Moffatt Takes ITU World Championship With Grand Final Victory

Australia’s Emma Moffatt overcame injury worries to win the 2009 Dextro Energy Triathlon – ITU World Championship as she beat her main rival, Lisa Norden from Sweden, in a sprint finish to cross the line in a time of 1:59:14 as she won the Series Grand Final on Australia’s Gold Coast.

Moffatt entered the final event of the year just 120 points ahead of Norden knowing that a top two finish would ensure her the world title, however had been suffering with a footl injury in the lead up to the race. Having made the front cycle pack of seven, along with the Swede, the championship leaders fought out a tough 10km run as they pushed each other to the line before Moffatt came out on top. Norden’s second place sealed Sweden’s first senior elite triathlon world championship medal. Despite finishing down in eighth, New Zealand’s Andrea Hewitt ensured that she did enough to secure world championship bronze.

Sarah Haskins from the USA looked like she might threaten the lead two as she ran strongly before being passed late on by Great Britain’s Helen Jenkins who took third on the day and fifth in the world championship standings, leaping over her American counterpart who was relegated to sixth in the rankings.

The race started with an open water non-wetsuit 1500m swim in the choppy ocean waters which was lead by Haskins. Her efforts opened up a small gap between the first seven women and the rest of the field, enabling them to escape over the 40km of cycling. Carrying a healthy fifty second lead onto the run the top positions were assured with Moffatt and Norden fighting for the win up front and Haskins and Jenkins battling for the bronze behind. Andrea Hewitt and Switzerland’s Daniela Ryf were able to run strongly from the chase pack to maintain their overall world championship standings of third and fourth respectively.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” said Moffatt. “I was a bit worried having a month off running, but I knew that recovery had been going well and once I started the run I knew I had it in the bag. To come through so strongly in front of a home crowd like this is just incredible; it’s been an amazing year.”

“I knew it was very hard to get up to third today and I hoped that Haskins or Jenkins could catch up to us,” said Norden. “Emma is a really strong girl, she had an injury and she came through today. I expected there to be a breakaway, but I didn’t expect to be in it. To be in the front pack today was a big step for me coming from a non-swimming background, and as a sportswoman that’s a really big achievement. It’s been an amazing year and an amazing experience.”

“I didn’t have the best race I could,” admitted Hewitt. “I missed the front group and I had to work a lot on the bike which took it out of me on the run, but I still made the podium and I’m stoked. I knew I needed about five positions on Sarah Haskins and Helen Jenkins, but I was just trying to do my best.”

2009 Dextro Energy Triathlon – ITU World Championship
Gold. Emma Moffatt, Australia. 4340pts / 2009 World Champion
Silver. Lisa Norden, Sweden. 4130pts
Bronze. Andrea Hewitt, New Zealand. 3462pts
4. Daniela Ryf, Switzerland. 3187pts
5. Helen Jenkins, Great Britain. 3173pts
6. Sarah Haskins, USA. 3139pts
7. Juri Ide, Japan. 2477pts
8. Magali Di Marco, Switzerland. 2422pts
9. Jessica Harrison, France. 2365pts
10. Annabel Luxford, Australia. 2191pts

Elite Women Results
1. Emma Moffatt (AUS) 01:59:14
2. Lisa Norden (SWE) 01:59:19
3. Helen Jenkins (GBR) 01:59:41
4. Sarah Haskins (USA) 01:59:52
5. Annabel Luxford (AUS) 02:00:07
6. Daniela Ryf (SUI) 02:00:21
7. Magali Di marco (SUI) 02:00:25
8. Andrea Hewitt (NZL) 02:00:26
9. Jessica Harrison (FRA) 02:00:26
10. Liz Blatchford (GBR) 02:00:29