Our Jake’s on podium
TASMANIAN Jake Birtwhistle has battled weary legs to hang on for World Triathlon Series bronze by a narrow margin on the Gold Coast. He finished seventh in the series grand final yesterday, running down multiple Olympic medallist Jonny Brownlee to enable him to finish 12 points — and one position — clear of fourth overall. Spaniard Mario Mola’s second placing meant he comfortably claimed a third-straight world title, while race winner Vincent Luis jumped Birtwhistle into second overall.
TASMANIA’S Jake Birtwhistle has become the first Australian man since 2010 to finish on the World Triathlon Series podium after hanging on grimly to third place despite falling off the pace in the grand final on the Gold Coast.
Mario Mola won his third consecutive series despite Frenchman Vincent Luis winning yesterday’s race after making a decisive move on the last lap of the run to push ahead of Mola and South Africa’s Richard Murray.
Birtwhistle, who entered the grand final on the Gold Coast in second place overall, finished seventh yesterday after falling off the pace about 4km into the final run leg.
“Obviously I didn’t quite have the legs today on the run which is a little bit disappointing,” Birtwhistle said. “But I guess coming into today, the No.1 goal was to remain on that podium for the series and I kept fighting for every position I could and I thankfully was able to manage that.”
Luis’s win was enough for him to leapfrog Birtwhistle in the overall standings, with the Australian’s move to pass Jonathan Brownlee in the finishing straight allowing him to stave off Murray in the fight for third in the series.
Birtwhistle was in a position to take the series title if he had won yesterday’s race and Mola faded badly and admitted he allowed the pressure of the situation to get to him.
“Today I felt great but for the last couple of weeks it’s been building and building and the pressure was on from myself and it certainly was starting to get to me a bit,” he said.
“But I woke up [yesterday] and it’s just another race, isn’t it? Going into the final stages, I was feeling great and really looking forward to having a great race and thankfully I was able to just do enough.”
Birtwhistle is the first Aussie man since Brad Kahlefeldt in 2010 (third) to finish on the series podium.
And the Commonwealth Games silver medallist hopes this year’s effort is just a step in his “three-year plan” ahead of the 2020 Olympics.
“Commonwealth Games this year was the No.1 goal and to jump on the [WTS] podium is a massive bonus and hopefully next year I’ll be fighting for gold, not bronze.”