British athletes were in action at the 2014 Pontevedra ITU Sprint and Standard Distance Duathlon World Championships, at the 2014 Cologne ETU Aquathlon European Championships, and at the 2014 ETU Cross Triathlon European Championships in Sardinia.

 

British duathletes of all ages enjoyed success in the Sprint at Pontevedra, Spain, with 12 taking gold, four silver and 10 bronze. Among those who won their age-groups were Great Britain's two returning world champions, Alan Murchison (M40-44) and Maurice Young (M80-84).

 

Young commented: "It was a memorable race. The run through the old town was full of cheering spectators and the bike involved a long grind uphill followed by a thrilling descent down on my drops round the fast sweeping corners." 

 

Also among the Great Britain winners, Jacqui Phillips (F45-49) added World Sprint Duathlon gold to the European title she won at Horst in March this year. "It was fantastic," Phillips said. "I had a perfect race and the run course was exciting with amazing crowds lining the streets throughout the really fast and twisty run course in town. There was a great big hill on the bike course so it was a really big climb, and then back down again. It was one of the fastest descents I've done in my life." 

 

The Great Britain Age-Group Team's performance in the Standard Distance Duathlon was no less notable, with 12 golds, seven silver and eight bronze. Lee Piercy (M40-44) successfully defended the title he won last year.

 

It was a case of nearly but not quite on a promising day for the Great Britain Elite duathletes at Pontevedra, with Philip Wylie and Bronwen Owen both coming fourth, in the men's Elite and Junior women's races respectively. There was an excellent performance from Georgina Schwiening, who won bronze in the Under-23 women's race. The Elite races were won by Benoit Nicolas and Sandra Levenez, both of France.

 

While the Great Britain duathletes were enjoying success on the bike and run in Spain, their aquathlete counterparts were enjoying no less impressive a time in the waters of the Rhein and on the roads at the 2014 Cologne ETU Aquathlon European Championships.

 

Perhaps the performance of the whole weekend came from Hannah Kitchen, who was narrowly pipped for gold by the Czech Republic's Tereza Zimovjanova. Kitchen is racing in her first season as an Elite, having been an Age-Group European Sprint Triathlon in 2012, and she was delighted with her performance after the step up in class to the Elite level.

 

"You never know what to expect going into it so I was really pleased to come away with a medal," she said. "I was European Age Group Sprint Triathlon champion in 2012 but this is my first season racing at Elite level so it has been a step up. The swim was quite brutal, one of the hardest I've ever had. I came out of the water in seventh but I had a really quick transition and moved into fourth and picked my way up the field. So I was pleased to have done enough to qualify for the ITU World Championships in Edmonton in September."

 

The Great Britain Age-Group Team also enjoyed a profitable time in Germany, winning nine golds, eight silver and six bronze medals. Natalie Thomas (F25-29 gold) said: "I really enjoyed the race. It was a really nice course and it was brilliant being part of the Great Britain Age-Group Team. There was so much support and it was really nice coming past the crowds with everyone cheering." 

 

Gordon Crawford (M50-54) added the European title to the gold medal he won at the ITU World Aquathlon Championship in London last year. "It was a very good event - well organised and a great venue," he said. "The water temperature was fantastic and it was a really good out and back course. I'm hoping to go to Edmonton for the 2014 ITU World Aquathlon Championships next." 

 

Meanwhile, at the 2014 ETU Cross Triathlon European Championships in Sardinia on Sunday, Rory Downie came 12th in the Elite men's race.

 

Great Britain Age-Group Team medalists

2014 Pontevedra ITU Sprint Distance Duathlon World Championships (5K/20K/2.5K)

Gold 

M16-19 Tom Stead 00:58:44 

F20-24 Abigail Bagshaw 01:04:41 

M20-24 Ben Cockburn 00:58:45 

M25-29 Carl Avery 00:58:47 

F35-39 Donna McHugh 01:08:13 

F40-44 Debbie Bradley 01:10:49 

M40-44 Alan Murchison 00:57:48 

F45-49 Jacqui Phillips 01:07:56 

M55-59 Peter Hollins 01:04:17 

F60-64 Sharon Bardsley 01:18:47 

M65-69 Raymond O'Grady 01:11:36 

M80-84 Maurice Young 01:46:35 

 

Silver 

M16-19 Charlie Passfield 01:02:33 

F40-44 Sue Walker 01:10:52 

F65-69 Christine Sleight 01:32:43 

M65-69 Mick Anglim 01:11:42 

 

Bronze

F25-29 Jessica Archer-Clowes 01:11:07 

F30-34 Lauren Bradshaw 01:10:06 

F40-44 Anna Blackwell 01:10:53 

F45-49 Vikki Sivertsen 01:11:11 

M45-49 Craig Dyce 01:02:08

F50-54 Janice Mcwilliam 01:15:13 

M50-54 Nigel Arlidge 01:04:54 

F55-59 Heather Lambert 01:16:10 

F60-64 Margaret Jagan 01:23:17 

F65-69 Alexis Dinsmor 01:40:22 

 

2014 Pontevedra ITU Standard Distance Duathlon World Championships (10K/40K/5K)

Gold

M18-19 George Loveday 02:12:27 

F20-24 Fiona Bracegirdle 02:14:29 

F25-29 Suzie Richards 02:13:02 

M25-29 Duncan Bullock 01:58:00 

F35-39 Sarah May 02:13:25 

M35-39 Richard Shephard 01:56:43 

M40-44 Lee Piercy 01:58:47 

F45-49 Kate Morris 02:19:26 

F50-54 Julia Matheson 02:12:28 

F60-64 Penny Edwards 02:35:45 

F65-59 Sarah Barrett 02:50:43 

M80-84 Michael Sommerlad 04:13:50 

 

Silver

M18-19 Finn Nugent 02:20:25 

F25-29 Samantha Aplin 02:18:10 

F35-39 Katie Thompson 02:21:29 

F50-54 Gill Fullen 02:16:27 

M50-54 RG Mclean 02:02:54 

M55-59 Jeremy Tomlinson 02:09:17 

F60-64 Margaret Hollamby 02:36:08 

 

Bronze

M20-24 Anthony Meager 02:00:58 

M25-29 James  Coleman 02:01:54 

F30-34 Louise Fox 02:15:25 

M30-34 Thomas Crouch 01:59:11 

M45-49 Jim Burdett 02:00:57 

F60-64 Elspeth Knott 02:37:17 

M70-74 Bill Boynton 02:38:56 

Mixed relay team 01:35:06 

 

Elite Men

4 Philip Wylie 01:51:05 

DNF Danny Russell LAP 

 

Elite Women

14 Gillian Palmer 02:09:02 

 

Under-23 Women

3 Georgina Schwiening 02:07:22 

 

Junior Men

7 Richard Allen 00:57:45 

16 George Goodwin 00:58:09 

18 Deri Stewart 00:58:15 

 

Junior Women

4 Bronwen  Owen 01:05:36 

11 Kate Curran 01:06:51 

 

Men's PT4

9 Adrian Howden 01:20:14 

 

2014 Cologne ETU Aquathlon European Championships (2.5K/1K/2.5K)

Gold

F16-19 Honor Rendall 00:38:40 

F25-29 Natalie Thomas 00:35:11 

F30-34 Rachel Bell 00:42:55 

M35-39 Sean Everett 00:36:11 

F40-44 Janette Cardy 00:38:28 

F50-54 Joanna Crotch 00:39:58 

M50-54 Gordon Crawford 00:33:20 

F55-59 Jane Bell 00:41:07 

F60-64 Julia Hector 00:45:00 

 

Silver 

M16-19 Thomas Lazenby 00:38:43 

F25-29 Charlotte Watkins 00:37:37 

M25-29 Stewart Moore 00:32:26 

F30-34 Anna Price 00:44:43 

F35-39 Helen Russell 00:38:26 

F40-44 2 Judy Prior 00:38:38 

F45-49 Susan Dyke 00:37:24 

M55-59 Simon Claridge 00:39:42 

 

Bronze 

F25-29 Samantha Anderson 00:38:24 

M25-29 Thomas Priest 00:35:14 

M30-34 Daniel Jones 00:42:37 

F35-39 Kathy Wellam 00:39:05 

M35-39 Ben Hieatt-smith 00:36:45 

M55-59 Simon Puttock 00:40:47 

 

Elite Men

13 Richard Stannard 00:30:03 

19 Neil Eddy 00:30:25 

24 Nick Beer 00:31:04 

 

Elite Women

2 Hannah Kitchen 00:31:48 

12 Emma Holt 00:34:31 

15 Eloise Crowley 00:35:24 

 

2014 ETU Cross Triathlon European Championships (1.5K/30K/10K)

Elite Men

12 Rory Downie 02:24:26 [ENDS]