Gordon Benson (GBR) and Elena Danilova (RUS) are the new European U23 Champions after a pulsating completion in Penza.
Danilova delighted the home crowd with victory, her third win in three years on this course following her 2012 and 2013 European Cup victories.
She held off the challenge of the impressive Leonie Periault (FRA) who was competing in her first U23 European Championships and finished in second place. Sofie Hooghe (BEL) continued her improvement at this level. In 2012 she finished 12th, last year she broke into the top ten and here in Penza she finally made it onto the podium with third place.
In the U23 Men’s race, Gordon Benson, already a Junior European Cup winner and a podium finisher in Elite European Cups, just pipped Vicente Hernandez (ESP) to the gold medal.
Hernandez, who finished in third place last year, made it two podiums in two years in this competition in second place.
Pedro Mendes (POR) continued his fine form in 2014 with another bronze medal to follow his third place finish at the ETU Aquathlon Championships in Cologne last month.
ETU U23 European Championships Penza