenkins, finished in sixth place as Andrea Hewitt completed another impressive Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series win in Yokohama. Racing the postponed Japanese event, that was previously scheduled for April and now will count for 2012 Series rankings, Britain’s Adam Bowden had a breakthrough performance to finish seventh.



Jenkins claimed the ITU world title for a second time last week in Beijing. Her silver medal finish to New Zealand’s Hewitt earned enough points to cement her as the champion following a remarkable season and spectacular win on London’s 2012 Olympic Games course in Hyde Park. However, intense Japanese heat and 98 percent humidity prevented the 27 year old Welshwoman from claiming another podium finish in Yokohama.



She had started the event with a strong 1500m swim on the toes of junior, Lucy Hall, and the British pair rode three laps of the 40km bike course together before being caught by the chasing pack. Hall made her debut in Hamburg in July and has now exited the water first in all three of her World Championship Series appearances.



At the start of the 10km run, Hewitt made an immediate burst for the lead and ran well to take her second victory in just over a week. She will start the 2012 season as world number one, having won 800 points already, but Jenkins will reign as World Champion throughout the Olympic year.



Jenkins, who finished sixth, said: “It was a tough day with very hot and humid conditions. I had a great swim with Lucy and we had a gap but got caught. I felt like I ran well for 5km and moved into second place, but the heat got to me and I ended up sixth. It’s a solid result after everything last weekend.”



Britain’s Vicky Holland, who was eighth in the world in 2010, finished in 12th place. The 25 year old has had an injury affected year and was pleased to move up the rankings again with this performance. Jodie Stimpson also gained another top twenty finish with 18th place.



Adam Bowden had his best ever result in seventh. He finished ninth in the steeplechase at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, before switching to triathlon in 2008 through the trigold scheme, which is funded by Barrie Wells.



The 29 year-old has improved his swimming significantly in the second part of this season and made the front group onto the bike and the run. At one point he moved up to second place behind Portugal’s Joao Silva, but was overhauled by the strong Russians Alexander Brukhankov and Dmitry Polyansky.



Approaching the finishing line, Bowden was part of a group of four sprinting to the finishing line. Former Olympic champion, Simon Whitfield, won that battle and took fourth place after a photo finish with the USA’s Matt Chrabot. Silva took his first ever Series win with the Russians in second and third.



Tim Don, the 2006 World Champion, was eighth after missing Beijing last week with a stomach bug. David McNamee, silver medallist in the U23 World Championship last weekend, was 19th and Todd Leckie was 23rd.



World Champions, Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, did not compete in Yokohama, instead racing for their French teams in the Grand Prix Final in La Baule on Saturday. They finished in first and second place, with Alistair gaining the edge over his younger brother by a second.



Elite women’s results:

1. Andrea Hewitt NZL 1:59:17

2. Emma Moffatt AUS 1:59:30

3. Kate McIlroy NZL 1:59:44

6. Helen Jenkins GBR 1:59:58

12. Vicky Holland GBR 2:00:39

18. Jodie Stimpson GBR 2:01:37

36. Kerry Lang GBR 2:03:46

38. Non Stanford GBR 2:04:30

41. Lois Rosindale GBR 2:05:16

DNF Lucy Hall GBR



Elite men’s results:

1. Joao Silva POR 1:49:21

2. Alexander Bryukhankov RUS 1:49:35

3. Dmitry Polyansky RUS 1:50:04

7. Adam Bowden GBR 1:50:18

8. Tim Don GBR 1:50:25

19. David McNamee GBR 1:51:40

23. Todd Leckie GBR 1:51:54