Impressive performances from Adam Bowden and Sophie Alden in Cardiff
Today’s Cardiff Triathlon from Always Aim High Events also host the 2018 British Elite Triathlon Championships, which saw two impressive performances take clear wins to become the new National Champions.
Elite Men
While the now Wales-based Adam Bowden may have switched his racing attentions to the Middle/70.3 format for 2018, the long-time World Triathlon Series athlete and member of the British Elite squad was still a class above today. It’s only 12 months since Adam achieved his career best WTS result of fourth at World Triathlon Leeds 2017, so when he started the 5km run in a group of six (including Marcus Dey, Fergus Roberts, James Teagle, Iestyn Harrett and Nathan Tweedie), with a 37 second lead over a huge chase pack of almost 20 athletes, there was – realistically – only ever going to be one result.
Winner of this Cardiff Triathlon in 2017, Bowden finished with a speedy 14:25 run split for a comfortable winning margin of 23 seconds over Teagle, with Roberts following just three seconds later. Harrett was rewarded for his early efforts with fourth, while Morgan Davies ran himself back into fifth place via a swift closing 14:27 5km.
Bowden thus added another British Triathlon title to that he won two years ago in Liverpool.
Boom 💥 @BritTri British Champ 2018. 🥇👊💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/Ds3gRfBo8J
— Adam Bowden (@Adamspeedytri) June 24, 2018
Elite Women
There is little question that Sophie Alden (Loughborough Triathlon Performance Centre) was the strongest athlete and a well deserved winner today.
Grace Kennell (Farnham Triathlon Club) and Alden headed the swim in 9:26, giving them a significant lead of 21 seconds over their chasers, which were lead in to T1 by Jenny Manners and Leah Peploe.
Alden was soon solo at the front on her own on the bike, but despite her efforts, when you have a chase group of 14 hunting you down, staying away is always going to be difficult. She was caught before the midway point of the bike – would her early attack prove in vain?
A group of 12 remained together as they reach T2, where Alden was the quickest through transition and first on to the run, closely followed by World Junior Silver medallist, Kate Waugh. Alden and Waugh soon distanced the group and with 2.5km to go were still separated by just two seconds. Alden proved that her swim and early bike efforts had not proven too much and she was able to pull clear over the final lap, to break the tape 11 seconds ahed of Waugh.
Extremely happy to have taken the tape today in Cardiff at the @BritTri elite championships 🏅 really solid race and pushed all the way to the line! Next up: 🇪🇸 with @LoughboroughTri pic.twitter.com/Wg5CqjuysC
— Soph (@SophieAlden) June 24, 2018
The Bronze was earned by twice European Elite Aquathlon champion, Hannah Kitchen, ahead of Jenny Manners and now 70.3 specialist, Fenella Langridge.
British Elite Triathlon Championships, Cardiff Triathlon – Sunday 24th June 2018
750m / 20km / 5km
ELITE MEN
1st – Adam Bowden – 55:30
2nd – James Teagle – 55:53
3rd – Fergus Roberts – 55:56
4th – Iestyn Harrett – 56:09
5th – Morgan Davies – 56:14
ELITE WOMEN
1st – Sophie Alden – 1:02:24
2nd – Kate Waugh – 1:02:35
3rd – Hannah Kitchen – 1:02:50
4th – Jenny Manners – 1:02:59
5th – Fenella Langridge – 1:03:09
Triathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
