Search
shop

‘Special to get on the board’ – Bergsten and Moody celebrate maiden PRO wins

Jack Moody and Anna Bergsten rounded off the 2022 season style by grabbing their first 70.3 wins as professionals
News Director
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

The 2022 Nutri-Grain IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand in Taupō was the last PRO race of the season and it proved a special one for both Kiwi Jack Moody and Sweden’s Anna Bergsten who claimed their maiden 70.3 wins as professionals.

Riding ‘the house down’

Moody went out hard on the bike to recover a 50-second deficit lost to the leaders after the swim but once he hit the front victory never looked in doubt, with the Aucklander running home to take the tape in 3:49:18.

“I can’t believe it, I probably had the best swim of my life, I thought the group had separated at halfway and I tried to swim across and I actually realised that I was the one swimming away from group two and then I managed to ride the house down which was cool, haven’t ridden like that ever, and then really paid for it on the run but held it together and got the win which just means so much,” he said.

“It’s really special to get on the board here, it’s all the legends of New Zealand, so my name’s up there now.

Jack Moody claimed his debut professional win at the 2022 Nutri-Grain IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand - Photo Sportograf
Moody takes the tape for the first time [Photo credit: Sportograf]

“I think I’ve done enough of these now, it’s so hard to win one, you can get on the podium but to actually get first just feels like that next step up and to win like I did today, even better. It kind of cements what I’m doing now and how hard I’ve been working this year and what I’ve thrown into the sport, and where I might go next year,” said Moody.

Significant step up for Swede

Meanwhile Sweden’s Bergsten, who hails from Öglunda, only made the step up from age group racing this year.

The women’s race had looked like a head-to-head foot race between New Zealand pair Hannah Berry (née Wells) and Rebecca Clarke, but Bergsten had a different script in mind and swept past them both on the run to win convincingly.

“I’m so happy to be here. I was going here in 2020 actually for the age group World Champs so I’ve been longing to come back ever since and finally I’ve been able to make it over, as a pro, not an age grouper, it feels amazing,” said Bergsten.

Bergsten is the 2021 Age Group World and European IRONMAN 70.3 Champion but only turned professional at the start of 2022. After enduring a tough year she has now announced herself on the world stage.

It felt really good to end the year on a high.

“Very special because I’ve had a catastrophic year, I had COVID then iron deficiency and then I crashed at the European champs, so it’s been a really tough season, so it’s great to go into off season able to do some good work for the year ahead,” she said.

“On the run the plan was just to go out quite hard and I found a pretty good rhythm early on and then I just stuck to that and caught the girls around eight, nine kilometres and then I just stuck to my rhythm, eased off a bit when my friends said, ‘play it smart here’, so yeah it was quite an enjoyable race actually, I didn’t mind too much the rain.”

Sweden's Anna Bergsten celebrates her maiden IRONMAN 70.3 win at the 2022 Nutri-Grain IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand - Photo Sportograf
Plenty to smile about for Bergsten [Photo credit: Sportograf]

It was the perfect fillip for the 31-year-old who now plans to spend some time with friends in Aotearoa, making the most of the warm weather she hopes will come.

“I’ve always wanted to come to New Zealand, my whole family has been here when they were younger and I’m the only one who hasn’t been here, so I really wanted to go a couple of years ago but that didn’t happen,” she said.

“We just made it a vacation now with off season coming up, a nice summer over here – hopefully that will come – so yeah, just lucky circumstances with being able to race and then being able to have a bit of vacation together.”

Jonathan Turner
Written by
Jonathan Turner
Jonathan Turner is News Director for both TRI247 and RUN247, and is accustomed to big-name interviews, breaking news stories and providing unrivalled coverage for endurance sports.  
Discover more
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumTriathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
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
Hayden Wilde bike supertri Boston 2024 photo credit supertri
Premium10 ways to make your road bike faster and more aero for triathlons
Kristian Blummenfelt photo credit: PTO Canadian Open
PremiumIs your gut health impacting your performance? The untapped potential of good gut health for triathletes
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
PremiumHas triathlon reached peak performance? Tri experts and legends on how much faster triathletes could get
latest News
Paris 2024 Women's Triathlon podium - Cassandre Beaugrand, Julie Derron, Beth Potter
GOLDEN opportunity for the sport as first medals of LA2028 will be women’s triathlon
Gordon Ramsay 703 Luxembourg 2025
‘I’M BACK and Cooking!’ – Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay celebrates triathlon return
Danielle Lewis (USA) takes the win in Lake Placid.
Start list for IRONMAN Lake Placid REVEALED – and it’s stacked with world class names
Julie Derron wins T100 San Francisco 2025
IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz 2025: Olympic star wins by MORE than half an hour for first full-distance win
Matt Hauser Linn Jeffcoat Willian Australia win Mixed Relay WTCS Hamburg 2025
WTCS Hamburg 2025 Mixed Relay World Championship: Hauser anchors Australia to glory
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

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...