All but one race of the 2018 ITU World Series is now complete, with the seasonal leaders clear, but the races not at all decided.
Spain’s Mario Mola continued his sensational season with another win, his fourth in the seven races this season. He finished 16 seconds ahead of Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt to continue as the men’s seasonal leader with 4,925 points, well ahead of Aussie Jacob Birtwhistle – who was third – but within range of being overtaken in the World Series Final at Gold Coast Australia next month.
The women’s race got really tight on Saturday, as Britain’s Vicky Holland won her second race in a row and third in the last four, in 1:59:29. But right behind was seasonal leader Katie Zaferes of the U.S., finishing in 1:59:51 to win her five medal in the six races she has finished this season. But Zaferes’s lead is down to just 34 points going into the deciding final. The current standings:
∙ Men:
1. 4,925 Mario Mola (ESP)
2. 4,101 Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS)
3. 3,810 Vincent Luis (FRA)
4. 3,722 Richard Murray (RSA)
5. 3,021 Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR)
∙ Women:
1. 4,418 Katie Zaferes (USA)
2. 4,384 Vicky Holland (GBR)
3. 3,459 Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR)
4. 3,237 Jessica Learmonth (GBR)
5. 3,098 Rachel Klamer (NED)
Summaries:
ITU World Series Montreal
Montreal (CAN) ~ 25-26 August 2018
(Full results here)
Men: 1. Mario Mola (ESP), 1:47:46; 2. Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR), 1:48:02; 3. Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS), 1:48:28; 4. Richard Murray (RSA), 1:48:36; 5. Andreas Schilling (DEN), 1:48:57; 6. Henri Schoeman (RSA), 1:49:10; 7. Joao Pereira (POR), 1:49:25; 8. Tyler Mislawchuk (CAN), 1:49:26; 9. Bence Bicsak (HUN), 1:49:28; 10. Antonio Serrat Seoane (ESP), 1:49:31.
Women: 1. Vicky Holland (GBR), 1:59:29; 2. Katie Zaferes (USA), 1:59:51; 3. Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR), 2:00:23; 4. Joanna Brown (CAN), 2:00.39; 5. Nicola Spirig (SUI), 2:00:52; 6. Jodie Stimpson (GBR), 2:01:07; 7. Taylor Spivey (USA), 2:01:40; 8. Jessica Learmonth (GBR), 2:01:53; 9. Taylor Knibb (USA), 2:02:16; 10. Lotte Miller (NOR), 2:03:01.
