Australia’s Ryan Bailie has fallen agonisingly close to his first World Triathlon Series podium finish in London.
The 24-year-old from Wollongong, who now calls Perth home and holds a WAIS scholarship, finished fourth in his best ever WTS finish, following a dramatic final lap sprint with Spain’s Fernando Alarza and Frenchman Vincent Luis.
Bailie finished in 50 minutes 58 seconds – one second behind Luis (50:57) with Alarza (50.51) second in a race won by British Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee (50.39).
In his WTS rookie season, Tasmania’s Jacob Birtwhistle, 9thin Yokohama a fortnight ago, again revelled in top company, finishing 11th- clocking the third fastest 5km run split of the day -14:23.
The women’s event sawAustralia’s Olympic triathlon bronze medallist Erin Densham produce her best performance of the season, finishing 12th, despite revealing she had carried a torn gluteal muscle for two months.
The 30-year-old, who won her bronze in London in 2012, was unaware of how serious the problem was until after the WTS Cape Town race last month.
And her performance on limited running training has given her a huge confidence boost leading into the major races at the end of the season.
It was a sprint distance event again dominated by unbeaten Gwen Jorgensen and her US teammates Katie Zaferes and Sarah True in another American trifecta.
Densham was the best of the Australians followed by 2013 Under 23 ITU World Champion Charlotte McShane (16th), Natalie Van Coevorden (26th), Emma Jackson (39th) and Gillian Backhouse (47th).
-TriathlonAus
