Simon Whitfield Finishes 14th at Triathlon World Championship Series on 2012 Olympic Course

LONDON, England—Canada’s Simon Whitfield continues to find his top stride as he settled for a 14th place finish in an Olympic dress rehearsal of sorts as the world’s best triathletes battled in the fifth leg of the World Championship Series on the 2012 Olympic course in London on Sunday.

The 35-year-old Whitfield, of Victoria, enjoyed a solid 1.5-kilometre swim, exiting the waters of the picturesque Serpentine Lake in the middle of the vast Hyde Park in one of the world’s largest cities, 12 seconds off the leading pace.

With nearly 60 of the world’s best triathletes riding wheel-to-wheel on a flat and fast 40-kilometre bike course, the two-time Olympic medallist popped through the fray, but quickly settled back in the pack to set himself up for three more loops on foot to complete the 10-kilometre run. Whitfield stopped the clock at one hour, 43 minutes, 24 seconds. (1:43:24).

“It was definitely a fast race and a good result as I continue to say that I’m looking for consistency,” said Whitfield, who has had a challenging season this year with only one top-10 finish. “I want to be in the game every week because I am competitive – that is my nature. But it is what it is. The journey is filled with ups and downs, and if this is my down time then things are actually going pretty good.”

A lead group of four athletes controlled most of the run. Spain’s Javier Gomez exchanged leads with Britain’s Brownlee brothers of Alistair and Jonathan, while Germany’s Jan Frodeno settled in behind the big three until the final lap. With the new king of triathlon, 22-year-old Alistair Brownlee running out of gas, Gomez continued a stellar six-weeks for Spanish sport fans when he surged ahead of the group on the final lap for his 13th career win, and second World Championship Series title in as many weeks, posting a golden time of 1:42:08.

The 20-year-old Jonathan Brownlee locked up his first World Championship Series podium with a second-place finish at 1:42:14, while 2008 Olympic gold medallist, Frodeno, rounded out the men’s podium in third with a time of 1:42:30.

Kyle Jones, of Oakville, Ont., and Jordan Bryden, of Airdrie, Alta., were the only two other Canucks to suit up on Sunday in London. Jones finished 31st with a time of 1:44:23, while Bryden was 56th at 1:51:28.

The Canadian Triathlon Team will leave London with their heads held high after claiming their first-ever World Championship Series victory when Edmonton rookie, Paula Findlay, stunned the world on Saturday to win the women’s race in her Series debut.

“Paula was just absolutely incredible,” said Whitfield, a winner of 12 major international race victories. “She is such an example of someone who puts their head down and is focused, is pragmatic, keeps things simple and does the hard work. To do what she did at that age, and show such maturity is really incredible.”

Triathlon Canada is the governing body for triathlon in the country. Recognized as an Olympic medal sport since 2000, Triathlon Canada’s mandate is to promote, foster, organize and develop the sport of triathlon, and its related disciplines, in Canada. For more information on Triathlon Canada, please visit us at www.triathloncanada.com on the Internet.

Complete World Championship Series Results (1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run): www.triathlon.org
Top-Five Men’s and Canadian Results;
1. Javier Gomez, ESP, 1:42:08; 2. Jonathan Brownlee, GBR, 1:42:14; 3. Jan Frodeno, GER, 1:42:30; 4. Alexander Bryukhankov, RUS, 1:42:44; 5. Mario Mola, ESP, 1:42:46.
Canadian Results:
14. Simon Whitfield, Victoria, 1:43:24; 31. Kyle Jones, Oakville, Ont., 1:44:23; 56. Jordan Bryden, Airdrie, Alta., 1:51:28.

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