BANYOLES, Spain — Tamara Gorman led the U.S. contingent with a silver-medal performance at the ITU Triathlon World Cup in Banyoles, Spain, on Saturday for her fifth career World Cup podium.
This is the first time since 2012 the ITU World Cup has come to Banyoles, which features a sprint-distance course with a 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run.
Two-time world champion Flora Duffy of Bermuda, a late entry in the race, took charge early on in the swim, swimming solo on the side of the pack. Duffy exited the water first, while Gorman (Rapid City, S.D.) and Kirsten Kasper (North Andover, Mass.) were ninth and 10th for the U.S.
Laura Lindemann of Germany took the lead at the first transition, and she and Duffy took the helm of the lead pack on the bike. Kasper moved to the lead during the first lap of the flat course and remained with the lead pack as it dwindled to eight athletes. Gorman began the third lap of the bike in second place behind Maya Kingma of the Netherlands, and the two Americans finished the bike leg in second and third place with Duffy in the lead.
“I knew that Flora would try and break away, just because that’s her strength and she’s so good at it, so I just tried to be smart within the pack and not go above what I was able to do,” Gorman said on TriathlonLIVE. “I think I played that out well throughout the race.”
Gorman began the run in third place, hanging with Duffy and Lindemann at the front of the pack. She began to fall back at the start of the second and final lap, with Kasper holding fifth place. Lindemann started to pull away with two kilometers remaining in the race, and Gorman overtook Duffy as she slowed with just over a kilometer remaining.
Lindemann crossed the finish line in 55:38, and Gorman outsprinted Duffy to the finish for second place, crossing in 55:52 to Duffy’s 55:55. Kasper finished fourth in 56:37.
The silver medal is Gorman’s second of the season, having matched the finish at the world cup stop in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, in August. She claimed bronze in the season-opener in Cape Town, South Africa, and was also part of Team USA’s Mixed Relay bronze medals at the Tokyo ITU World Olympic Qualification Event and the ITU U23-Junior World Championships.
“I’m really proud of how I performed today,” Gorman said. “I put it all together — swim, bike and run, and I’m very happy.”
Also competing for the U.S. was Chelsea Burns (Seattle, Wash.), who came in 21st with a time of 57:32.
In the men’s race, reigning world champion Vincent Luis of France earned the top spot, coming in at 49:58. Hometown favorite Mario Mola of Spain came in second at 50:01, while Bence Bicsák of Hungary took the bronze in 50:18.
Eli Hemming (Kiowa, Colo.) led the U.S. men in 12th place, crossing the line in 50:44.
Slovakia’s Richard Varga exited the swim in first place, followed closely by Luis, who led the pack from the first transition into the bike with Tyler Mislawchuk and Matthew Sharpe of Canada.
Mola led after the first lap of the bike, ahead of a pack of nearly 60 athletes. Hemming was in 12th place, back of leaders Jonas Schomburg of Germany, Hayden Wilde of New Zealand, Luis and Mola at the start of the run.
Luis and Mola built a 10-second lead by the second lap, and the gold medal came down to a sprint to the finish. It was also a sprint for third place, with Bicsák taking the bronze ahead of Mislawchuk and Wilde.
Also competing for the U.S. were Seth Rider (Germantown, Tenn.), 16th in 50:50; Kevin McDowell (Phoenix, Ariz.), 18th in 50:53; William Huffman (Colleyville, Texas), 25th in 51:02; and Morgan Pearson (Boulder, Colo.), DNF.
The ITU World Cup’s next stop is in Weihai, China, on Sept. 21.
Banyoles ITU Triathlon World Cup
Elite Women — Complete Results
750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run
1. Laura Lindemann (GER), 55:38
2. Tamara Gorman (Rapid City, S.D.), 55:52
3. Flora Duffy (BER), 55:55
U.S. Finishers
4. Kirsten Kasper (North Andover, Mass.), 56:37
21. Chelsea Burns (Seattle, Wash.), 57:32
Elite Men — Complete Results
750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run
1. Vincent Luis (FRA), 49:58
2. Mario Mola (ESP), 50:01
3. Bence Bicsák (HUN), 50:18
U.S. Finishers
12. Eli Hemming (Kiowa, Colo.), 50:44
16. Seth Rider (Germantown, Tenn.), 50:50
18. Kevin McDowell (Phoenix, Ariz.), 50:53
25. William Huffman (Colleyville, Texas), 51:02
(DNF) Morgan Pearson (Boulder, Colo.)
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).