Gold Coast Highlights

:00:47. > :00:57.The 2017 World Triathlon Series. It gets under way. They are racing.

:00:58. > :01:06.Leading the charge here... Stimpson. Tom Bishop moves within arms length

:01:07. > :01:13.of Gomez. What a fightback! What a win for Gomez! What a day for

:01:14. > :01:17.Bishop! British triathlon has a new start to celebrate.

:01:18. > :01:22.What a start to the triathlon series. Good morning and welcome to

:01:23. > :01:28.sunny Salford for the second round of the world Triathlon Series. Over

:01:29. > :01:31.in Gold Coast in Australia, the best triathletes in the world have been

:01:32. > :01:37.competing in the first sprint race of the 20 17th series. We will have

:01:38. > :01:40.the highlights of the men's and women's races. We are joined by one

:01:41. > :01:52.of the best ever triathletes from Great Britain.

:01:53. > :02:12.Jenkins, cruising home now. The smile is broad. What a win for her.

:02:13. > :02:18.Very warm welcome to Helen Jenkins. Lovely to have you here. You are not

:02:19. > :02:25.in Gold Coast for an exciting reason. I am nearly 24 weeks

:02:26. > :02:29.pregnant. I would not be very fast! Congratulations. There are so many

:02:30. > :02:35.top female triathletes at the moment who have chosen this year. There are

:02:36. > :02:40.about six from Rio who are pregnant. Gold and silver as well. I am in

:02:41. > :02:47.good company! How does it affect your training? I call it more

:02:48. > :02:52.exercise than training. I am still swimming, biking and running. I find

:02:53. > :02:58.it hard, going to the back of the line and missing reps. My

:02:59. > :03:03.competitive edge wants to kick in. You have to let your body do what it

:03:04. > :03:07.is going to do and relax. It is incredibly early days but looking

:03:08. > :03:11.ahead, what are your thoughts? I would love to come back to compete

:03:12. > :03:15.in triathlon. I do not want to push myself to have to get back to LA and

:03:16. > :03:22.risk injury. Especially when I watch the races, I want to get back into

:03:23. > :03:29.it at some point -- too early. Welcome to our resident pundit. It

:03:30. > :03:34.is a funny year. It is a bit different after the Olympics. Some

:03:35. > :03:37.people taking time out. We have the Commonwealth Games selection this

:03:38. > :03:44.year. For some athletes, it is straight back in with no rest. Round

:03:45. > :03:50.one, very exciting. Javier Gomez came back. Great to watch.

:03:51. > :03:54.Fantastic. A lot of us doubted whether he would come back after

:03:55. > :04:00.missing out on Rio and crashing. But he came back in absolute amazing

:04:01. > :04:06.condition. It was really fantastic to see. That athletes missed him not

:04:07. > :04:11.being around last year. Watching the sprint finish in the women's race,

:04:12. > :04:19.so exciting. It really was. I thought she had it in the bag. She

:04:20. > :04:25.had a ten metre gap, Juri. Andrea came from nowhere. What a sprint

:04:26. > :04:31.finish. Before we get into the nuts and bolts of this weekend's racing

:04:32. > :04:34.in Gold Coast, let us have a look at the World Triathlon Series wall

:04:35. > :04:37.planner. It started last month in Abu Dhabi. Javier Gomez and Andrea

:04:38. > :04:42.Hewitt were our winners. Now it is on to the Gold Coast a test event

:04:43. > :04:46.for next year's Commonwealth Games. Then it is onto one of the World

:04:47. > :04:51.Series regulars, Yokohama, on the 14th of May. Then they make a

:04:52. > :04:57.welcome return to these shores in Leeds. That will be live on BBC Two

:04:58. > :05:03.on the 11th of June. Then to Germany for the animal triathlon Festival in

:05:04. > :05:12.Hamburg. Then -- annual. A flying visit to can -- to Canada for two

:05:13. > :05:16.races in July and August. The penultimate stop of the year is in

:05:17. > :05:21.Stockholm on the 26th of August. We end with this year's grand final in

:05:22. > :05:28.the Dutch city of Rotterdam on the 16th of September. That is all to

:05:29. > :05:33.look forward to. Let us look at the women's race. Andrea Hewitt, you

:05:34. > :05:37.have raced against her, she beat you in 2011. The last time she was on

:05:38. > :05:40.top of the podium in the World Championship series. I have been

:05:41. > :05:48.racing her for years. It was great to see her back on top in Abu Dhabi.

:05:49. > :05:53.She looked really strong. I am sure she will be looking to carry that

:05:54. > :05:58.form on. A bad race a week ago. She did in the World Cup at new

:05:59. > :06:02.Plymouth. It was incredibly cold. She is such a seasoned pro, she will

:06:03. > :06:08.not be on the start line if she does not think she is 100% fit. I think

:06:09. > :06:13.we can put New Plymouth to one side and focus on Abu Dhabi because I

:06:14. > :06:16.expect to see maybe not the same performance but something similar in

:06:17. > :06:22.the Gold Coast. Important for the Australians particularly, this race.

:06:23. > :06:27.It certainly is. Top ten, whoever finishes first, they will qualify

:06:28. > :06:30.for the Commonwealth Games. The Commonwealth Games will be held on

:06:31. > :06:35.the Gold Coast so they will be racing on the same course. Practice

:06:36. > :06:41.run. Alan, you have raced with them, against them, who are you looking

:06:42. > :06:46.out for? -- Helen. Ashleigh Gentle, and Charlotte McShane and Gillian

:06:47. > :06:53.Backhouse. They are the top three contenders. There is only one Briton

:06:54. > :07:00.competing and it is the Commonwealth champion. She will be looking to

:07:01. > :07:09.defend her title that she would won in 2014. Jodie Stimpson, into the

:07:10. > :07:21.water. She is back into her stride. The last few metres. She is getting

:07:22. > :07:32.quicker. Over the last 20 metres... Jodie Stimpson. She wins the first

:07:33. > :07:35.gold of the Games. Just under a year to go until the start of the

:07:36. > :07:40.Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast. The schedule has been

:07:41. > :07:44.announced and the men's and women's triathlons will be taking place on

:07:45. > :07:50.the 5th of April with the mixed relay on the 7th of April along with

:07:51. > :07:54.the wheelchair triathlon. With the Commonwealth Games, it means people

:07:55. > :07:58.within the pack will have different priorities. They certainly will do.

:07:59. > :08:02.The New Zealanders, the Australians, they will be looking for

:08:03. > :08:06.qualification this year. Then there is the world champion series, the

:08:07. > :08:11.athletes who did not race so well last year wanting to make amends. It

:08:12. > :08:15.is a big year for different reasons. Let us talk about Jodie, she has had

:08:16. > :08:20.a great start, what have you noticed? She has started a new

:08:21. > :08:26.coaching setup this year. She seems really confident and happy. She was

:08:27. > :08:30.surprised to do so well in Abu Dhabi after winter training. After

:08:31. > :08:36.speaking to her and the coach, her focus is Rotterdam and Hamburg. We

:08:37. > :08:42.know she has been out training ahead of the race on the Gold Coast. How

:08:43. > :08:47.will she approached the conditions? She has been there for a couple of

:08:48. > :08:51.weeks. She will be well acclimatise. I think she probably wants to take a

:08:52. > :08:56.good look at the course and get a feel for it. She raced there last

:08:57. > :08:59.year which did not go down so well. It is gaining whatever experience

:09:00. > :09:09.you can to be ready for next year. We cannot pass by without saying

:09:10. > :09:13.fantastic race from you last year. Probably the best race of my career.

:09:14. > :09:20.I will always have fond memories of that race. Exciting to have been

:09:21. > :09:23.there and done it. It made me confident in my ability again. What

:09:24. > :09:28.were the Australians like, the crowd? Fantastic. They really know

:09:29. > :09:33.triathlon and appreciate it. I imagine at the Commonwealth Games

:09:34. > :09:37.they will get really big crowds. You make the breakaway with Andrea

:09:38. > :09:41.Hewitt and Flora Duffy. Today could be different because it is sprint

:09:42. > :09:46.rather than Olympic. They have half the distance so it is harder to make

:09:47. > :09:51.an impact on the bike but it will be fast and furious and a competitive

:09:52. > :09:56.field. Let us see how the race plays out. I will hand you over to Rob

:09:57. > :09:59.Walker who will be joined by Annie and Helen.

:10:00. > :10:05.COMMENTATOR: Welcome to the Gold Coast for what welcomes to be a fast

:10:06. > :10:09.and furious second round. -- what promises to be. A great dress

:10:10. > :10:12.rehearsal for the Commonwealth Games which at this time next year will be

:10:13. > :10:23.in full swing right here in Queensland. 750 metre swim and a

:10:24. > :10:29.slightly different bike course from the one the women very much enjoyed

:10:30. > :10:37.12 months ago. A little straighter, four circuits of five kilometres.

:10:38. > :10:44.Not quite as hilly. Then they will be heading back and contemplating

:10:45. > :10:48.two circuits of 2.5 kilometres on the run instead of the ten

:10:49. > :10:55.kilometres on the full Olympic distance. A really good field

:10:56. > :11:00.assembled here on the Gold Coast. I wonder how confident Andrea Hewitt

:11:01. > :11:05.will be. She is wearing number one because that was her finishing

:11:06. > :11:10.position in Abu Dhabi. Jodie Stimpson wearing two. Separated by

:11:11. > :11:15.the tiniest of margins. Will it be the same to date?

:11:16. > :11:36.Great run by Ai Ueda. Jodie Williams swim cap number two, Andrea Hewitt

:11:37. > :11:44.with number one courtesy of their finishing positions last month in

:11:45. > :11:49.Abu Dhabi. On your marks... The Gold Coast is under way in blustery

:11:50. > :11:54.conditions. It is a short, sharp sprint. Will that give Jodie

:11:55. > :12:03.Stimpson an even better chance of finishing on top here and reversing

:12:04. > :12:06.the 1-2 from Abu Dhabi last month? A fascinating race in prospect. In a

:12:07. > :12:13.part of the world is very knowledgeable and very passionate

:12:14. > :12:18.about the triathlon. Slightly smaller field than what we would

:12:19. > :12:25.usually see, with 46 athletes on the start line. The number 47 is there

:12:26. > :12:31.but the number 13 is not in the race. The stronger swimmers, who are

:12:32. > :12:44.we looking at? The Americans will always be there. Claudia Rivas from

:12:45. > :12:48.Mexico. The swim could be crucial in that sprint races, especially with

:12:49. > :12:53.the smaller field. Sometimes a few more gaps and not everyone gets on.

:12:54. > :12:59.The swim will be crucial for Jodie. She needs to get in the front pack.

:13:00. > :13:04.I guess surely if the swim is half the distance but we saw in Abu

:13:05. > :13:09.Dhabi, there is half the length of time for her to get behind?

:13:10. > :13:13.Absolutely. That is why we will probably see less breaks because it

:13:14. > :13:19.is shorter and you tend to see the athletes losing more time on the

:13:20. > :13:29.second lap when it is two times by 750. That is true. There is less

:13:30. > :13:34.time to lose distance. I know Jodie has been working on her swim, work

:13:35. > :13:38.in progress, she says that herself, but it is coming up and she wants to

:13:39. > :13:47.develop a great all-round athlete and she is well on the way. Carolyn,

:13:48. > :13:53.an American athlete on her feet, we cannot see which one. Some really

:13:54. > :14:00.strong Americans racing today. We are missing... Zaferes will be the

:14:01. > :14:06.one to watch. She did not have a great start in Abu Dhabi. She

:14:07. > :14:11.finished seventh. She went on to get a first-place finish in new Plymouth

:14:12. > :14:28.in the World Cup race. Doing what she does best, leading the swim,

:14:29. > :14:43.Carolyn ETA. Carolina Routier. She won as a senior and under 23. Going

:14:44. > :14:48.really well in third, Jeffcoat. The time flies. Just under three minutes

:14:49. > :14:52.of swimming to go. This little pack has made a bit of a gap. What is

:14:53. > :14:57.crucial now is not that they have a gap on the swim, but it is how they

:14:58. > :15:01.operate out of the water and how quickly they get together to work as

:15:02. > :15:05.a team on the bike. If there is a small group, they need to get away

:15:06. > :15:08.straightaway. In the sprint distance, not enough time to take

:15:09. > :15:17.your time. They will have to work well as a team straightaway. So

:15:18. > :15:24.difficult to get any kind of decent gap on a sprint race. You normally

:15:25. > :15:29.see it when you come through and died back in. Over 750 metres we

:15:30. > :15:41.will not see that, it will be around ten minutes. A bit under. So

:15:42. > :15:48.Carolina Routier a followed by Summer Cook, closely matched, as

:15:49. > :15:54.they were in Abu Dhabi last month. It is now single file. Carolina

:15:55. > :16:03.Routier is so powerful in the water. Engaged to Mario Mola. The super

:16:04. > :16:12.couple of Spanish triathlon. So the first of three, nicely done thereby

:16:13. > :16:22.Carolina Routier, then comes Summer Cook. The Americans going well here.

:16:23. > :16:31.Sarah True right up there along with Emma Jeffcoat, remember she is 23

:16:32. > :16:36.and if she is in the top ten she has a great chance of being selected for

:16:37. > :16:41.the Commonwealth Games. Still watching for Jodie, and there she

:16:42. > :16:46.is. So she is not too far adrift, but she does need to get out quickly

:16:47. > :16:51.on that bike, but remember, we saw her bike superbly in Abu Dhabi to

:16:52. > :16:55.close the gap and drag the second group back to the leaders. She will

:16:56. > :17:05.need to do so again because she and Andrea Hewitt are almost half a

:17:06. > :17:08.minute adrift. They are there together which is ideal for them.

:17:09. > :17:10.They are probably two of the strongest riders so it works well if

:17:11. > :17:13.they are together. They are not far down, they are in the main pack,

:17:14. > :17:18.about 30 seconds. Also at the front of the pack there is not a massive

:17:19. > :17:27.amount of experience with Summer Cook and Emma Jeffcoat. It is Emma

:17:28. > :17:31.-- Emma Jeffcoat's debut. Carolina Routier from Spain obviously a very

:17:32. > :17:36.experienced world triathlon series athlete but her best part of the

:17:37. > :17:43.races the swim. Carolina Kostner strength is her swim and it will be

:17:44. > :17:46.interesting to see if her bike improves because she has been

:17:47. > :17:50.working on it. This is crucial, you have someone up the road so everyone

:17:51. > :17:54.has to go hard and aligned to catch the person up front so the person

:17:55. > :18:00.upfront is riding really had and it makes the people behind have to work

:18:01. > :18:04.that much harder. It is tough, when you come out of the swim, however

:18:05. > :18:09.much you have trained for it, when you get on the bike you are always

:18:10. > :18:12.blowing. No, it never feels comfortable, really do you get on

:18:13. > :18:16.the bike and feel good. You just have to go for it and push on

:18:17. > :18:21.because everyone else will be feeling the same. It is probably

:18:22. > :18:24.worse in the early-season races. As you get more race fit towards the

:18:25. > :18:28.end of the season you get used to it. This is the point where the

:18:29. > :18:32.athletes really need to commit because there is a decent break

:18:33. > :18:36.there now, isn't there? Yes, and these girls on the front need to

:18:37. > :18:40.start working together and the girls behind need to work together within

:18:41. > :18:45.their group if they want to catch up. I guess the fact that you are

:18:46. > :18:50.missing this year to have a baby and Jorgensen is out having a baby, do

:18:51. > :18:55.you think the up-and-coming athletes and maybe one or two of the

:18:56. > :18:58.Americans think there are some big gaps from the normal rivals they

:18:59. > :19:03.have been competing against and that this year is a huge opportunity? I

:19:04. > :19:09.think so, and I think post-Olympic year it is always the same, you get

:19:10. > :19:16.maybe a bit Malala when people go in a different direction, have babies,

:19:17. > :19:20.try long course racing, people going different directions, so it starts

:19:21. > :19:23.building up again the two years before an Olympics, but if you are a

:19:24. > :19:27.Commonwealth Games athlete you don't get that chance, you are in

:19:28. > :19:32.selection again this year, but for the Americans it is a bit different.

:19:33. > :19:37.And that will make an interesting dynamic next year as well. For the

:19:38. > :19:42.athletes selected to represent their nations in the Commonwealth Games,

:19:43. > :19:45.they got to peak in -- they have got to peak in April and again later in

:19:46. > :19:54.the summer for the rest of the season and the grand final. So, a

:19:55. > :20:00.huge group coming together here after the first of four circuits on

:20:01. > :20:05.the bike. And good news for Great Britain, Jodie Stimpson has closed

:20:06. > :20:11.the gap. It was 27 seconds when she exited the water, and she made very

:20:12. > :20:15.short work of that deficit. She is bossing the cycle at the beginning

:20:16. > :20:25.of the second lap, Carolina Routier has lost a few seconds, the swimmer,

:20:26. > :20:29.we have expected that. A lot to watch out for, Summer Cook has

:20:30. > :20:33.drifted a few seconds off the back of the leaders, but remember, top

:20:34. > :20:38.ten for any Australian, if they are the first Australian to cross the

:20:39. > :20:42.line, guaranteed to return for the Commonwealth Games and top six, the

:20:43. > :20:47.same scenario applies from any athlete from New Zealand, so huge

:20:48. > :20:52.opportunity here not just to win the race but to guarantee you are coming

:20:53. > :20:57.back on home turf or from the Kiwi perspective close to home. A notable

:20:58. > :21:01.absence coming through on the first lap on the bike was Andrea Hewitt.

:21:02. > :21:04.It's a bit of a shame, she came out of the water with Jodie Stimpson but

:21:05. > :21:09.I didn't see her on the graphics and I haven't seen her go through at the

:21:10. > :21:16.moment. It looks like Andrea Hewitt, the Abu Dhabi winner, hasn't made it

:21:17. > :21:23.back. Quite a big group there, about 26 athletes in the front pack, then

:21:24. > :21:27.a big gap, 23 seconds to the second chasing pack. If she is in that

:21:28. > :21:38.second group, and you are right, we didn't see her... There she is. So,

:21:39. > :21:42.23 seconds. That is going to be tough. She will be going for it, she

:21:43. > :21:46.just wants to get back to the front pack because she wants to be the

:21:47. > :21:51.first Australian. With her run she has a brilliant chance of that but

:21:52. > :21:55.she needs to make of the 23 seconds and get back to front. And she can't

:21:56. > :22:01.do it all on her own, can she? No, she will need help but she will

:22:02. > :22:13.really commit to it. Ideally you are on the front for ten

:22:14. > :22:17.seconds then change, that's how you keep the real momentum and pace up

:22:18. > :22:19.in the bike pack. You see it well in the men's race when you have the

:22:20. > :22:22.Brownlee Brothers racing because they are well drilled. If you are

:22:23. > :22:25.not taking a turn you will be shouted at and told in no uncertain

:22:26. > :22:31.terms to get to the front. I love that. When Alistair plays shop

:22:32. > :22:34.steward, you take your turn. When a double Olympic champion says, I

:22:35. > :22:41.haven't seen you at the front, you go, sorry sir, I'll do my bit. It is

:22:42. > :22:45.hard to get a group motivated. Do I waste my energy shouting and trying

:22:46. > :22:51.to get people going through or just sit there? Most of the time you end

:22:52. > :22:56.up kind of sitting there. We just saw the name Andrea Hewitt flashing

:22:57. > :23:01.through there, 11 seconds adrift, so she along with the chase group is

:23:02. > :23:06.closing. Just going back to talking about Jodie, you got the feeling

:23:07. > :23:10.when she was beginning to produce good performances, as though she

:23:11. > :23:14.almost felt she didn't belong at the top, and maybe she has got over that

:23:15. > :23:23.now and she does believe she is genuinely world-class. I have been

:23:24. > :23:29.racing Jodie since we were about 13. She has been racing for years. I

:23:30. > :23:34.always love to see her when we are racing because she is such a tough

:23:35. > :23:37.competitor. This year, after getting over the disappointment of missing

:23:38. > :23:40.the Olympics last year, she will be aiming for selection but she has to

:23:41. > :23:43.be thinking, I want to be world champion this year. She has an

:23:44. > :23:48.amazing chance with the start in Abu Dhabi because she is very consistent

:23:49. > :23:52.through the year, she rarely gets injured. Last year was a blip for

:23:53. > :23:59.her towards the end of the year so she has such a good chance of

:24:00. > :24:10.putting her mark on this year. So, a big group now. One lap to go on the

:24:11. > :24:15.bike. Again, Jodie is in a great position, keep near the front, out

:24:16. > :24:19.of trouble. She is nearly always one of the first of the bike, she is

:24:20. > :24:23.very good at being at the front of the transition and her transitions

:24:24. > :24:27.are very fast. She has worked on them from such a young age, she used

:24:28. > :24:33.to do them with her eyes closed as practice. A nudge of the elbow,

:24:34. > :24:38.Rebecca Spence asking someone to come through but at this stage in

:24:39. > :24:42.the race all the main contenders are in this front pack, so there is not

:24:43. > :24:47.necessarily much point in working hard in this next five K, it is all

:24:48. > :24:51.about staying out of trouble, not getting caught up in any mishaps

:24:52. > :24:55.than just thinking and starting to prepare yourself mentally for the

:24:56. > :24:56.rant. At this time in the race you want to be moving forward. You can

:24:57. > :25:19.see the front end of the pack swelling as their shoes off ready,

:25:20. > :25:22.it is who will take them off early, when you move up, this is a crucial

:25:23. > :25:25.moment of the race, this is when a lot of crashes can happen as well so

:25:26. > :25:28.you need to keep your wits about you, which is why some people do

:25:29. > :25:30.hang back. Jodie, bearing that in mind, is in a perfect position, in

:25:31. > :25:32.the centre of your picture there in third place, making sure she is out

:25:33. > :25:35.of trouble, heading towards transition, trying to get herself in

:25:36. > :25:38.the right position to strike here. Maybe get one two seconds advantage

:25:39. > :25:45.over those who had towards the back of this very large lead group. All

:25:46. > :25:51.the main protagonists are there. They have come together over the

:25:52. > :25:57.course of the four circuits on the bike. It is almost inevitable. It

:25:58. > :26:02.wasn't really a co-ordinated attack from those who came in at the front

:26:03. > :26:06.of the swim. Gillian got herself to the front well there. Good

:26:07. > :26:09.transition from Gillian Backhouse at the moment, remembered top ten for

:26:10. > :26:13.the Australians, Andrea Hewitt, the first time we have seen her

:26:14. > :26:20.close-up. We are waiting to see Jodie Stimpson heading out. And now

:26:21. > :26:30.we turn our thoughts and attention to this five K run in the sun. A

:26:31. > :26:34.massive lead group here. Yes, slightly slower transition for Jodie

:26:35. > :26:39.Stimpson, she came out in around tenth position. Gillian Backhouse

:26:40. > :26:46.getting out very quickly. Andrea Hewitt already going to the front.

:26:47. > :26:50.You can see Andrea's class. At the crucial moment there she is at the

:26:51. > :26:55.front and comes out of transition second. That is years of experience

:26:56. > :26:59.showing through. Ashleigh Gentle is the leading Australian athlete now

:27:00. > :27:06.in fourth position, just tucked in behind the two Japanese athletes.

:27:07. > :27:09.Ashleigh Gentle the lead Australian athlete. Katie 's appearance from

:27:10. > :27:17.America, Jodie Stimpson now just running through the field. Our first

:27:18. > :27:23.glimpse of Jodie on the run. If she closes the gap she can join that

:27:24. > :27:31.group of five or six and join the leaders. This is a great run so far

:27:32. > :27:36.from Andrea Hewitt. The two Japanese athletes going really well. And Juri

:27:37. > :27:41.Ide, she was fifth in the Olympics back in Beijing, that's how long she

:27:42. > :27:46.has been performing at the higher end of the female triathlon world.

:27:47. > :27:50.Good to see her coming back to a bit of form, but Hewitt is really going

:27:51. > :27:55.for this, she wants to make certain not only of her second successive

:27:56. > :28:02.win early on in this season of world triathlon series racing but also, it

:28:03. > :28:04.would guarantee her a place in the Commonwealth Games next year.

:28:05. > :28:08.Ashleigh Gentle will get stronger throughout the run as well, she

:28:09. > :28:11.normally does, she's good at the back end of a race, you can already

:28:12. > :28:17.see him moving forward but Andrea has established a good pace to start

:28:18. > :28:21.with, that is a good first kilometre and a half but they will be pushing

:28:22. > :28:25.on from behind as well. I think that is Jodie coming up. Yes, I was

:28:26. > :28:31.wondering that, she has a distinctive style and if that is

:28:32. > :28:37.her, she is just adrift of a group of five or six athletes, but it is

:28:38. > :28:42.Andrea Hewitt from Ashleigh Gentle, and the veteran Juri Ide, Asian

:28:43. > :28:49.games silver-medallist four years ago. She is going really well here

:28:50. > :28:56.in third place. Not too many people would expect that. She was 2015 Abu

:28:57. > :29:03.Dhabi, 34th in the London Olympic Games -- 25th in Abu Dhabi. She is

:29:04. > :29:13.going very well at the moment. But so is Andrea Hewitt.

:29:14. > :29:22.35 years of age. World under 23 champion in 2005. So more than a

:29:23. > :29:25.decade of dominance, and what a the season it is turning out to be for

:29:26. > :29:30.Hewitt, and what a good run this could be from Ashleigh Gentle. Can

:29:31. > :29:31.she keep this going and deny the likes of Charlotte McShane that

:29:32. > :29:40.automatic spot for next year? At the moment you can save the sport

:29:41. > :29:44.is going to Ashleigh Gentle because there is a sizeable gap between

:29:45. > :29:54.Ashleigh Gentle and the Japanese athlete and Andrea Hewitt in front.

:29:55. > :29:59.A little luck -- look to see what the gap is. She is probably

:30:00. > :30:06.Australia's most consistent woman over the past few years, Ashleigh

:30:07. > :30:10.Gentle. It is great to see her, if she gets her selection today, it

:30:11. > :30:17.would be really well reserved ollie deserved. She has to keep pushing on

:30:18. > :30:21.the second lap, keep in a good position -- really well-deserved.

:30:22. > :30:26.Impressive lead. We did not see her on the bike coverage at all. When

:30:27. > :30:31.the seven seconds adrift at the end of the swim, the same as Jodie.

:30:32. > :30:35.Jodie got back up on the lead pack quickly. It took Andrea Hewitt a bit

:30:36. > :30:41.longer but it seems as though, from what we are seeing here with 2.5 K

:30:42. > :30:47.to go on the run, as though the New Zealander has timed her race

:30:48. > :30:51.perfectly. You have to know the day you are going to push and you have

:30:52. > :30:56.to know the day you are going to sit in and unleashed the run. It is

:30:57. > :31:04.knowing the day and being an experienced athlete really helped

:31:05. > :31:14.that. The man on the PA town I is saying, come on, let us get behind

:31:15. > :31:17.the Australians. -- tannoy. Jodie Stimpson, she has managed to get

:31:18. > :31:24.herself onto that little group. The other Japanese athletes there. So

:31:25. > :31:30.too Charlotte McShane. Still in a good position here to come home with

:31:31. > :31:34.a decent performance here in the Gold Coast. Remember, it is your

:31:35. > :31:39.best five performances across the World Triathlon Series, plus the

:31:40. > :31:55.grand final, and Jodie just needs if she can to close the five metres

:31:56. > :31:59.down on Ai Ueda. Jodie not looking comfortable, quite a lot of pain

:32:00. > :32:03.showing on her face. She has been on the Gold Coast for a couple of weeks

:32:04. > :32:09.so she should be well acclimatised. Some days, it is not just your day.

:32:10. > :32:14.You just have to roll with those days and get the best out of

:32:15. > :32:17.yourself. Like I said, if she is still just coming out of the winter

:32:18. > :32:22.training, the sprint distance will not be ideal at this time of year.

:32:23. > :32:29.Later on, by the time we get to Hamburg, she will be sharp and ready

:32:30. > :32:34.to hit the sprint. Just over a mile to go and eight seconds. Pretty

:32:35. > :32:41.tough. In the last stages of the race. Actually, if you are Ashleigh

:32:42. > :32:45.Gentle, you are starting to think, I want to make absolutely certain I am

:32:46. > :32:50.the first Australian home because as we have said a few times, that is

:32:51. > :32:54.such a big prize. Look at the size of gap they have got back to the

:32:55. > :32:58.athletes in the chase group for fourth, fifth and sixth. We are

:32:59. > :33:04.hoping Jodie Stimpson is still there. It shows you how impressive

:33:05. > :33:10.the run has been from the three athletes out front, from Hewitt,

:33:11. > :33:14.fantastic performance on the last discipline, but also Gentle and Juri

:33:15. > :33:19.Ide, they have been running fantastically to get so far ahead of

:33:20. > :33:26.the chase group. I think the gap is growing by the looks of things. The

:33:27. > :33:32.three have put a big gap behind. It is not a bad performance from Jodie.

:33:33. > :33:36.It is just where she is on this day. She is still running strong but

:33:37. > :33:40.these three have just had a phenomenal run. She is just judging

:33:41. > :33:45.by that angle still just a couple of metres adrift of that chase group.

:33:46. > :33:51.And now a couple of metres has become maybe 20. She just cannot

:33:52. > :33:56.quite get on. What you does not want is the pack behind to catch up. At

:33:57. > :34:01.the moment, she is one inside a top ten finish. Little stumble between

:34:02. > :34:08.Zaferes and Charlotte McShane. Charlotte McShane perhaps realising

:34:09. > :34:12.that barring an attack of cramp, it will be Gentle who gets the

:34:13. > :34:15.automatic spot. One of the five women is going to come home in

:34:16. > :34:23.fourth which is a great scoring run come the end of the year. It is

:34:24. > :34:39.going to be a good sprint between these five. Who will get the line

:34:40. > :34:44.first? Juri -- Ai Ueda, maybe trying to get away from any potential fast

:34:45. > :34:52.finishers. Andrea Hewitt, less than one kilometre away from back-to-back

:34:53. > :34:56.World Triathlon Series victory is. She could not have wished for a

:34:57. > :35:01.better spot to the year. No wins since 2011, and then she knocks out

:35:02. > :35:04.two wins. Barring any mishaps which are not going to happen, she is

:35:05. > :35:10.going to come across the line in first place. For triathlon fans in

:35:11. > :35:15.New Zealand and around the world, it is great to see. 35 years of age, it

:35:16. > :35:20.is great to see. She is as good as she has ever been, if not better.

:35:21. > :35:24.Triathlon is massive in New Zealand, one of their big sports. She will

:35:25. > :35:29.have so much support behind her, especially moving towards the

:35:30. > :35:32.Commonwealth Games. She is in a great position moving forward over

:35:33. > :35:40.the next year. She is just pulling away. Especially when you think she

:35:41. > :35:43.is 35, even though she is still performing really well, it would be

:35:44. > :35:50.stretching it perhaps to think she would still compete in Tokyo. So

:35:51. > :35:54.maybe if she decided to call it quits, Commonwealth title in 12

:35:55. > :35:59.months' time, close to home, it could be a nice way to bow out. A

:36:00. > :36:04.lot of ifs and buts between now and then. If she gets a Commonwealth

:36:05. > :36:09.title, she will not not go to Tokyo. I have a think about age, as long as

:36:10. > :36:13.you remain injury free, there is no reason why you cannot carry on and

:36:14. > :36:16.be as good as ever. That is normally the injuries that hamper the

:36:17. > :36:22.athletes as they get older. Triathlon is a funny sport. You have

:36:23. > :36:26.girls coming in just out of Junior is almost on the podium. You have

:36:27. > :36:38.girls later run in the 30s doing well. There is such a big danger --

:36:39. > :36:42.big age range. Everyone on the podium in Rio was 30 or older.

:36:43. > :36:48.Definitely a lot of time for everyone. A quick update on Jodie

:36:49. > :36:52.Stimpson, where she was 20 metres behind the big chase group, she now

:36:53. > :36:56.finds herself in another pack behind that. It is turning out to be a

:36:57. > :37:03.tough day for Jodie. But as for Andrea Hewitt, what a performance

:37:04. > :37:11.here. Her season started with a bang in Abu Dhabi. A brilliant sprint

:37:12. > :37:16.finish, outdid Jodie Stimpson, but this has been an even more

:37:17. > :37:21.impressive performance, you could argue. She took her time on the bike

:37:22. > :37:24.and she has timed her drive for victory here to perfection. What a

:37:25. > :37:31.good finish for Ashleigh Gentle. Gentle making certain that she will

:37:32. > :37:36.be the Australian to qualify for the Commonwealth Games from this race on

:37:37. > :37:42.home territory. But Andrea Hewitt, still moving away from the

:37:43. > :37:50.Australian in second. A little glance over her shoulder. But she is

:37:51. > :37:54.home and dry here. Another fabulous performance from a woman who is

:37:55. > :38:01.hugely popular on the triathlon circuit. No wins for six years. Two

:38:02. > :38:08.in the space of a month. Andrea Hewitt does it again here and she

:38:09. > :38:12.can afford to ease down at the line. She takes the win, Hewitt. It looks

:38:13. > :38:21.like another emotional victory for her. Gentle comes home for second.

:38:22. > :38:27.She will be returning for Australia for the Commonwealth Games next

:38:28. > :38:39.year. What a brilliant run from Juri Ide. The American wins the battle

:38:40. > :38:44.for fourth, Zaferes. Her chances of making the Commonwealth Games team

:38:45. > :38:48.ever more possible. Gillian Saunders from South Africa coming across the

:38:49. > :38:57.line, we do not often see her in the top ten. Jodie Stimpson now just

:38:58. > :39:02.crossing the line inside 59 minutes. That was a tough day for Jodie who

:39:03. > :39:06.lost a little bit of ground on the run, especially on the second

:39:07. > :39:13.circuit. But she still got plenty to work for and plenty to be positive

:39:14. > :39:17.for from this season after that great run a month ago. It was just

:39:18. > :39:21.not meant to be quite as good today from the Britain. A tough day for

:39:22. > :39:26.Jodie. She probably will not be happy with that, she has high

:39:27. > :39:30.standards. I think she has to look at the big picture. She is not in a

:39:31. > :39:35.bad position moving forward. Great start to the year. She has got to

:39:36. > :39:39.move on for the next race. Great to see Ashleigh Gentle coming second.

:39:40. > :39:47.Home crowd for her, she is from the Gold Coast. Really happy for her.

:39:48. > :39:51.Confirmation, it is to out of two for Andrea Hewitt, the perfect start

:39:52. > :39:54.to the season. Ashleigh Gentle will be delighted with the second place.

:39:55. > :40:00.She will be back for the Commonwealth Games next year. Juri

:40:01. > :40:10.man-fourty-macro back on the podium. Jodie Stimpson on this occasion down

:40:11. > :40:14.in 16th. -- Juri Ide. Katie Zaferes moves up to second place overall.

:40:15. > :40:22.Jodie Stimpson still in the mix. Down here with a translator, could

:40:23. > :40:27.you ask her, her first podium for three years, how thrilled a she and

:40:28. > :40:36.what made the difference today? -- how thrilled is she? I am glad, I am

:40:37. > :40:44.happy. There is a bit of English there! Ladies and gentlemen, Angela

:40:45. > :40:48.Hewitt! How much did the confidence in Abu Dhabi contribute to your win

:40:49. > :40:54.today? I knew the running was good. You never know how the race is going

:40:55. > :40:58.to go. I ran at my pace and it was good enough. I am happy. We heard

:40:59. > :41:02.Javier Gomez say in the men that race he is fearful of the

:41:03. > :41:10.youngsters. You are 35. It does not seem to bother you. Last week was my

:41:11. > :41:18.birthday. Age is just a number. It is all down to training and today,

:41:19. > :41:22.the swim and bike was not up there, but I had the legs on the run. Was

:41:23. > :41:28.it always the plan to go hard right at the start of the run? You left

:41:29. > :41:35.them for dead inside the first kilometre. I ran at Plymouth and I

:41:36. > :41:39.knew Ai Ueda went out fast. I was expecting her to run with me but I

:41:40. > :41:47.was by myself today. What a thrill for you, Ashleigh, securing your,

:41:48. > :41:53.what games qualification a year out. It feels really good. After Rio, I

:41:54. > :41:56.wanted to turn up at a race and perform and I did that today and I

:41:57. > :42:00.am really happy. What was your view of your swim and bike? Everyone came

:42:01. > :42:05.together on the bike and it effectively became a foot race

:42:06. > :42:10.pretty much consumer it is a sprint race, so fast from the get go. --

:42:11. > :42:15.pretty much? I have not had much confidence in it before. I was happy

:42:16. > :42:20.to take what the swim was and get on the bike and work hard. And once it

:42:21. > :42:24.came down to run race, I wanted to go out hard and see if I could hold.

:42:25. > :42:33.Were you surprised how quickly and rare went off? -- how quickly Andrea

:42:34. > :42:36.Hewitt went off? Not really. She has been one of my idols. I am really

:42:37. > :42:43.happy for her to secure another victory. Clearly delighted Ashleigh

:42:44. > :42:47.Gentle talking about her hero as well Andrea Hewitt, great race for

:42:48. > :42:51.her. Great race for Ashleigh Gentle and she worked hard on the bike to

:42:52. > :42:56.get back into contention. We have seen her do that in previous races.

:42:57. > :43:02.If her swim improves a little bit, she is in contention. What a

:43:03. > :43:07.fantastic win from Andrea Hewitt. Form of her life. She is such a

:43:08. > :43:15.great consistent athlete. Two in a row. Fantastic. Amazing. Not many

:43:16. > :43:20.people have done back-to-back. Again one of the older athletes, Ide. She

:43:21. > :43:24.has had a year or two of not being on the podium, good comeback. She

:43:25. > :43:28.will be looking forward to Tokyo in 2020, all of the Japanese will.

:43:29. > :43:35.Jodie Stimpson. Not a great race for her. Where did it start going wrong?

:43:36. > :43:41.A little bit down on the swim. Just over 20 seconds but it is only a

:43:42. > :43:45.sprint difference, 750 metres, so disappointing to start. They got

:43:46. > :43:48.back on pretty quickly. For me, she has a very quick transition

:43:49. > :43:54.normally, but going out onto their run, she was a bit slow, she did not

:43:55. > :43:58.look like herself. I just think it is one of those things. Some days it

:43:59. > :44:03.is not your day. We should not look into it too much. That can just

:44:04. > :44:08.happen to anybody, something can go wrong? Some days you just have a bad

:44:09. > :44:11.day and you are a bit empty. It is unfortunate in Australia when you

:44:12. > :44:16.have travelled so far. I know Jodie's focus is later in the year

:44:17. > :44:21.for the series finale in Hamburg. Lots more races to go. Just one more

:44:22. > :44:50.race before the World Series hits Leeds.

:44:51. > :44:59.63 days to go until World Triathlon Leads and tickets have gone on sale

:45:00. > :45:03.this week. To experience what promises to be a cracking atmosphere

:45:04. > :45:09.head to the website. Helen, you were not racing last year but were part

:45:10. > :45:12.of the crowd, what was it like? The atmosphere was incredible. I have

:45:13. > :45:16.experienced a different crowds but the British crowd loved the track. I

:45:17. > :45:21.really wanted to be out there racing. Before we get onto the men's

:45:22. > :45:25.race it is time to hear more from Tom Fordyce's interview with double

:45:26. > :45:30.Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee. In April 22 he is due to compete in

:45:31. > :45:34.his first middle-distance racing Gran Canaria but is also competing

:45:35. > :45:36.in Leeds and hasn't ruled out trying again for another gold in Tokyo in

:45:37. > :45:54.2020. He is busy. I've got a few goals. Will this fill

:45:55. > :45:58.the hole, Alistair? To the man in the street, triathlon is about the

:45:59. > :46:03.Olympic Games and to a lesser extent the World Series. That is definitely

:46:04. > :46:08.not what I do, I have never done triathlon for that. The real

:46:09. > :46:13.question is, does it fill the hole for my competitiveness and trying to

:46:14. > :46:19.achieve things I perceive that are important and worthwhile achieving?

:46:20. > :46:26.How much will training change on a day-to-day basis, will you get to a

:46:27. > :46:29.situation where you stop in the Dales for tea cakes, Johnny sits

:46:30. > :46:36.parent has teacakes and you have to do an extra hour? I don't expect my

:46:37. > :46:42.training to change massively. Most of it will be the same. I will just

:46:43. > :46:45.look to more specific things, the bike especially, steady-state effort

:46:46. > :46:51.on a time trial bike, and Johnny will carry on doing what he does. So

:46:52. > :46:55.far I have been doing efforts on a time trial bike and he has been on a

:46:56. > :47:02.road bike up mountains. We have managed to combine the two and be

:47:03. > :47:07.predictably very competitive. The obvious one to ask is injuries. When

:47:08. > :47:10.you have the idea of doing the 10,000 metres in the Commonwealth

:47:11. > :47:14.Games, it was that that stopped you -- when you had the idea. Injuries

:47:15. > :47:19.are definitely a big worry and something I will have to balance and

:47:20. > :47:24.work with. Coming through last year and having my ankle reconstructed

:47:25. > :47:28.has given me a lot of confidence with how to manage unbalanced stuff.

:47:29. > :47:38.Have you got the balance spot-on now? It might look like it from the

:47:39. > :47:43.outside, but...! What is the future of triathlon? I think the Olympic

:47:44. > :47:50.distance should always be a classic race in the Olympic Games. I think I

:47:51. > :47:54.could definitely see a time where there were possibly more events or

:47:55. > :47:58.maybe even more qualifiers to get to an Olympic distance final. That

:47:59. > :48:04.would be perfect triathlon. And you have the relay come which is such a

:48:05. > :48:09.brilliant Olympic sport. Look at the atmosphere it generates, having this

:48:10. > :48:15.fast racing circuit, having girls and guys in the same race as well.

:48:16. > :48:21.It is just a bit unique. The mixed relay is a really exciting format,

:48:22. > :48:24.it is fast, it is interesting, it keeps people's attention, and

:48:25. > :48:28.hopefully I think that ticks all the boxes to be an Olympic sport so it

:48:29. > :48:31.makes complete sense we should have a world-class mixed relay

:48:32. > :48:35.competition in Britain, and we have the first one here in September in

:48:36. > :48:41.Nottingham. It's really exciting and I think it is the right thing to do.

:48:42. > :48:45.I really hope it is successful. That competition he mentions at the end

:48:46. > :48:49.there is the British Triathlon Mixed Relay Cup I am delighted to say we

:48:50. > :48:54.will have live coverage of that event from Nottingham on BBC One at

:48:55. > :48:59.215 PM on Saturday, September two, so join us for that. Talking about

:49:00. > :49:02.new formats, since Alistair did that interview he has competed in Super

:49:03. > :49:06.League in Australia and it wasn't great for him, was it? It wasn't,

:49:07. > :49:11.simply because he wasn't very well, and that style of racing you need to

:49:12. > :49:16.bring your top game because it is tough, it is held over three days,

:49:17. > :49:19.lots of short different distances with really short breaks so if you

:49:20. > :49:30.are not feeling great it will not work for you.

:49:31. > :49:35.What about the idea of Super League for triathlon, is it a good idea to

:49:36. > :49:37.mix it up? It is exciting to have another format. We had races like

:49:38. > :49:40.this years ago so it is exciting it is coming back but disappointing

:49:41. > :49:42.there was no women's race this time. Triathlon has a long history of

:49:43. > :49:46.equality between men's and women's races. The ITU have always been good

:49:47. > :49:49.on that, equal prize money and equal number of starts, which is important

:49:50. > :49:53.and I hope moving forward the Super League put on the women's race. They

:49:54. > :49:59.have said that will continue in future. Do you think it is an idea

:50:00. > :50:12.to mix it all up? Absolutely. A bit of variety is fun and it is great to

:50:13. > :50:15.watch. It is really fast and very dynamic, but of course we want to

:50:16. > :50:18.see a women's race as well. No Alistair or Johnny Brownlee in the

:50:19. > :50:20.Gold Coast, Johnny is back in full training after a hip injury and will

:50:21. > :50:22.head to Yokohama. Tom Bishop will also head to Yokohama after his

:50:23. > :50:26.fantastic second-place finish in Abu Dhabi, so who is in Gold Coast and

:50:27. > :50:31.what do we know about them? Here is Rob Walker. Javier Gomez Noya 's

:50:32. > :50:35.Matt Quinn in Abu Dhabi puts him in the gold swim hat on the Gold Coast.

:50:36. > :50:41.He had a surprise party attended by triathlon pals to celebrate his 34th

:50:42. > :50:47.birthday on the 25th of March, making him the oldest man in the

:50:48. > :50:50.field as well as the one to beat. Wearing bronze it is excitable South

:50:51. > :50:56.African Richard Murray, as the winner of last month's Super League,

:50:57. > :51:00.he won 100,000 Australian dollars in prize money. What he is spending it

:51:01. > :51:04.on is still to be confirmed. After a career best seventh place in Abu

:51:05. > :51:10.Dhabi, Greg Billington is in the red on the Gold Coast. The American took

:51:11. > :51:15.-- American grew up in the English village Six Mile Bottom and builds

:51:16. > :51:20.himself on social media as the 1997 boys under 950 metres by Suffolk

:51:21. > :51:25.County champion. Expect to see him flying through today's swim. In Ryan

:51:26. > :51:29.Illy Magnum at this Ryan Bailie, born in South Africa but moved to

:51:30. > :51:32.Australia when he was a baby. He thought about becoming an Aussie

:51:33. > :51:38.rules player but stuck with triathlon winning the amateur 18-19

:51:39. > :51:43.-year-old age group world title in 2009. Don't be deceived by the

:51:44. > :51:46.number 14 on the arm of 2012 world schools Cross country champion Jacob

:51:47. > :51:51.Birtwhistle. He was the surprise package at the Super League

:51:52. > :51:54.triathlon finishing second overall. And with a Commonwealth Games place

:51:55. > :51:57.at stake for the Australians, the Tasmanian will be looking to put his

:51:58. > :52:01.devilish sprint skills to good use today.

:52:02. > :52:05.Listening to that there is interesting talent coming from

:52:06. > :52:09.Australia at the moment. It is about time because they have had a lull is

:52:10. > :52:12.certainly on the men's side. A lot of young guys coming through which

:52:13. > :52:17.is exciting for them. The athletes we will be looking at today,

:52:18. > :52:21.definitely Jacob Birtwhistle, former and 23 world champion, comes in with

:52:22. > :52:25.really good form, and Ryan Bailie definitely, finished fourth here

:52:26. > :52:28.last year, he will be one to watch. Also we can't fail to mention Mario

:52:29. > :52:52.Mola because by his exceptionally high standards

:52:53. > :52:55.it wasn't a great start for him, was it? He was eighth in Abu Dhabi which

:52:56. > :52:58.is not a good race for him, so he will be disappointed. He didn't swim

:52:59. > :53:01.well but he rode well so today if he is closer in this when he could have

:53:02. > :53:04.a great race. Thank you both, time for you to head to commentary. I

:53:05. > :53:06.will hand you to Rob Walker for the men's race. COMMENTATOR: Absolutely

:53:07. > :53:10.superb win last month for Javier Gomez Moya. Mario Mola, the world

:53:11. > :53:14.champion, will be disappointed with how he finished in Abu Dhabi,

:53:15. > :53:24.eighth. He will hope to be back to form. Olympic bronze-medallist Henry

:53:25. > :53:25.Schuman -- Henri Schoeman. It is really a world-class line-up here on

:53:26. > :53:44.the Gold Coast. It is a great cast assembled here,

:53:45. > :53:45.and with that subplot of those automatic spots for the Commonwealth

:53:46. > :53:56.Games. They seem to hold them for an age

:53:57. > :54:03.there on the pontoon, but at last, round two in the men's 2017 world

:54:04. > :54:09.triathlon series is under way. Javier Gomez Noya Mo Farah left of

:54:10. > :54:17.the picture there. He has started his season in cracking form. He has

:54:18. > :54:22.never won a world triathlon series race over sprint distance, though.

:54:23. > :54:25.Can he prove that there is still some speed in those legs as well as

:54:26. > :54:31.the great stamina and the top-quality tactics and racing brain

:54:32. > :54:36.that has taken him to five world titles? Should be a fascinating

:54:37. > :54:40.race. It always looks so spread out, that's what fascinates me, the fact

:54:41. > :54:46.that it is a big line but somehow it all comes together. It is, you start

:54:47. > :54:50.off 70 metres apart venue wall come to one single point together 300

:54:51. > :54:55.metres away, and that's where it can get messy and the fighting starts.

:54:56. > :54:58.Interesting to see everyone lined up from the right-hand side of the

:54:59. > :55:04.pontoon, when they were stored on it, whereas in the women's race the

:55:05. > :55:11.left was a bit quicker, so there must be a reason, the current must

:55:12. > :55:17.be better on that side. Gomez and Mario Mola, they all went to that

:55:18. > :55:21.side of the pontoon. I think with the French missing today, who are so

:55:22. > :55:26.often at the front of the swim pack, and the Russians, it will be a

:55:27. > :55:30.slightly different swim today, of course, Henri Schoeman from South

:55:31. > :55:33.Africa is here, so we will expect to see him pushing the pace, Javier

:55:34. > :55:40.Gomez Noya is well, renowned for good swim, such a complete athlete,

:55:41. > :55:43.and Fernando Alarza, but I think the swim world be more competitive with

:55:44. > :55:47.the lack of French and Russians. We also have Ben Kanute from the USA,

:55:48. > :55:52.he is a great swimmer and might drag out the swim and lead out. He was

:55:53. > :55:59.definitely up there in Abu Dhabi. Will be interesting to see how they

:56:00. > :56:04.take this buoy because it is a big group of athletes going round. Not

:56:05. > :56:07.the South African we are expecting leading. Wian Sullwald, third in

:56:08. > :56:13.Cape Town in the World Cup earlier this year so we know he is informed.

:56:14. > :56:16.He didn't finish in Abu Dhabi. He crashed out on a tight bend there so

:56:17. > :56:28.will hope to make amends here today on the Gold Coast. I saw the colours

:56:29. > :56:32.of Javier Gomez Noya Spain, I think in fourth position, looking fairly

:56:33. > :56:38.relaxed I would say. There is not the urgency we normally see. I just

:56:39. > :56:42.wondered there, it is hard to tell with the names on the caps, I

:56:43. > :56:46.thought the athlete in third might have been Trent Thorpe, and if that

:56:47. > :56:51.is the case, he is only 20 years of age, the New Zealander. If it is him

:56:52. > :56:58.he is having a very good swim indeed, but Gomez close enough to

:56:59. > :57:04.the early leader, Wian Sullwald the South African, but the arrow is

:57:05. > :57:08.already forming. That will really take some doing, to form a breakaway

:57:09. > :57:13.at the start of this bike course, as we saw in the women's race. So

:57:14. > :57:20.difficult to get away then stay away in those four circuits of five K. I

:57:21. > :57:23.think in the one lap swim, the 750, there doesn't seem to be as much

:57:24. > :57:28.opportunity to break up and quite often the brakes go, in the men's

:57:29. > :57:36.race especially, in the lap, the pace stays on. It will be hard for

:57:37. > :57:43.these guys in the front to form a break like they didn't Abu Dhabi. So

:57:44. > :57:48.Wian Sullwald has done a great job leading the swim. A little gap

:57:49. > :57:54.between fourth and fifth but as we have said, it will be so difficult

:57:55. > :58:00.for a big breakaway to form. Short, sharp swim, these guys are so

:58:01. > :58:11.powerful, and in fact the South African is pulling away from Ben

:58:12. > :58:13.Kanute in the last few strokes. An excellent swim from yet another

:58:14. > :58:28.talented South African. It was Trent Thorpe in third for New

:58:29. > :58:32.Zealand, but the graphics indicated it was Henri Schoeman out of the

:58:33. > :58:36.water first as opposed to Wian Sullwald. We will get confirmation

:58:37. > :58:42.of that when we have the chance to look at him close up. If it is Henri

:58:43. > :58:47.Schoeman, and it is, that is a great start to his race. Ben Kanute going

:58:48. > :58:50.well, Gomez right there. That is Canada's Matt Sharp by the way

:58:51. > :58:56.instead of Great Britain's Matt Sharp for those of you who follow

:58:57. > :59:00.British triathlon. So Henri Schoeman, the man who took the

:59:01. > :59:05.Olympic bronze medal last August, then won the grand final in

:59:06. > :59:09.September, he has had a cracking start to his race. A bit confusing

:59:10. > :59:13.there because the graphics were showing his team-mate leading the

:59:14. > :59:17.race and it wasn't, which makes a lot more sense because Henri

:59:18. > :59:23.Schoeman as we know is one of the leading swimmers on the world

:59:24. > :59:30.triathlon series. Henri Schoeman was tenth in Abu Dhabi. 12th in the Gold

:59:31. > :59:35.Coast last year. But judging by how much she has improved in the last 12

:59:36. > :59:37.months, that performance here year ago is not indicative of where he is

:59:38. > :59:46.now. This is great to see. One long train

:59:47. > :59:55.coming out of the swim. Already smashed up. Schoeman and then can

:59:56. > :00:00.meet -- Ben Kanute really determined. This is great, they have

:00:01. > :00:05.come out and both of them, they are riding as hard as they can. Gomez

:00:06. > :00:09.and the two behind him will try to get on. If those three come

:00:10. > :00:15.together, you have a really good working group of five. Everyone is

:00:16. > :00:21.working just as hard. And the subplot is that you have got Trent

:00:22. > :00:26.Thorpe, the 20-year-old New Zealander, along with his team-mate,

:00:27. > :00:30.Tayler Reid, both of them vying to be the first New Zealander home. If

:00:31. > :00:36.they manage to come home in the top six, selection guaranteed. There is

:00:37. > :00:40.a very long way to go. Schoeman looking over his shoulder. He would

:00:41. > :00:44.like to have Gomez. Even though he does not want to be with him on the

:00:45. > :00:48.run. He knows the importance of it on the bike to keep away from the

:00:49. > :00:52.chase pack. They are not looking back and waiting, they are still

:00:53. > :00:56.going for it. There is the look back to see if they are coming, but you

:00:57. > :01:00.cannot afford to wait because there is not time in the sprint distance.

:01:01. > :01:06.Although you want to be aware of whether people coming from behind

:01:07. > :01:13.how difficult is it to form a breakaway on such a short race? It

:01:14. > :01:18.is tough. If you look at the sprint distance races, it is not often a

:01:19. > :01:22.breakaway sticks. It is going to be tough. If you are going to have a

:01:23. > :01:29.breakaway, you want people like Schoeman, Gomez. And Ben Kanute who

:01:30. > :01:33.wrote really well in Abu Dhabi. You want them up there. He is riding

:01:34. > :01:37.incredibly strong. The three behind including Gomez, one of the

:01:38. > :01:41.strongest on the circuit, they are finding it tough. This is the point

:01:42. > :01:47.when they can catch up, a little break. Gomez in third place now. If

:01:48. > :01:53.they are going to form a breakaway, they have got to do it now. As soon

:01:54. > :01:56.as the big chase group come around the corner, they will be able to see

:01:57. > :02:01.them and they will smell the opportunity perhaps to close the

:02:02. > :02:04.gap. That is the big chase pack. What is positive is that even though

:02:05. > :02:12.these guys, even if they do get caught, they have made everyone

:02:13. > :02:16.behind work harder. Mola was 27 seconds down. If he gets to the

:02:17. > :02:21.front, he has done more hard work. That plays out later on in the run.

:02:22. > :02:26.Exactly. They cannot afford to look up. They are close, to close, the

:02:27. > :02:33.chase pack. They will have to do is in pretty special to stay away,

:02:34. > :02:41.these guys. -- have to do something. We are one lap in with three to go.

:02:42. > :02:45.Ben Kanute, Gomez, Tayler Reid, Schoeman, Trent Thorpe. They have

:02:46. > :02:52.worked incredibly hard to try to stay away. There is the gap. Fourth

:02:53. > :02:59.in Abu Dhabi, leading the rest of the field. A treadmill of great

:03:00. > :03:08.Spanish triathletes being turfed out of the junior system. And now Tayler

:03:09. > :03:12.Reid takes his turn. He is just 20. Two very young New Zealanders doing

:03:13. > :03:16.all they can to make the most of what could be a fantastic

:03:17. > :03:19.opportunity for one of them. Absolutely. Schoeman looks really

:03:20. > :03:25.strong on the bike. They are still close. Eight seconds is not much.

:03:26. > :03:32.They are going to be working hard behind. In the front and the back,

:03:33. > :03:37.they will be tiring themselves out for the run. It is a funny position,

:03:38. > :03:42.where would you rather be, chasing or burning your energy? Most people

:03:43. > :03:48.would rather be in the front, trying to make it happen. At the same time,

:03:49. > :03:53.you have Mola and Murray getting dragged up to the front. You

:03:54. > :03:58.mentioning Mola, you correctly said that at the start of the bike, he

:03:59. > :04:08.was around 26, 27 seconds adrift, he is now in that chasing pack, 26

:04:09. > :04:14.seconds has become nine. A good position for Mario Mola to be in. He

:04:15. > :04:18.was within contact on the swim. In the big pack. He will probably be

:04:19. > :04:22.pretty comfortable in there, you can almost be thinking about the run

:04:23. > :04:27.already, if you think the pack will catch. They are within striking

:04:28. > :04:33.distance now. This group is slowing down a bit. Glances over their

:04:34. > :04:39.shoulder, realising they are now dangerously close. A great effort

:04:40. > :04:44.from all five of them on the first lap but perhaps now they have

:04:45. > :04:51.succumbed to the inevitable coming together of the five and the

:04:52. > :04:56.enormous chase pack. Now looking at our screens, the chase pack has

:04:57. > :05:01.joined up with the front five riders who worked really hard fought 8.5

:05:02. > :05:05.kilometres. It has been in vain because they have now been met

:05:06. > :05:09.either chase group which contains Richard Murray and Mario Mola, the

:05:10. > :05:17.two big threats to Javier Gomez on the run. You would almost imagine

:05:18. > :05:22.the leading contenders here would hit cruise control and start

:05:23. > :05:31.thinking, right, this is a straight five K Burn up, 12.5 laps of a track

:05:32. > :05:34.for the man who is going to take second round victory here. But what

:05:35. > :05:40.a start this would be for Javier Gomez if he went to out of two. It

:05:41. > :05:44.is certainly a declaration of intent that not only has he recovered from

:05:45. > :05:48.the injury but crucially, despite all he has achieved in the context

:05:49. > :05:51.of the World Triathlon Series and the Olympic silver behind Alistair

:05:52. > :05:57.Brownlee in London, he is still hungry, still motivated. And the

:05:58. > :06:04.oldest athlete in the field at 34 as well. I did not know that,

:06:05. > :06:08.interesting. Gomez has been around for a long time. He has been such a

:06:09. > :06:12.good athlete for so many years. It will be interesting to see whether

:06:13. > :06:17.he does want to commit to Tokyo and go for that. I think he is planning

:06:18. > :06:22.on making his decision after this year, whether he moves to longer

:06:23. > :06:25.distance or stays with the Olympic distance. Maybe he could do what

:06:26. > :06:31.Alistair Brownlee is doing and leave the option open. It is not as if you

:06:32. > :06:37.go into long-distance and you put your feet up and spend six hours a

:06:38. > :06:41.day in front of the TV. If he does 18 months, 12 months, of

:06:42. > :06:46.long-distance, would you say the end of 2018 would be the realistic point

:06:47. > :06:50.at which the likes of Javier Gomez and Alistair Brownlee would go, we

:06:51. > :06:54.are two years out, am I going to commit to another two years of

:06:55. > :07:00.Olympic distance or am I going to have a crack at the half and

:07:01. > :07:05.maybe...? I think so, that would be the time you have to refocus on the

:07:06. > :07:12.Olympics. Javier Gomez has raced really well at 70.3 and Olympic

:07:13. > :07:16.combined, not many athletes do. In 2015, he was well champion, 70.3,

:07:17. > :07:21.and he was second maybe in the Olympic distance. He is one of the

:07:22. > :07:25.athletes that can combine it. Moving to iron man, maybe you do need to

:07:26. > :07:34.focus specifically on that. You do. 70.3 is the distance where they run

:07:35. > :07:38.a half marathon and a lot of people say you can combine that training

:07:39. > :07:42.and step up to the Ironman, it is very different. The point to be made

:07:43. > :07:47.is Alistair Brownlee has two gold medals. I am not saying whether he

:07:48. > :07:53.will make Tokyo or not, it is a big deal, he has alluded to the fact he

:07:54. > :07:56.might help Jonny, but Gomez does not have the gold medal, he has

:07:57. > :08:00.everything else, but he does not have the gold medal. I can see him

:08:01. > :08:04.wanting to continue while he carries on winning and as long as he does

:08:05. > :08:11.not get injured and stays healthy, he is still a big threat, even at

:08:12. > :08:16.34, as we saw in Abu Dhabi. Ryan Fisher just getting the bit between

:08:17. > :08:25.his teeth. For a little while, it was Matthew Hauser, the 19-year-old

:08:26. > :08:30.Australian leading. But Fisher just decided to split things up a little

:08:31. > :08:37.bit. It is knowing when to attack which is a key thing. A long

:08:38. > :08:42.straight road into a headwind or tailwind, when is the right time? It

:08:43. > :08:47.is having enough knowledge about bike racing and knowing when to do

:08:48. > :08:53.that. It is a lot more technical than you think. With someone just

:08:54. > :08:57.watching now. There is the right time to attack. Fisher has gone now.

:08:58. > :09:01.I guess he is thinking, I have nothing to lose. He did it on the

:09:02. > :09:07.slightly more technical section, the best place for him to get away. It

:09:08. > :09:17.certainly is a brave move when you think about the quality in this

:09:18. > :09:20.chase group. Mola is there. Javier Gomez, Richard Murray, the South

:09:21. > :09:29.African in cracking form, sauce is his compatriot, Schoeman. -- so too.

:09:30. > :09:33.A declaration of intent from Ryan Fisher. From a neutral perspective,

:09:34. > :09:37.I don't know about you two, but there is a bit of me that feels you

:09:38. > :09:41.want them to be able to stay out front, even if they only have five,

:09:42. > :09:45.six seconds by the end of the run, if they have been balls the enough

:09:46. > :09:51.to be this brave, there is a bit of you that wants it to pay off --

:09:52. > :09:59.five, six seconds by the run. You do not want to be a passenger, you are

:10:00. > :10:03.proactive. It is always to be admired even if it does not always

:10:04. > :10:07.pay off. It is worth a try and you learn from doing it, you learn your

:10:08. > :10:11.limits and if you have the power data on your bike, what did I hold,

:10:12. > :10:16.what did it take to break the pack? It is all useful information for

:10:17. > :10:20.yourself. It depends how you feel on the day as well. Sometimes it will

:10:21. > :10:26.work, sometimes it does not. The legendary Welsh marathon runner

:10:27. > :10:30.Steve Jones, your compatriot, former world record-holder, he always said,

:10:31. > :10:35.if you feel good in a race, you should go, and even if you blow up,

:10:36. > :10:39.never regret it. I think there is a lot to be said for that. It makes it

:10:40. > :10:44.a lot more exciting for the viewers. If nothing else come EU come into

:10:45. > :10:46.transition on your own and you have open transition and you have not got

:10:47. > :10:54.to worry about getting caught up with other people -- if nothing

:10:55. > :11:05.else, you come into transition. Can he stay away, four kilometres to go?

:11:06. > :11:11.It is really good to see he has been bold enough to follow his own race

:11:12. > :11:18.plan. And not show too much respect to the likes of Mola, the reigning

:11:19. > :11:22.world champion, and Gomez, the five-time world champion and Olympic

:11:23. > :11:27.silver medallist back in London. No man has ever successfully defended

:11:28. > :11:35.this Gold Coast title in the World Triathlon Series so there is a bit

:11:36. > :11:40.of a first for Mola but it is a tall order because other than Ryan Fisher

:11:41. > :11:45.who is nine, ten seconds out front, everybody else you would expect to

:11:46. > :11:51.be in the lead group is there. Great work from the Australian. And

:11:52. > :11:58.hopefully, he will be taking some heart from the cheers of those in

:11:59. > :12:07.the gantry. Managing to extend that lead from the previous lap. He was

:12:08. > :12:10.six, seven seconds. He has finished the fourth circuit on the bike with

:12:11. > :12:16.real strength, given himself every opportunity. He has given himself 16

:12:17. > :12:20.seconds lead which over five kilometres is a good distance. We

:12:21. > :12:25.are not sure where his running fitness is at the moment. It will be

:12:26. > :12:30.interesting. These guys off-line. Alarza leading the way. The massive

:12:31. > :12:35.cheer when Ryan Fisher left, that is one of the reasons for him doing it,

:12:36. > :12:41.getting the home support behind you, amazing. This is where it will all

:12:42. > :12:45.kick off now on the run. If Murray brings the form he produced in the

:12:46. > :12:51.super league and for his two World Cup wins earlier this year, he will

:12:52. > :12:58.be absolutely flying. He will be really enjoying this. He is looking

:12:59. > :13:03.strong too, just depends if those guys will catch, they will probably

:13:04. > :13:07.catch pretty quick. It has been a brilliant effort from Ryan Fisher

:13:08. > :13:14.and his race is not over yet but you can see how quickly the likes of

:13:15. > :13:17.Mola and Jacob Birtwhistle and Gomez and Alarza along with Richard Murray

:13:18. > :13:22.who has been ominously quiet so far, and this is the moment Ryan Fisher

:13:23. > :13:27.glances to his left hand side, he will not like what he is seeing, he

:13:28. > :13:31.moves aside and he now has to try to dig in and hold on. A fantastic

:13:32. > :13:37.effort to get away on the bike but this is going to be very tough for

:13:38. > :13:43.him now. It is. But a great effort. The next time maybe he will have a

:13:44. > :13:46.few more seconds. As you mentioned, Helen, people learn from the

:13:47. > :13:53.experience. You learn what you can and cannot do. Those five are moving

:13:54. > :14:00.really fast. Back onto the back of them, Schoeman. Another really

:14:01. > :14:12.strong athlete, Crisanto Grajales, from Mexico. Such a big talented

:14:13. > :14:20.group of Spaniards at the front. Mola, Gomez, Alarza, but Murray, he

:14:21. > :14:27.looks good in second place, doesn't he? He does. But Mola does tend to

:14:28. > :14:31.get the better of him on the run. We did not see the sprint finish in

:14:32. > :14:37.Hamburg lasted which Mola won because Murray had the mishap in

:14:38. > :14:42.transition and had to sit out a 15 second penalty and was discolour

:14:43. > :14:47.fight. We never saw them go head-to-head. But Mola looking like

:14:48. > :14:52.he means business. I wonder what is going through his mind, knowing he

:14:53. > :14:59.has got Murray and Mola up ahead of him. Jacob Birtwhistle looking like

:15:00. > :15:04.he is slightly struggling. We know he has great pedigree. World under

:15:05. > :15:07.23 champion in 2015. Third-place finish in the super league race

:15:08. > :15:15.which took place a couple of weeks ago.

:15:16. > :15:22.I think that is the chase pack there, the three Aussies close to

:15:23. > :15:30.the front, Sissons as well who got a podium last week. Fish are now

:15:31. > :15:35.dropping back, we can see the gap, the gap is huge, only three and a

:15:36. > :15:40.half kilometres gone with an 11 second gap between the chase pack of

:15:41. > :15:45.five athletes, three Spaniards, the South African Richard Murray and the

:15:46. > :15:51.Australian Jacob Birtwhistle. This race is playing into Jacob's hands

:15:52. > :15:54.for a Commonwealth Games spot on the Australian team. In terms of

:15:55. > :15:58.Commonwealth selection he is definitely in the best space. Mario

:15:59. > :16:04.Mola really taking this out, trying to break them early on. He has

:16:05. > :16:08.really pushed it on. An indication of that is how quickly Henri

:16:09. > :16:11.Schoeman has been spat out of the back of that group, and he now is in

:16:12. > :16:20.danger of being swallowed up by the chase pack.

:16:21. > :16:32.So, five men in a group here, almost all in single file bar Richard

:16:33. > :16:34.Murray. Up against three Spaniards, and be inspired Australian youngster

:16:35. > :16:39.Jacob Birtwhistle who has allowed a metre or two to grow between himself

:16:40. > :16:47.and the third of the Spaniards, Javier Gomez Noya. Murray has been

:16:48. > :16:51.right on Mario Mola's shoulder almost right away through that fast

:16:52. > :16:57.black -- first lap, they are training partners and friends. Henri

:16:58. > :17:02.Schoeman now looking over his shoulder, and he knows that big

:17:03. > :17:07.group are about to join him. One big chase group, but surely the winner

:17:08. > :17:11.is going to come from one of these five. Mario Mola will want to make

:17:12. > :17:15.up for what happened in Abu Dhabi, it wasn't a dreadful performance but

:17:16. > :17:21.he was eighth, and where you bet -- when you bear in mind last year he

:17:22. > :17:26.won Abu Dhabi, Gold Coast coast, Yokohama and Hamburg, he wants to

:17:27. > :17:32.get his season on track. These last two kilometres will be so fast and

:17:33. > :17:36.so tough, sometimes you say it comes down to being mentally strongest

:17:37. > :17:39.that this is physical and mental, it is pretty tough, the pace Mario Mola

:17:40. > :17:44.and Richard Murray are running out now. I find that with five K, you

:17:45. > :17:48.can get through two or three K Bennett starts to hurt, the last two

:17:49. > :17:52.kilometres and you know you have to get through the pain. These are the

:17:53. > :18:03.best guys in the world. They will be the ones

:18:04. > :18:07.that can do it. And the gap has now formed between second and third, so

:18:08. > :18:09.the two training partners and team-mates, one representing South

:18:10. > :18:12.Africa, the other Spain, and a gap back to Fernando Alarza and Javier

:18:13. > :18:14.Gomez Noya is to the Spaniards in third and fourth but what a duel

:18:15. > :18:18.this could be between two men who know each other's strengths and

:18:19. > :18:23.weaknesses inside out. How do you pick a winner from here? I'm not

:18:24. > :18:27.going to call it! I'm not sure either. Murray has been sat in a

:18:28. > :18:31.little bit but I think when they turned they go back into a headwind

:18:32. > :18:38.so it will be interesting to see if Murray takes on a bit of the lead,

:18:39. > :18:42.give Mario a bit of a break. It is tricky here in third and fourth

:18:43. > :18:48.because that's when the last medal is -- where the last medleys. We'll

:18:49. > :18:53.Fernando Alarza get the better of his older team-mate? We have just

:18:54. > :18:57.over a kilometre to find out. Jacob Birtwhistle, if he keeps up the

:18:58. > :19:07.pace, the first spot in the Austrian Commonwealth Games team will be his.

:19:08. > :19:12.You have the reigning world champion against the man in form, Richard

:19:13. > :19:16.Murray, who just has a little look over his shoulder to check where

:19:17. > :19:20.Fernando Alarza and Javier Gomez are, and barring a huge serve from

:19:21. > :19:25.those two the winner will come from these two. Murray has two world

:19:26. > :19:32.triathlon series victories so far in his career, and both have come at

:19:33. > :19:36.sprint distance. He will fancy this, especially after his two World Cup

:19:37. > :19:40.wins earlier this year and his victory in the Super League. He will

:19:41. > :19:45.want to lay down the market here. Last season he just missed out on an

:19:46. > :19:49.overall World Championship medal and just missed out on an Olympic medal.

:19:50. > :19:56.He didn't take up triathlon to become a nearly man. He wants to

:19:57. > :19:59.remind everyone he is a force to reckon with on the global stage but

:20:00. > :20:03.Mario Mola is a la -- not lying down here. It is not often you see it but

:20:04. > :20:07.he is grimacing and working really hard at the moment. Does it come

:20:08. > :20:11.down to who wants it the most? Of course they both wanted but at this

:20:12. > :20:16.point they are both absolutely on the edge, aren't they? I think they

:20:17. > :20:20.are both working really hard but we haven't seen Murray play his cards

:20:21. > :20:24.yet. He has just sat there so we don't know if he is waiting.

:20:25. > :20:29.Fernando Alarza has moved away from Javier Gomez, and in the background

:20:30. > :20:33.Jacob Birtwhistle is still just about hanging on for fifth with his

:20:34. > :20:40.young compatriot Luke Willian, in that chase group trying to close

:20:41. > :20:46.them down. Five metres -- 500 metres to go and still nothing to separate

:20:47. > :20:51.Mario Mola and Murray. Murray has to look forward at the moment. What

:20:52. > :20:55.have they got over the last 400 metres? This will be exciting. Mario

:20:56. > :21:00.Mola looks like he is pulling away, Murray doesn't look like he will run

:21:01. > :21:06.him down. Murray keeps looking over his shoulder, and is that the

:21:07. > :21:11.tell-tale sign that gives us the clue that his aspirations for the

:21:12. > :21:16.win are spent? So impressive from Mario Mola, he has completely

:21:17. > :21:20.dictated the whole run. So Mario Mola has led the run from start to

:21:21. > :21:24.finish. He knows his training partner Richard Murray is world

:21:25. > :21:29.class when it comes to running, but so is he. He is the reigning world

:21:30. > :21:34.champion, and he is going to become the first man to defend the world

:21:35. > :21:40.triathlon series win here on the Gold Coast. One world title, this is

:21:41. > :21:45.his first marker that he wants his second. Mario Mola reigns supreme

:21:46. > :21:50.here in Australia, a great second place therefore Richard Murray, and

:21:51. > :21:52.it is Fernando Alarza who completes the podium having broken Javier

:21:53. > :22:00.Gomez in the last few hundred metres. Gomez follows up first in

:22:01. > :22:06.Abu Dhabi with fourth in the Gold Coast, and Birtwistle has hung on.

:22:07. > :22:11.The young Australian is getting a bigger raw than Mario Mola. The

:22:12. > :22:14.first home-grown athlete across the line and that means he has booked

:22:15. > :22:26.his place in the Commonwealth Games last year. -- next year. Very happy

:22:27. > :22:32.with the bronze medal. It was very hard. Mario the whole time in the

:22:33. > :22:43.last five K, all the time in third position, and I was... At three

:22:44. > :22:55.kilometres... It was a very tough race. Richards, Fernando and Javier

:22:56. > :23:01.Cuaron fire and I had to give 100% to get the win. I did everything I

:23:02. > :23:05.could and Mario was like a surging machine. I responded as much like

:23:06. > :23:11.then I was literally on rivet from the last turn all the way back in

:23:12. > :23:14.transition. I did what I could. By your own high standards you are

:23:15. > :23:17.obviously disappointed with your performance in Abu Dhabi. As world

:23:18. > :23:23.champion how important was it for you to make a statement today? Well,

:23:24. > :23:27.every race is a different opportunity, a new opportunity to

:23:28. > :23:31.give our best and try our best. In Abu Dhabi I don't think I was less

:23:32. > :23:36.bit or worse than today but these guys are very good and if you don't

:23:37. > :23:41.have your best day you go from first to eighth or 20th, so that is

:23:42. > :23:48.racing. Happy with a good result and performance here now. Still Javier

:23:49. > :23:54.Gomez Noya on the hunt for his first sprint title. No disgrace with

:23:55. > :24:01.fourth because Mario Mola was unmatchable today, an absolutely

:24:02. > :24:06.brilliant run. So, this is the standings so far after two grounds,

:24:07. > :24:11.remember there is a long way to go. Gomez is still with number one next

:24:12. > :24:15.to his name. Richard Murray moves up to second. Fernando Alarza third and

:24:16. > :24:19.Mario Mola moving up as well, because remember he was eighth in

:24:20. > :24:23.Abu Dhabi. When you bring the likes of Jonathan Brownlee back into the

:24:24. > :24:27.mix in Yokohama, this has the makings of a great and thoroughly

:24:28. > :24:32.absorbing season at the top of the men's leaderboard.

:24:33. > :24:38.Fantastic result for Mario Mola, he is the world champion, you kind of

:24:39. > :24:42.hoped you would see that result for him. He looked fantastic on the run

:24:43. > :24:46.today, he took command straightaway and pushed on and everyone else was

:24:47. > :24:50.hanging onto him for as long as possible. He had to make up time,

:24:51. > :24:55.didn't he? He did, he lost more time than he would have liked but there

:24:56. > :25:03.was a long train, it took a lap or so for them to catch back onto the

:25:04. > :25:07.leaders, there was a breakaway of five athletes but once he got back

:25:08. > :25:08.on you felt it would be his race. Interesting hearing Richard Murray

:25:09. > :25:13.talk about him, he came second, talking about the surge is Mario

:25:14. > :25:17.Mola put in. Mario is an incredible athlete and it will always be had.

:25:18. > :25:21.Richard maybe had a harder day-to-day. Normally you would see

:25:22. > :25:26.them battling it out but Mario got the edge today. Talk to us about the

:25:27. > :25:29.cycling, particularly the pack, because there were so many different

:25:30. > :25:34.and new triathletes trying to get to the front in lots of different

:25:35. > :25:45.places. It is post-Olympic years so there is more space in the field at

:25:46. > :25:48.the moment. A lot of younger Kiwis and Aussies trying to make their

:25:49. > :25:50.names, they really want to get in the Commonwealth Games team next

:25:51. > :25:52.year so they will try new things on the bike. Exciting to see them

:25:53. > :25:55.coming through. Anyone you thought was a little bit special? I think

:25:56. > :25:59.Jacob Birtwhistle did really well, he finished fifth and did what he

:26:00. > :26:03.needed to do and qualified for the Commonwealth Games. As Helen said,

:26:04. > :26:06.Mario Mola was on fire, and it was interesting that Richard Murray

:26:07. > :26:11.said, I had a great day and felt good out there but Mario Mola was

:26:12. > :26:15.just better than everyone else today. Javier Gomez in fourth, of

:26:16. > :26:19.course, but this is not his favourite distance. Heeds will be

:26:20. > :26:23.disappointed not to make the podium but it is a good solid race for him

:26:24. > :26:27.over a sprint distance because he has never won a sprint distance

:26:28. > :26:30.race. He was still in Australia after the Super League race and why

:26:31. > :26:33.not get the points? It is important when you have the opportunity to get

:26:34. > :26:38.the points. I don't think he would be too disappointed with fourth

:26:39. > :26:43.placed. Still to come this afternoon, two of Everton versus

:26:44. > :26:46.Leicester on 5Live and the BBC Sport website. Next week, commentary of

:26:47. > :26:51.the track cycling World Championships live from Hong Kong,

:26:52. > :26:57.starting on Wednesday at 12pm on BBC Two. As for triathlon, just over a

:26:58. > :27:02.month until round three in Yokohama. We will have live coverage of both

:27:03. > :27:07.men's and women's races in the early hours of Saturday, May 13 on the Red

:27:08. > :27:11.Button and the BBC Sport website. Rest assured, if you can't get out

:27:12. > :27:17.of bed in time, we will have the highlights on BBC Two on Sunday May

:27:18. > :27:20.14 at 1pm. Let's get both your thoughts on Yokohama, really

:27:21. > :27:24.important for Tom Bishop first of all. He had a breakthrough in Abu

:27:25. > :27:29.Dhabi and will be looking to back it up in Yokohama, it will be exciting

:27:30. > :27:32.to watch. The first time we see Johnny Brownlee in this series. It

:27:33. > :27:36.will be exciting but he has a tendency to race well in Yokohama so

:27:37. > :27:45.I think he will be looking forward to it. I think he will be well

:27:46. > :27:47.prepared when he gets there. I am looking forward to seeing

:27:48. > :27:50.non-Stander and Vicky Holland. It is exciting to see them back. They were

:27:51. > :27:54.third and fourth at the Olympics and they were not racing this year so

:27:55. > :27:58.they could potentially be the top two if they come back from their

:27:59. > :28:02.injuries. They will be looking forward to racing against. I am sure

:28:03. > :28:05.they will be. They have had time out since Rio but absolutely they will

:28:06. > :28:10.have seen the first race is happening and will be looking

:28:11. > :28:13.forward to racing. I think so, yes, just getting back into the mix of

:28:14. > :28:17.its. Should be a great event, thank you both for talking through it all,

:28:18. > :28:20.I will see you for Yokohama and see you in Leeds. Thank you very much,

:28:21. > :28:25.and thanks for watching.