WEIHAI, China — Taylor Spivey (Redondo Beach, Calif.) took the win at the Weihai ITU Triathlon World Cup in China on Saturday, marking her fourth podium and first victory on the ITU World Cup circuit.
Weihai is a second-year ITU World Cup host, presenting an Olympic-distance course that featured a 1,500-meter swim, 40.2-kilometer bike and 10-kilometer run.
Wearing the No. 1 bib in the women’s race, Spivey came out of the water a few seconds behind Yuko Takahashi of Japan. She remained in the lead pack on the bike with Takahashi, Miriam Casillas Garcia of Spain and Anna Maria Mazzetti of Italy.
Heading into the second transition, Lisa Perterer of Austria and Zsanett Bragmayer of Hungary caught the lead pack, with the main chase group more than two minutes off the pace. Spivey had a quick transition and began the run with a five-second lead, and she and Mazzetti duked it out on the fast course. The two were neck-and-neck at the halfway point, but Spivey ultimately prevailed by a slim 11 seconds, finishing in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 2 seconds to Mazzetti’s 2:08:13. Casillas Garcia held on for bronze in 2:09:07.
With the win, Spivey adds her first gold to a trio of silver-medal ITU World Cup finishes in Cagliari, Italy; Madrid; and Miyazaki, Japan.
Chelsea Burns (Seattle, Wash.) finished the day in 10th with a time of 2:10:44. Also competing for the U.S. were Sophie Chase (Carlsbad, Calif.), who finished 27th in 2:17:35; Sarah Alexander (Shaker Heights, Ohio), 30th in 2:18:45; and Tamara Gorman (Rapid City, S.D.), 32nd in 2:20:43.
In the men’s race, Seth Rider (Germantown, Tenn.) led the way for the U.S. with a 35th-place finish. Norway’s Gustav Iden claimed his second consecutive ITU World Cup victory, while Antonio Serrat Seoane of Spain took silver and Alex Yee of Great Britain earned bronze.
Belgium’s Marten Van Riel and Russia’s Dmitry Polyanskiy led the pack out of the water, but there were more than a dozen competitors with them. It wasn’t until the run that Yee and Iden made their move and broke away from the pack. They were caught by Serrat and Lasse Lührs of Germany, and those four led the chase to the finish line. Iden was able to pull away for the win in 1:53:11, followed by Serrat Seoane in second (1:53:26) and Yee in third (1:53:30). Lührs hung on for fourth place with a time of 1:53:40.
Rider crossed the finish line 35th in 1:58:18. Also competing for the U.S. was Collin Chartier (Fairfax, Va.), who did not finish the race.
The ITU World Cup circuit heads next to Madrid, Spain, from September 29-30.
2018 Weihai ITU Triathlon World Cup
1,500m swim, 40.2k bike, 10k run
Elite Women — Complete Results
1. Taylor Spivey (Redondo Beach, Calif.), 2:08:02
2. Anna Maria Mazzetti (ITA), 2:08:13
3. Miriam Casillas Garcia (ESP), 2:09:07
U.S. Finishers
1. Taylor Spivey (Redondo Beach, Calif.), 2:08:02
10. Chelsea Burns (Seattle, Wash.), 2:10:44
27. Sophie Chase (Carlsbad, Calif.), 2:17:35
30. Sarah Alexander (Shaker Heights, Ohio), 2:18:45
32. Tamara Gorman (Rapid City, S.D.), 2:20:43
Elite Men — Complete Results
1. Gustav Iden (NOR), 1:53:11
2. Antonio Serrat Seoane (ESP), 1:53:26
3. Alex Yee (GBR), 1:53:30
U.S. Finishers
35. Seth Rider (Germantown, Tenn.), 1:58:18
Collin Chartier (Fairfax, Va.), DNF
About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 events and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches, and race directors on the grassroots level, USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
