If anyone needed any proof that triathlete Brendan Sexton had “arrived”, he certainly silenced the doubters with a gutsy fourth placing
If anyone needed any proof that triathlete Brendan Sexton had “arrived”, he certainly silenced the doubters with a gutsy fourth placing in the opening round of the world championships in Sydney on Sunday.
In horrific conditions, that saw plenty of carnage throughout the bike and run legs, Sexton looked comfortable in mixing it with the world’s best – and with just over 12 months to go before the London Olympics, his prospects continue to soar.
The event was taken out by reigning world champion Javier Gomez of Spain, who despite a nasty tumble on the wet roads was able to show his class to power away in the final stages to defeat Great Britain’s Jonathan Brownlee with Sven Riederer of Switzerland in third.
Sexton, the popular Australian who trains in Melbourne was over the moon with his performance and agreed this result could be a turning point.
“I’m pretty amazed with what I did out there. Gomez was amazing, he’s a freak, but I’m just over the moon,” he said.
“I’ve taken a big step and in the company I was in that was just incredible for me. Today has given me more than I could do in any training session, and it’s a bigger step psychologically than physically.
Despite his career high, Sexton isn’t satisfied and wants to go one, and eventually more steps better.
“You’ve always got to keep aiming and this was three places from the top so I’m always going to keep moving,” Sexton said.
Fellow Australian Courtney Atkinson finished 13th while Brad Kahlefeldt did not complete the course after retiring after the bike leg.
Earlier in the day Beijing Olympic heroes Emma Snowsill and Emma Moffatt both had disappointing performances.
Despite being cheered on by a boisterous home crowd over what was almost identical to the 2000 Olympic Games course, Moffatt could only manage 13th with Snowsill, the reigning gold medallist 42nd.
Canadian Paula Findlay took out the event with defending champion Barbara Riveros Diaz in second and New Zealand’s Andrew Hewitt third.
Moffatt was briefly in the leading pack at the start of the run leg however she quickly faded.
“I got a stitch and found it really hard,” Moffatt recalled.
“It all comes down to the run leg in these races and I just couldn’t go. I started to get a bit of pain towards the end of the bike leg but it doesn’t matter so much on the bike. When I started running it was clearly going to be a problem.
“Maybe it was a bit of fatigue from Mooloolaba, I’m not sure,” she added.
Moffatt has been competing at the elite level for long enough to know that there is a positive to be found in every performance.
“It’s clear I have to improve on that if I want to go well in the series,” she said.
“It was not the result I wanted, especially at home where you naturally want to go well.
The result was even more of a body blow to Olympic champion Snowsill who was left shattered – both physically and emotionally after the race.
In fact it was some time after the race before she was able to speak to the media, and when she did, she was still shaking off the after effects of a gut-busting performance.
The event started poorly with a below par effort in the swim leg and she battled to regain touch with the leading pack throughout the bike and run legs.
“I’m just completely empty,” she said.
“I don’t know what happened in the swim. It was really really choppy which made it hard but I thought I was going alright. I must have been a little off-course or something because I just found myself at the back of the pack,” she added.
While not making excuses, Snowsill revealed she had been battling a heavy cold in the past fortnight that may have taken its toll in the lead up to her first race of the season.
“The first race is always the hardest but I was really flat. I did put a lot of pressure on myself competing in Sydney but I’m really not sure what happened.
Snowsill was that lethargic she even contemplated pulling out of the event at various stages.
“Plenty of times, actually. These things are always a battle of wills though and I just kept thinking that I’m in a race and you just can’t get race conditions in training.
Despite her lowly placing, Snowsill could find a positive.
“I know my body and I’m not worried with the end result. I actually to started to get my legs going towards the back end of the run leg so that’s good I suppose,” she offered.
Of the other Aussies competing, Felicity Abram was 15th, Emma Jackson 24th, Felicity Sheedy-Ryan 41st and Annabel Luxford 43rd.
Damian Kelly for the AOC