Spain’s Javier Gomez claims World Triathlon Series win in Chicago

Javier Gomez showcased his class with a commanding victory in Chicago, securing his fourth WTS win this year, while Joao Pereira and Mario Mola rounded out the podium in second and third respectively.

Spain’s Javier Gomez claims World Triathlon Series win in Chicago
The fastest runners in WTS at the moment – Phto Credit: Delly Carr / ITU Media

Javier Gomez (ESP) claimed yet another World Triathlon Series win with a supreme performance in Chicago.

Gomez oozed class from start to finish and now has four wins from five WTS races in 2014. Joao Pereira (POR) claimed a second successive podium in second place and Mario Mola (ESP) continued his excellent from with a third place finish.

Ben Kanute (USA) kicked off the day with a sizzling swim under an equally sizzling sun to lead the men out of the two-lap swim. Gomez swam a controlled 1500m tucked just behind the leaders in prime position to pop onto his bike at the helm of the bike.

A midsized group got away on the first lap, but their pace wasn’t enough to hold off the cycling danger of Tom Davison (NZL) who pulled the chase up to make a large 33-man lead group by the second lap. That move got the likes of Mola and Ryan Sissons (NZL) back in the game, while South Africa’s Richard Murray fell behind in the chase.

A lactic acid’s dream course, Davidson continued to hammer through the twisting eight-lap course that featured multiple hard right turns on each lap. The Kiwi had threatened a breakaway with no takers before he eventually went for it on lap 5. Cameron Good (AUS) followed suit and the duo kicked it up a gear and ground away for a break that stuck in the final three laps.

While Good and Davidson hit the pavement with two feet first, Gomez and Mola immediately went to work hunting them down

Brendan Sexton in full flight at Chicago - Photo Credit: Delly Carr / ITU Media
Brendan Sexton in full flight at Chicago – Photo Credit: Delly Carr / ITU Media

and did so by the end of the first run lap.

Pereira, who finished third in London over the sprint distance, seized the opportunity to run with the dazzling Spanish duo making it a three-man break early in the run. But true to their signature run speed, Gomez and Mola dropped the Portuguese. Gomez kicked on with a burst from nowhere and left Mola for dead with two run laps remaining. Gomez maintained his lead for a lap before increasing the distance and cruising home in the Chicago sun.

Behind him, the amazing Pereirawas gaining on the beleaguered Mola. On the last lap, Pereira passed Mola and went on to claim a career best second place in the World triathlon Series. Mola did just enough to fend off any further threat from down the field and finished in third, making it his third successive WTS podium.

Pos Athlete Country Time Swim Bike Run
1 Javier Gomez Noya ESP 01:47:21 00:19:10 00:55:30 00:31:21
2 Joao Pereira POR 01:47:29 00:19:29 00:55:11 00:31:29
3 Mario Mola ESP 01:47:40 00:19:26 00:55:16 00:31:36
4 Dmitry Polyanskiy RUS 01:48:00 00:19:10 00:55:29 00:31:56
5 Fernando Alarza ESP 01:48:05 00:19:19 00:55:24 00:31:58
6 Alessandro Fabian ITA 01:48:11 00:19:07 00:55:26 00:32:12
7 Adam Bowden GBR 01:48:16 00:19:25 00:55:07 00:32:16
8 Brendan Sexton AUS 01:48:28 00:19:37 00:55:04 00:32:24
9 Alexander Bryukhankov RUS 01:48:45 00:19:12 00:55:29 00:32:41
10 Sven Riederer SUI 01:48:52 00:19:45 00:54:53 00:32:50
11 Diogo Sclebin BRA 01:48:55 00:19:51 00:54:53 00:32:45
12 Miguel Arraiolos POR 01:49:09 00:19:43 00:55:00 00:33:03
13 Richard Murray RSA 01:49:18 00:19:48 00:54:57 00:33:17
14 Luciano Taccone ARG 01:49:21 00:20:27 00:54:15 00:33:14
15 Alois Knabl AUT 01:49:21 00:19:05 00:55:29 00:33:17
16 Ryan Sissons NZL 01:49:22 00:19:33 00:55:03 00:33:14
17 Joe Maloy USA 01:49:24 00:19:17 00:55:20 00:33:21
18 Cameron Good AUS 01:49:29 00:19:28 00:54:28 00:34:11
19 Andrea Salvisberg SUI 01:49:31 00:19:29 00:55:09 00:33:27
20 Crisanto Grajales MEX 01:49:33 00:19:15 00:55:20 00:33:34
21 Leonardo Chacon CRC 01:49:35 00:19:26 00:55:11 00:33:31
22 Bryan Keane IRL 01:49:45 00:20:13 00:54:30 00:33:24
23 Hunter Kemper USA 01:49:52 00:19:21 00:55:20 00:33:43
24 Danilo Pimentel BRA 01:49:58 00:19:42 00:55:00 00:33:45
25 Andrew Yorke CAN 01:49:59 00:19:24 00:55:13 00:33:57
26 William Huffman USA 01:50:12 00:19:20 00:55:21 00:34:05
27 Luca Facchinetti ITA 01:50:17 00:19:27 00:55:14 00:34:06
28 Tony Dodds NZL 01:50:32 00:19:21 00:55:11 00:34:34
29 Simon De Cuyper BEL 01:50:38 00:20:30 00:54:16 00:34:28
30 Andrea De Ponti ITA 01:50:42 00:20:28 00:54:14 00:34:36
31 Irving Perez MEX 01:50:45 00:19:13 00:55:30 00:34:38
32 Kaleb Vanort USA 01:50:48 00:20:26 00:56:02 00:32:55
33 Jorik Van Egdom NED 01:50:53 00:20:24 00:54:15 00:34:45
34 Alex Libin USA 01:50:58 00:20:20 00:54:14 00:34:54
35 Jan Celustka CZE 01:51:20 00:19:23 00:55:08 00:35:19
36 Gonzalo Raul Tellechea ARG 01:51:27 00:20:26 00:54:16 00:35:14
37 Stefan Zachaeus ITU 01:51:50 00:19:15 00:55:21 00:35:46
38 Aurelien Raphael FRA 01:52:17 00:19:01 00:55:30 00:36:15
39 Lawrence Fanous JOR 01:52:23 00:19:22 00:55:16 00:36:18
40 Jarrod Shoemaker USA 01:52:30 00:19:28 00:56:05 00:35:31
41 Wian Sullwald RSA 01:52:41 00:19:12 00:55:31 00:36:33
42 Benjamin Shaw IRL 01:52:46 00:19:08 00:55:30 00:36:42
43 Ben Kanute USA 01:54:29 00:18:59 00:55:39 00:38:25
44 Jason Pedersen USA 01:54:46 00:21:32 00:56:35 00:35:09
45 Yuichi Hosoda JPN 01:55:23 00:19:53 00:54:51 00:39:10
46 Oliver Martin URU 01:56:03 00:20:22 00:54:22 00:39:51
47 Luciano Farias ARG 01:56:03 00:19:03 00:55:40 00:39:52
48 Francesc Godoy ESP 01:56:50 00:19:15 00:55:27 00:40:41
49 Tomas Renc CZE 01:57:40 00:19:56 00:59:02 00:37:17
50 Peter Kerr AUS 01:58:24 00:19:25 00:57:59 00:39:24
51 Felipe Barraza CHI 01:58:51 00:19:31 00:55:53 00:42:03
52 Flavio Morandini ARG 01:59:04 00:19:19 00:55:29 00:42:54
53 Carlos Javier Quinchara Forero COL 02:03:10 00:20:21 00:58:35 00:42:40
DNF Rostyslav Pevtsov ITU DNF 00:20:39 00:58:21 00:00:00
DNF Lukas Verzbicas USA DNF 00:20:30 00:58:28 00:00:00
DNF Tom Davison NZL DNF 00:19:30 00:54:20 00:00:00
DNF Ivan Tutukin RUS DNF 00:20:16 00:54:25 00:00:00
DNF Hirokatsu Tayama JPN DNF 00:19:17 00:58:22 00:00:00
DNF Wesley Matos BRA DNF 00:19:14 00:00:00 00:00:00
DNF Joao Silva POR DNF 00:19:23 00:00:00 00:00:00
DNF Thomas Springer AUT DNF 00:20:42 00:00:00 00:00:00
DNF Reeven Nathan USA DNF 00:20:31 00:00:00 00:00:00
DNF Kyle Jones CAN DNF 00:19:29 00:00:00 00:00:00
DNF Casey Bateman BIZ DNF 00:24:55 00:00:00 00:00:00