Fyn 2018: Lejeune, Hannesdottir secure Elite Aquathlon World Gold in Denmark

Chief Correspondent

Winner of Elite ETU European Aquathlon Championship Gold in both 2015 and 2017, Great Britain’s Hannah Kitchen added to her Elite international swim-run medal collection today with Silver at the ITU Aquathlon World Championships, held at Middelfart Harbour, Fyn, Denmark.

Her second World Championship medal, that adds to Bronze won four years ago Edmonton. Having also won European Silver (2014) and Bronze (2016) alongside her two ETU wins, Hannah now only (!) needs to secure a World Championship Gold to complete her full set of ETU and ITU medals, in all colours, in the Aquathlon discipline.

Finishing seventh overall today, Chloe Pollard finished second in the Under-23 division, just 11 seconds down on the Gold medal winner, Sofiya Pryyma (UKR).

Pollard lead the race out of the water as expected, but had several athletes on her shoulder, with Kitchen around 15 seconds back after the opening 1km swim. Edda Hannesdottir (ISL) was one of the athletes to match the pace of Pollard in the water and then added the second fastest run split for a clear winning margin over Kitchen.

Belgium’s Emmanuel Lejeune – 12th in the Elite Duathlon Champs last week – produced a storming run to make up a 53 second swim deficit to Nathan Breen (AUS) and take Gold by 10 seconds. The Aussie will go home with two medals, having also been the leading Under-23 athlete. Indeed, positions 2/3/4 overall were all filled by Under-23 entrants and separated by just five seconds at the finish line.

All of the reports and news from Fyn:

Fynske Bank ITU Multisports World Championship Festival – Thursday 12th July 2018
ITU Aquathlon World Championships, 1km / 5km

ELITE MEN

1st – Emmanuel Lejeune (BEL) – 27:47
2nd – Nathan Breen (AUS) – 27:57
3rd – Alexis Kardes (FRA) – 28:00

ELITE WOMEN

1st – Edda Hannesdottir (ISL) – 31:15
2nd – Hannah Kitchen (GBR) – 32:03
3rd – Vida Medic (SRB) – 32:17

ELITE UNDER-23 MEN

1st – Nathan Breen (AUS) – 27:57
2nd – Alexis Kardes (FRA) – 28:00
3rd – Brady Goodyear (AUS) – 28:02

ELITE UNDER-23 WOMEN

1st – Sofiya Pryyma (UKR) – 32:37
2nd – Chloe Pollard (GBR) – 32:48
3rd – Maryna Sokolova (UKR) – 33:23

JUNIOR MEN

1st – Valdemar Solok (DEN) – 29:17
2nd – Rahul Jegatheva (AUS) – 30:02
3rd – Šimon Koblizek (CZE) – 30:06

JUNIOR WOMEN

1st – Augusta Grønberg Christensen (DEN) – 32:27
2nd – Anastacia Damm (DEN) – 34:22
3rd – Pauline Feußner – 35:56

PARATRI

Gold – IaIn Dawson – PTVI (guided by Matt Ellis)
Silver – Mark Conway – PTWC

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.
Latest News
Summer Rappaport SLT Malibu Bike
Summer Rappaport suffered broken jaw in bike crash at Super League Triathlon in Malibu
Pierre Le Corre Montreal 2022
World Triathlon Cup Tangier 2023 results: No stopping Pierre Le Corre as French star rules
Lisa Tertsch World Triathlon Valencia 2022
World Triathlon Cup Tangier 2023 results: Tertsch runs to victory, top-10 return for Vicky Holland
Hayden Wilde Super League Triathlon Malibu 2023
Super League Triathlon Malibu 2023 results: Hayden Wilde dominant as Bergere leapfrogs Brownlee
Cassandre Beaugrand Super League Triathlon Malibu 2023
Super League Triathlon Malibu 2023 Results: A Cassandre cruise as Lehair grabs championship lead