Ash grows Games hopes
ASHLEIGH Gentle has underlined her status as a Gold Coast Commonwealth Games medal favourite after finishing second in the World Triathlon Series round in Hamburg over the sprint distance.
The Gold Coast Games course will be held over a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run and Gentle’s silver in Hamburg showed she remains among the favourites for a medal on her home course.
The Rio Olympian produced the fastest 5km run split of the field to reel in a series of rivals, although she could not catch series leader and Gold Coast Games favourite Flora Duffy, who won in 59min, to beat Gentle by 31 seconds.
Gentle sealed an automatic Games berth with her second placing in April’s Gold Coast world series event and Charlotte McShane joined her on the Aussie team with her eighth placing in Hamburg.
While Gentle was “dunked” in the opening swim stages, McShane set up her top-10 finish – the guideline for Australian Games team selection – with what she described as “a really great swim.”
“My run wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for which was disappointing, but since the Gold Coast WTS I’ve been really focusing on this race and securing the second automatic nomination for Commonwealth Games,” she said.
“My coach Jamie Turner prepared us for this race really well so it’s nice to be able to put in a good effort and I look forward to training with Ashleigh leading up to the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.”
Gentle made the move from the Gold Coast to Wollongong to join Turner’s Wizards squad earlier this year and has been in sterling form on the WTS, her Hamburg result pushing her to second on the rankings.
But after a “horrific” start to the swim she played catch-up for the rest of the race.
“I actually had a good start at the dive in, but I got squished from either side and got dunked for a little bit, it was quite horrific to be honest,” Gentle said.
“I just got on to my bike and did the best I could. There have been plenty of races where I have been in that situation, but I’ve been able to salvage a good result so there is no reason you should quit after the swim, you still have two legs to go.”
Jake Birtwhistle had already sealed a Games berth with a top-10 finish on the Gold Coast, so was under no pressure in Hamburg.
But the former athletics specialist produced one of the fastest runs of the day to claim silver behind WTS champion Mario Mola.
With no other Aussie finishing in the top 10, no other Games berth was awarded and the last two men’s places will be at the discretion of selectors.
Gold Coaster Matt Hauser helped his claims, finishing as second Aussie home in 20th after leading out of the water.