Jess Fullagar has set her sights on competing at more T100 Triathlon World Tour races this season after securing a stunning second place in her debut event on Australia’s Gold Coast.
The 25-year-old British athlete stepped up from short-course competition on Saturday and proved she can mix it with the very best as she crossed the line just a minute behind former world champion Taylor Knibb (USA).
Having battled against each other for the majority of what was a tough afternoon in Surfers Paradise, the pair embraced at the finish, with Fullagar heard exclaiming, ‘That’s long’ and ‘I hurt so, all over’.
Fastest swim and run of the day
She may have been exhausted, but there was no doubting how delighted she clearly was with her efforts in these new surroundings, as her beaming smile was evident for all to see.
Fullagar’s display was so impressive that third-placed Swiss athlete Imogen Simmonds was a further four minutes behind her, with the Brit also clocking the fastest swim (26:04) and run (01:04:19) of the day.
It was only on the bike where she lost ground to the experienced and hugely talented Knibb, who, once in the lead, knew how to see out the race without too much drama.
Maybe if she had been able to ride her own bike, then things might have been even better for her, but with her new machine not yet ready, she was forced to borrow one from good friend, housemate and fellow triathlete Lucy Byram.
‘You could tell I was a rookie’
Byram, who was missing from the race due to a hip injury, was also there at the finish line to greet Fullagar with a huge hug of congratulations.
“When I wasn’t suffering, I was having a lot of fun,” said Fullagar. “I think you could tell I was a rookie out there. A lot of mistakes, but I was here to learn a lot and have a lot of fun, and considering I’m 16,000 km away from home, it felt like a home race at times, so I’m just grateful to be here.
“I think you can tell I’m a short-course gal. I got to 40km, and I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, this is a long way’, and I think naturally I clicked into going out hard, and I think I should have maybe paced it a bit more. Same on the run. I naturally went out hard and thought, I’ve still got a long way to run, so I’ve got to learn how to pace better, I think.”
With many of the big names missing from this opening race of the T100 season, there was an opportunity for someone else to burst through and take their opportunity of grabbing some headlines, and Fullagar certainly did that.
All she has to do now is convince her coach, Rhys Davey, to let her compete at the next T100 women’s event, which takes place in Spain on May 23.
For a full report of the T100 Gold Coast race, click HERE.
