U.S. Women Take Team Gold At University Champs

Americans Kaitlin Shiver, Jessica Broderick and Julie Rechel recorded top-15 finishes Saturday to lead the U.S. women to their first-ever team title at the International University Sports Federation’s (FISU) 11th World University Triathlon Championship.

See the race recap from USA Triathlon below:

Shiver (University of Florida; Gainesville, Fla.) paced all U.S. competitors with a fourth-place finish in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 9 seconds in the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike, 10-kilometer run event. Broderick (University of Colorado; Boulder, Colo.) was sixth in 2:10:14, while Rechel (University of Richmond; Richmond, Va.) ran her way to 15th in 2:14:30. With a combined team score of 25 points, the U.S. women outdistanced Japan (34 points) and Poland (37 points) for team gold.

On the men’s side, Ryan Bice (University of Colorado Colorado Springs; Colorado Springs, Colo.) was the top U.S. finisher, placing eighth in 2:03:02. Jason Pedersen (Northern Arizona University; Simi Valley, Calif.) was 11th in 2:03:18, while Kalen Darling (Whitworth University; Spokane, Wash.) finished 13th in 2:03:44 to round out the scoring for the Americans. The U.S. matched South Africa for third with 32 points, but South Africa claimed bronze on the tiebreaker, which was determined by each country’s top individual finisher.

The men’s team title went to France, with Japan taking second. Both nations finished with 18 points with the title going to France thanks to individual gold from Thomas Andre in 1:59:57. France also claimed the women’s individual title with Alexandra Cassan Ferrier finishing in 2:06:32.

In the women’s race, Shiver led the field out of the water, with Broderick close behind. Both Americans were part of an 11-woman lead pack on the bike that formed on the first lap and held its position throughout the 40k ride. After Shiver and Broderick crossed the finish line in fourth and sixth, respectively, Rechel clinched team gold for the U.S. by running her way to 15th place after entering T2 in the fourth group off the bike.

The top three finishers were counted toward the team score with aim being to record the lowest point total possible. The American women have finished on the podium in each of the last three events, taking bronze in 2008, silver in 2010 – led by 2012 Olympic qualifier Gwen Jorgensen – and now gold in 2012.

In men’s action, Dustin McLarty (University of California-Irvine, Irvine, Calif.) and Darling broke away early on the swim, and McLarty rode off the front of the bike, building a lead of nearly three minutes at one point. Bice, Darling and Chris Braden (University of Colorado; Boulder, Colo.) rode in the main chase pack throughout the bike. Pedersen was in solo pursuit of the chase pack throughout the 40k bike and cut the gap to a minute entering T2.

On the run, Bice and Darling held strong in the heat, finishing eighth and 13th, respectively, while Pedersen ran his way to 11th with a strong 10k effort. Braden placed 22nd in 2:07:00, while McLarty withdrew from the race following his solo effort off the front of the field on the swim and bike.

2012 FISU World University Triathlon Championship
(1,500m swim, 40k bike, 10k run)
Women’s Individual
1. Alexandra Cassan Ferrier (FRA), 2:06:32
2. Yuko Takahashi (JPN), 2:07:45
3. Paula Diaz (MEX), 2:07:58
4. Kaitlin Shiver (University of Florida; Gainesville, Fla.), 2:09:09
6. Jessica Broderick (University of Colorado; Boulder, Colo.), 2:10:14
15. Julie Rechel (University of Richmond; Richmond, Va.), 2:14:30

Men’s Individual
1. Thomas Andre (FRA), 1:59:57
2. Felix Duchampt (FRA), 2:00:25
3. Lukas Kocar (CZE), 2:00:58
8. Ryan Bice (University of Colorado Colorado Springs; Colorado Springs, Colo.), 2:03:02
11. Jason Pedersen (Northern Arizona University; Simi Valley, Calif.), 2:03:18
13. Kalen Darling (Whitworth University; Spokane, Wash.), 2:03:44
22. Chris Braden (University of Colorado; Boulder, Colo.), 2:07:00
DNF – Dustin McLarty (University of California-Irvine, Irvine, Calif.)

Women’s Team
1. United States – 25 points
2. Japan – 34 points
3. Poland – 37 points

Men’s Team
1. France – 18 points (awarded tiebreaker)
2. Japan – 18 points
3. South Africa – 32 (awarded tiebreaker)
4. United States – 32 points