(Images: Bert Stephani)
Britain's Liz Blatchford claimed gold in the Husky Long Course Triathlon in Huskisson (NSW, Australia) for her new team Uplace-BMC Pro last weekend, despite suffering from an inflamed ankle ahead of the race.
“Early races are always a test of your form. So it’s nice to start with a win," said Blatchford, who finished third in Kona last year. "The good news is that my ankle felt all right. It was strapped really tightly, so it didn’t bother me too much. I felt it a little when I ran out of the water, but I just tried not to focus on it too much.
"In the bike leg, Lisa and I worked hard to put some time on the rest of the girls, but I still felt fresh going into T2. I started the run at a decent pace and then focused on doing what I had to do to control the race. Next up is the Batemans Bay Challenge in three weeks. Another half distance race, but it’s my first ever Challenge race, so I’m excited.”
Blatchford left the 2km swim alongside Australia's Lisa Marangon, who stayed with her all the way through the 80km bike leg. Blatchford eventually made her move in the opening stages of the 20km run, crossing the line in 4:07:19, over a minute ahead of Marangon.
In the men's race, Pete Jacobs took the title with a time of 03:34:58, followed by fellow Aussies Tim Reed (03:36:24) and Sam Appleton (03:39:26). For full results head here.