Wallace and Waugh win medals at Junior World Championships
Erin Wallace and Kate Waugh won elite junior silver and bronze medals on the Gold Coast, demonstrating that Britain has a healthy pipeline of young athletes as well as senior stars. Matt Willis was the top finisher in men’s junior race.
The men’s and women’s junior races were won by Hungry and Mexico, a nod to the growth and development of the sport. Hungary’s Csongor Lehmann won the men’s race despite losing his cap and goggles early in the swim and Mexico’s Cecilia Ramirez Alavez ran through the field like a train after being 31 seconds off the pace at the start of the 5km run. She ran past all including Wallace and Waugh.
Wallace, who also represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in April and Great Britain on the track at the IAAF World U20 Championships in Finland said: “I definitely can’t be disappointed because my result is so much more than I expected this year.”
She added: “I couldn’t be happier with how it went. I knew I was in good form coming into this race but it was nerve racking to be on the start line, so I kept my trust in what I know I have done to prepare and it paid off. I really wanted Kate (Waugh) to also do well. I wanted both of us on that podium.”
Kate Waugh summed up her race, saying: “I obviously came out to win today and go one better than my second place last year but I didn’t have it at the end, the girls were just too strong today. It was amazing to come here and I’m so grateful to be selected. It is always an honour to wear a GB suit. I didn’t see Alavez coming she was a long way back, but she was so, so powerful when she came past me that I couldn’t stay with her. Well done to her.”
World Junior Duathlon champion, Matt Willis had one of the fastest 5km run splits at 15:47 but an early swim deficit meant he wasn’t with the front runners as the race developed. Still only 18, he has another year as a junior. He finished 18th.
Results; 750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run:
JUNIOR MEN
1. Csongor Lehmann, HUN, 52:49
2. Paul Georgenthum, FRA, 53:12
3. Philipp Wiewald, GER, 53:14
18. Matthew Willis, GBR, 54:27
22. Daniel Slater, GBR, 54:41
29. James Chantler-Mayne, GBR, 55:04
JUNIOR WOMEN
1. Cecilia Ramirez Alavez, MEX, 59:11
2. Erin Wallace, GBR, 59:23
3. Kate Waugh, GBR, 59:34
34. Iona Miller, GBR, 1:02:16