Triathlon athletes and enthusiasts alike converged on North Queensland yesterday for an exciting opening day of competition at the 2024 World Triathlon Multisport World Championships Townsville.
Hundreds of Australian athletes took to the course for the 2024 World Triathlon Age Group Sprint Distance Duathlon (Draft Legal) World Championships, with more than 44 individual medals – including 10 Gold – recorded across a range of categories and an additional 79 athletes placing in the top 10.
One such athlete who can now call herself World Champion is Richelle Hill, not only securing the Gold in the U23 category but also a prestigious Silver in the Women’s Elite.
“I’m so happy, I didn’t expect it coming into this, I wasn’t sure what to expect to be honest,” said Hill in reference to her Elite placing.
“It was just such an honour racing with the Pros and being out there on the bike with the French athlete, they are some of the best in the cycle in particular so it was great to see her skills and trying to work on my skills during the race.
“The advice from my coach was to go out conservatively and I went out and was first up the hill and thought ‘oh no’, that’s not good, have I actually conserved enough energy for the rest of the race.
“I knew I had it in me to stick with her for at least three of the laps, she got away from me on that fourth lap but I was happy to finish it off with a great run,” she said.
Fellow Australian Aspen Anderson finished her U23 Duathlon campaign with a Bronze.
Rohan Hickey was the top Australian in the Elite Men’s category, also earning himself a Bronze medal in the U23 division.
In the women’s Junior category New Zealand’s Lulu Johnson took top step on the podium in 1:04:54, ahead of Australia’s Lucie Francis and Hannah Pollock.
The Junior Sprint Duathlon World Championship men’s title was claimed by Fletcher Medway, with the Australian edging out South Africa’s Divan De Vries and New Zealand’s Caleb Wagener third.
The women’s Age-Group title was claimed by Australian athlete Penelope Nevill, ahead of compatriot Isabella Valinoti, with Charlotte Brown of New Zealand in third.
Racing at the 2024 World Triathlon Multisport Championships Townsville continues on Sunday with the Age-Group Standard Duathlon, Para Duathlon and 2×2 Mixed Relay events all set to take place.
For the first time in World Triathlon history, the 2024 World Triathlon Multisport Championships in Townsville also awarded a separate set of medals to athletes with Intellectual Impairment.
Australians Georgia Powning and Cameron Marshall received a Gold medal for their participation at the Sprint distance duathlon; Montana Whiteley and Carlo Manolitsas a Silver medal, and Clara Campillos and Andre Ascui a Bronze.
The World Triathlon Multisport Championships Townsville is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.
For more on the 2024 World Triathlon Multisport Championships Townsville and full results visit https://townsville.triathlon.org/
2024 World Triathlon Age Group Sprint Distance Duathlon (Draft Legal) World Championships
First Place:
Isabella Valinoti – 16-19 Female
Georgie Hicks – 30-34 Female
Penelope Nevill – 35-39 Female
Jed Price – 35-39 Male
Erin Hargrave – 40-44 Female
Jennifer Dowie 65-69 Female
Kevin Fergusson – 65-69 Male
Penny Hearn – 70-74 Female
Jane Mountford – 75-79 Female
Judith Johnstone – 80-84 Female
Second Place:
Ashleigh Lawson – 20-24 Female
Kye Robinson – 20-24 Male
Emily Dunk – 25-29 Female
Michelle Tickner – 35-39 Female
Belinda Fong – 40-44 Female
Caleb McInnes – 40-44 Male
Alison Ryan – 45-49 Female
Nicky Western – 50-54 Female
Darren Powell – 55-59 Male
Warwick Sinclair – 60-64 Male
Sally Jeffrey – 65-69 Female
Heiko Schaefer – 85-89 Male
12 2024 Australian Age Group Sprint Distance Duathlon Team Members gained a silver medal.
Third Place:
Mia Wooldridge – 16-19 Female
Jayde Cochrane – 20-24 Female
Aaron McKenzie – 25-29 Male
Nadine Hunt – 35-39 Female
John Davis – 35-39 Male
Jody Walker – 40-44 Female
Jodie Martin – 50-54 Female
Michael Haseldine – 50-54 Male
Jason Keane – 55-59 Male
Joyce Buffa – 60-64 Female
David McEwan – 65-69 Male
Greg Salter – 70-74 Male
Ronald Smith – 75-79 Male
Peter Smith – 80-84 Male
Lachlan Lewis – 85-89 Male
15 2024 Australian Age Group Sprint Distance Duathlon Team Members gained a bronze medal
