Going into this morning no-body could have believed that suntan lotion would be needed. With the Technical Delegate looking at the Biblical weather over the past few days, he was even considering lining the athletes up “two-by-two”. Rimini saw hundreds of athletes make their way from their hotels down to the transition area and then onto the beautiful beach to take a look at the miracle. That miracle was sunny skies and a reasonably calm sea.
The Elite athletes started first; men a few minutes ahead of the women; then came the very well supported ParaTri wave and then the Age Groupers; hundreds of them. The first 50m or so saw athletes running and trying to find deeper water. Once into their stroke they disappeared out to sea to follow the one-lap course that would, after 1,9k, bring them back to the beach, through the arch and up to the change tents.
The bike course would take the athletes high up away from the city and it was up there that the first few raindrops fell but, as the athletes made their way back down to sea level the rains faded away. It was local hero and defending champion from Italy, Giulio Molinari who entered T2 first for the long run to his bike position. In the narrow transition area we could see behind him the arrival of Filip Ospalý CZE.
Penalties were being handed out for infringements in T2 and many athletes spent a devastating 30 seconds in the Penalty Box. Ospalý took his penalty at the end of his first lap but then, as the athletes returned to complete their second lap he had taken charge of the race and was pulling away from the Italian. With his tremendous run pace his gold looked certain. Further down the pack fast-running Ruedi Wild, SUI was gaining on Belgian Bart Aernouts but confusion over his penalty saw him lose valuable time and ultimately a podium position as the sprint for the line to secure third went to the Belgian athlete.
After the race Ospalý said, “Having arrived on Thursday and seen the bike course, it looked awful in the rain.” It must have been a great delight for him to have most of the race then in sunshine. With his family there to support him it was a proud moment on the podium as he stood to attention for his national anthem. Molinari finished gracefully with a big wave to the supporting Italian spectators. In third place Aernouts proved himself to be a great sportsman by offering his place to Wild if any protest were to be successful. The Swiss athlete was clearly very disappointed and clearly was a victim of circumstances. His hard work out on the course showed him to be easily the faster athlete and his loss of over two minutes, when he went back to T2 to tidy away his race kit, was felt by everyone who witnessed his suffering.
For the Elite women, it was the Finnish athlete Kaisa Lehtonen who, led out of T2 after the tough 93k bike.Her powerful riding ensured a commanding lead out of T2.
Vanessa Raw GBR, was second out onto the run but behind her and so desperately wanting a gold, came Sara Dossena, ITA. She flew out of T2 and after a tough swim, her strong biking had placed her well to attack. As the run unfolded it was Lehtonen who pulled away and secured her championship title with ease. Dossena, much to the delight of the home crowd, took silver with Raw taking a comfortable bronze.
Age Group and ParaTri reports will follow shortly