Sophie Coleman is World Junior Duathlon Champion

Sophie Coleman and Vicky Graves have continued British Triathlon’s summer of success winning gold and silver respectively at the Junior Women’s 2009 Concord ITU Duathlon World Championships held in Concord, North Carolina on 26 September.



Following, two gold and two silver medals at the 2009 Gold Coast ITU Triathlon World Championships earlier this month, the two GB duathletes added to a highly successful year for the sport of triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon.



The win in Concord, delivered a double victory for Coleman, successfully defending her World Junior Duathlon title won last year in Rimini. In 2009 Coleman also finished second in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival and fifth in the Junior ETU Triathlon European Championships. The Eastbourne youngster has also had domestic success with victories in the British Junior Duathlon Championship and British Junior Triathlon Championships.



Vicky Graves from York completed a busy summer adding silver to her gold medal won at the Junior ETU Duathlon European Championships, bronze at the Junior ETU Junior Triathlon European Championships and a 26th place finish in the Junior ITU Triathlon World Championships on the Gold Coast only two weeks ago.



Both duathletes executed perfect tactics with Coleman powering out of the second transition to breakaway and Graves raced strongly to fend off the Dutch duathlete, van der Wansem.



In the women’s Elite race, Kat Grimmett put in a superb performance leading into the first transition before sadly crashing with French duathlete, Alexandra Louison.



In the Senior Men’s Elite race, Paul Amey was unable to defend his title, with Jarrod Shoemaker from Germany the eventual winner. Amey did however play a significant role in the race, chasing for four of the six laps before successfully making the last lap breakaway group, a move initiated by compatriot Richard Hobby. Shoemaker didn’t make the break, but in the last 5km, closed down the 25 second gap to claim his title, with Amey ending in 28th position.



The highest placed GB duathlete was Richard Hobby in seventh place, although Phil Wylie (12th) and Adam Bowden (15th) all had outstanding performances. David Roper had an accomplished race finishing 27th on his international debut.



In the Under 23 races, our only representative was Wales’, Non Stanford, who impressed early on running in the front group which included both the Under 23 and Senior duathletes. Unfortunately, Stanford was another victim of bad luck having both a crash and puncture on the bike leg, leading to her ultimate withdrawal.



Great Britain also entered a team of 56 into the Age-Group races and won a total of four gold, four silver and three bronze medals.