Kerr, Jorgensen Win Super Sprint Triathlon Grand Prix In Vegas

Australia’s Peter Kerr and the United States’ Gwen Jorgensen earned the victories at Thursday night’s Super Sprint Triathlon Grand Prix in Las Vegas, Nev.

Read the race recap from USA Triathlon below:

USA Triathlon National Team standout Gwen Jorgensen and Australian Peter Kerr sped their way to wins at the Super Sprint Triathlon Grand Prix, the second installment of the USA Triathlon Super Sprint Series, held Thursday night under lights outside the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Contested in a double super-sprint format, professional athletes completed two continuous, non-stop circuits of the same course, each comprised of a 300-meter pool swim, 5-mile bike and 1.5-mile run. Ten women and 10 men earned a place in the finals with qualifying heats held earlier in the day.

Jorgensen finished the two-circuit course in 48:01 to log the fastest time amongst the women. Sara McLarty (USA) was second in 48:42, and Lindsey Jerdonek (USA) finished third in 48:48 to round out the podium. The trio also formed the podium for the USA Triathlon Elite Sprint National Championships, held in conjunction with the event, giving Jorgensen her second national title of the year.

In the men’s race, Kerr pulled ahead of the field in the final lap of the second run to claim the victory in 43:56. Eric Lagerstrom (USA) was just 3 seconds back with a finish of 43:59, and Ben Kanute (USA) posted a time of 44:01 for third. As the top American, Lagerstrom earned the USA Triathlon Elite Sprint Nationals title, with Kanute coming in second and Luke Farkas (USA) also earning a spot on the national championships podium.

The USA Triathlon Super Sprint Series was launched this year to showcase an exciting new format for the sport, and this event will be broadcast on Universal Sports on Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. ET. Find Universal Sports Network in your area here.

“It was super fun to be here in Vegas and race under the lights. I can’t remember the last time I raced under the lights at night – must have been college for a track race. It’s really exciting and it almost gives you more energy,” Jorgensen said. “It’s great to come out here and be part of this event. We’re trying to build this and hopefully we’ll be able to see age-groupers do this event in future years.”

The races featured blazing fast swim, bike and run splits and tactical moves from the athletes, with the winners in the men’s event coming down to the final lap of the second run segment. The top six finishers of the men’s race crossed the line with eight seconds between them.

“It was just amazing, running around under the lights in Vegas. The pool was a trip – I loved it,” Lagerstrom said. “I feel like this whole format is about whoever can adapt to the changing circumstances, and I hope the show we put on tonight was worthy of all the efforts that went into this event. This is how it should be – it’s so awesome.”

The invitation-only pro field was awarded a total of $30,000 in prize money. A $20,000 prize purse was shared equally between the overall male and female fields, with the top-10 finishers being rewarded in each division. A $10,000 prize purse was awarded among the top-five men’s and women’s U.S. athletes as part of the USA Triathlon Elite Sprint National Championships.

USA Triathlon Super Sprint Series
Super Sprint Triathlon Grand Prix
300m swim, 5-mile bike, 1.5-mile run x2

Women
1. Gwen Jorgensen (USA), 48:01.4
2. Sara McLarty (USA), 48:42.5
3. Lindsey Jerdonek (USA), 48:48.3
4. Radka Vodickova (USA), 48:48.8
5. Rebeccah Wassner (USA), 50:13.0
6. Laurel Wassner (USA), 50:41.3
7. Heather Jackson (USA), 50:56.4
8. Michelle Mehnert (USA), 51:09.2
9. Kelsey Withrow (USA), 51:16.2
10. Taylor Spivey (USA), 51:44.9

PHOTOS: 2013 Super Sprint Triathlon Grand Prix – Women’s Race

Men
1. Peter Kerr (AUS), 43:56.5
2. Eric Lagerstrom (USA), 43:59.6
3. Ben Kanute (USA), 44:01.4
4. Luke Farkas (USA), 44:02.6
5. Cameron Dye (USA), 44:03.5
6. Ben Collins (USA), 44:04.0
7. Tommy Zaferes (USA), 44:16.7
8. Marcel Walkington (AUS), 45:29.9
9. John Dahlz (USA), 45:32.0
10. William Huffman (USA), 46:34.6

PHOTOS: 2013 Super Sprint Triathlon Grand Prix – Men’s Race

USA Triathlon Elite Sprint National Championships
Women
1. Gwen Jorgensen (USA), 48:01.4
2. Sara McLarty (USA), 48:42.5
3. Lindsey Jerdonek (USA), 48:48.3

Men
1. Eric Lagerstrom (USA), 43:59.6
2. Ben Kanute (USA), 44:01.4
3. Luke Farkas (USA), 44:02.6