Search
shop

Ellie Salthouse on ‘Karma’ match and an ‘incredible’ Collins Cup

Ellie Salthouse reflects on her much-publicised match-up with Holly Lawrence at Colins Cup 2021.
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Despite being in the “best form of her career” and winning five races from five starts in 2021, Australia’s Ellie Salthouse had to rely on being a Captain’s Pick for Team Internationals at the Collins Cup. That was surely one of the easiest selections that Lisa Bentley and Simon Whitfield had to make.

While Salthouse may have been a late addition to the event, her race against Holly Lawrence in Samorin gained significantly more than its fair share of media, thanks to a pre-race video from the PTO. Remember ‘Karma is a bitch‘ anyone?

Ellie Salthouse, Skye Moench, Holly Lawrence
Advertisement

Sliding (down the road) in Slovakia

If the Holly vs. Ellie ‘beef’ generated pre-race headlines, the match-up delivered on course as well – for a while at least. Locked together through the opening 2km swim, they couldn’t be separated on the bike either… until the rain came down.

Lawrence came down with it as she hit the Slovakian tarmac – thankfully she was able to dust herself off and finish but the ‘battle’ was effectively over.

Holly Lawrence / Ellie Salthouse
The head-to-head was on – before Holly’s unfortunate fall in the wet

“I just looked up and she was on the floor. She actually came down pretty hard and I was really disappointed to see that because I was really looking forward to the foot race, side-by-side, and having a good match-up.

“I was just mostly disappointed for her, and when I went past her said a few nice words and told her to get up, come on, you’ve got this and hoping she wouldn’t lose too much time so we could still have that battle on the run, but unfortunately she still had some scratches and grazes and it took her a little while to get going again.”

So how did that crash impact the rest of the ride for Ellie?

“I guess on the highway it was super-easy because it was out-and-backs, not turns, but when we got off the highway and coming back into town, that’s where Holly went down and then when I saw her go down I was super-cautious all the way back to the x-Bionic sphere, because I didn’t want to go down myself. There were a lot of white lines, some pot holes and obviously a lot of heavy rain sitting on the road.”

No rest for Ellie Salthouse

Ellie would go on to win Match four by just over two minutes, but not before Team USA’s Skye Moench had managed to close 30 seconds on the Australian over the 18km run. Was Ellie getting any splits on where Skye was?

“I wasn’t getting anything actually, I was just feeling good on the run and so I just decided to race my own race. At one point I crossed over Skye, so I knew I had a couple of minutes over her, but obviously I couldn’t let my foot off the gas.”

While it didn’t ultimately impact the overall team positions, not letting off the pace in the final stages did mean that a 2:01 winning margin was just enough to gain an additional half-point bonus over the U.S. athlete.

Ellie Salthouse in action during the 2021 Collins Cup in Samorin, Slovakia.

The Collins Cup experience

One constant theme through the week – and not one forced upon the athletes, or delivering the party line – was their genuine enjoyment of the environment that the Collins Cup provided.

“This in unlike any race I’ve ever done. I was actually talking with Sarah Crowley this morning and we said this is almost the production level of the Olympics. It’s an incredible experience to be here, and not just that but to be part of the first Collins Cup.

“I hope it’s the first of many and that future generations get to enjoy this spectacle as well.”

Ellie Salthouse / Collins Cup

John Levison
Written by
John Levison
TRI247's Chief Correspondent, John has been involved in triathlon for well over 30 years, 15 of those writing on these pages, whilst he can also be found commentating for events across the UK.
Discover more
TRI247 podcast p/b Challenge Family episode 2
Go behind the scenes at Challenge Roth with the latest episode of the TRI247 podcast
Cadomotus Chronos triathlon cycling shoes
The triathlon cycling shoe that promises a 10-watt saving: Cadomotus Chronos Aero triathlon cycling shoes review
Challenge Family Roth
Five things you need to know about the Challenge Roth bike course
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
latest News
Joe Skipper finished fifth at Challenge Roth 2023
Challenge Roth 2025: Triathlon star Joe Skipper comes back from the brink for another shot at iconic race
ironman hamburg 2025 podium laura philipp kat matthews solveig lovseth beer
Challenge Roth 2025: Laura Philipp backed to make triathlon history by crashing through magical time barrier
Challenge Roth press conference 2025
Challenge Roth 2025: Date, start times, how to watch live and who’s racing
Georgia Taylor Brown wins supertri Toulouse 2024
British Olympic legend Georgia Taylor-Brown to make triathlon return
Gwen Jorgensen reflective World Triathlon Cup Vina del Mer 2023
‘Unbreakable’ Gwen Jorgensen ‘bruised’ after bike crash but vows to bounce back
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...