WAIS triathlete Jaz Hedgeland won the women’s elite and U23 Oceania and Australian Championship title in Devonport, Tasmania last weekend on the 30th anniversary of the heralded event.
In winning the title, Hedgeland – a dual Australian Junior Champion and Australian Youth Olympic Games gold medallist – added her name to an honour roll of winners that includes Triathlon Australia’s five Hall of Famers; Michellie Jones, Emma Carney, the late Jackie Gallagher, Loretta Harrop and Louise Bonham – as well as the three Emmas – Snowsill, Moffatt and Jackson.
Hedgeland was one of seven girls who rode away from the field during the bike leg – riding alongside fellow Australians, Grace Musgrove and Emma Jeffcoat as well as four New Zealanders; Sophie Corbidge, Simone Ackerman, Rebecca Clarke and Rebecca Kingsford.
But it was Hedgeland who scampered out of transition in only her second 10km run in the standard (Olympic) distance and was never headed.
She increased her lead over the field on each of the four 2.5km run laps and in the end it was well over a minute between her and silver medallist Ackerman with Corbidge, who beat Hedgeland in Kinloch two weeks ago, hanging on for third.
Hedgeland credited a strong opening swim leg as crucial to her result in Devonport.
“Coming out of the swim in the front pack was a really good feeling and it set me up for the whole race,” she said.
“My run felt great and I was actually a little surprised at how good I felt.
“I just know that the work I’m doing with my coach Dan Atkins (on the Gold Coast) is working, I’m just going to keep trucking along, keep doing what I’m doing and hopefully keep going strong.”
Hedgeland admitted she holds lofty ambitions for her emerging senior triathlon career.
“Like any elite athlete I have my long term goals on the Commonwealth and Olympic Games but that’s a while away yet, but I just want to focus on my next races and see what happens.”
“I’ve only just come into under 23s and it’s a privilege just to start with some of the elite girls.”
“Having four years as a junior and now stepping up to under 23s and elite is a whole new ball game,” she said.
-TriathlonAus
