Future stars in battle for SCODY Series Supremacy

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January 15, 2013

The future stocks of Australian triathlon are locked in neck-and-neck battles for overall supremacy after the first two rounds of the Scody Australian Junior Triathlon Series.

The men’s pointscore sees opening Super Sprint weekend winner Jacob Birtwhistle (TAS) and Sydney’s sprint round winner Luke Willian (QLD) tied on 19 points ahead of Matt Baker (NSW) 15 and Christian Wilson (QLD) 13 points.

While in the women’s field, Jodie Duff (QLD) has stolen an early march on her rivals, winning the first two rounds, to lead the field on 22 points, seven clear of defending junior champion Jaz Hedgeland (WA) on 15, Anna Coldham (QLD) 13 and Holly Grice (QLD) 11.

All eight athletes will represent Australia in Friday’s Australian Youth Olympic Festival after last Friday’s successful test event staged at the Sydney International Regatta Centre, Penrith.

Brisbane-based Willian, who grew up in the wilds of Warialda, revelled in Sydney’s 30 degree plus heat to dominate the final lap of the run to race away from Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) and Birtwhistle with Wilson fourth and Baker fifth to set the stage for what should be a thrilling AYOF race.

Duff showed she had fully recovered from the hip injury and glandular fever which plagued her in 2012 with another dominant display and a perfectly-timed run to race away from ever-present defending champion Hedgeland, with Sumire Ohara (JPN) third and other AYOF representatives Coldham (fifth) and Grice (seventh).

The Scody Series will now move to Devonport for the Australian Junior Championships, a double points race which also acts an automatic selection race for the ITU World Triathlon Championships in London in September.

The final race in Wellington (NZ) for the Oceania Junior Championships will also be worth double points and will give athletes a second chance at automatic selection for London.

An athlete’s best three results from the four events will count towards the overall Scody Australian Junior Championship Series.

The points series after two rounds:

Round Two Scody Australian Junior Series, Penrith (750 swim; 20km bike; 5km run)

ITU JUNIORS
MEN
1. Luke Willian (QLD) 53.03
2. Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) 53.15
3. Jacob Birtwhistle (TAS) 53.42
4. Christian Wilson (QLD) 53.57
5. Matt Baker (NSW) 54.13
6. Matthew Roberts (QLD) 54.18
7. Brayden Clews-Proctor (ACT) 54.22
8. Jesse Thyer (WA) 54.30
9. Ryousuke Maeda (JPN) 54.32
10. Nick McGuire (VIC) 54.52

WOMEN

1. Jodie Duff (QLD) 59.17
2. Jaz Hedgeland (WA) 59.25
3. Sumire Ohara (JPN) 59.31
4. Kirsty Deacon (VIC) 1:00.22
5. Anna Coldham (QLD) 1:00.29
6. Brittany Forster (QLD) 1:00.32
7. Holly Grice (QLD) 1:00.35
8. Emma Jeffcoat (NSW) 1:01.00
9. Bonnie Atherton (QLD) 1:01.16
10. Elyse Foster (NSW) 1:02.04

ITU YOUTH (400m swim, 15km bike, 4 km run)
BOYS

1. Matthew Hauser (QLD) 41.32
2. Michael McGuire (VIC) 42.20
3. Jess Whittaker (NSW) 42.52
4. Liam Sproule (ACT) 43.11
5. Hamish McGowan (VIC) 43.19
6. Kyle Nankivell (WA) 43.27
7. Joshua Stevens (NSW) 43.31
8. Corey Benham (ACT) 44.12
9. Hamish Longmuir (NSW) 44.25
10. Izaac Daly (NSW) 45.08

GIRLS

1. Jessica Corliss (QLD) 45.29
2. Jessica Hoskin (QLD) 45.54
3. Kira Hedgeland (WA) 46.52
4. Ashley Bleakley (NSW) 47.19
5. Hayley Stanford (VIC) 47.22
6. Lily Clapham (NSW) 47.25
7. Elle Stevens (QLD) 47.40
8. Laura Powell (VIC) 48.05
9. Samantha Whitting (QLD) 48.13
10. Mikayla Martin (NSW) 48.28