TOKYO TRI READY
GUNS IN COAST HITOUT:
COMMONWEALTH Games gold medallists Ashleigh Gentle and Matt Hauser have run away from the field to take out the 2020 Mixed Relay Invitational on the Gold Coast.
Joining forces as “The Runaway Baes”, Gentle and Hauser beat Team Fishland’s Jaz Hedgeland and Ryan Fisher and Team Beauty & the Beast’s Kira Hedgeland and Brandon Copeland.
Gentle said she was thrilled with how the duo came together to win at Runaway Bay on Thursday.
“I definitely laid it all out on the line there,” Gentle said.
“I went as hard as I could and caught up some spots on the run, and I had a huge amount of faith in [Matt] to be able to close the small gap.”
Hauser believes they gained invaluable experience in the lead-up to the mixed relay event’s debut at next year’s Tokyo Olympics.
“I think it’s just great to be able to get out here and get some more race experience and practice the one percenters,” Hauser said.
“When we get out on the world stage, you can’t really afford to make little mistakes, so to be able to have this event in our backyard to practise and perfect the skills that we’re going to execute next year, hopefully in Tokyo, is something that’s invaluable.”
Jaz Hedgeland set the tone from the outset. Off the back of a win in the heats, Hedgeland lay down a blistering bike and run to secure teammate Fisher a comfortable lead heading into his swim.
Chasers Kira Hedgeland, Gentle and Gillian Backhouse worked hard on the bike to make up time, with Gentle’s standout run moving her up to third position behind Backhouse.
Fisher did well to keep his distance from a determined Hauser on the swim and bike.
However, it all came down to a foot race, with Hauser refusing to let Fisher go, running him down to ultimately take the lead and the overall win.
Team Super Duper Extremely Fast Speed Demon’s Charlotte Derbyshire and Lorcan Redmond, and Team Slow and Steady’s Gillian Backhouse and Nicholas Free completed the top five of the A final.