European Youth & U23 Championships

Daniela Ryf (Switzerland) and Oliver Freeman (Great Britain) are the Junior European Champions in 2005.

During the morning of the race the Local Organising Committee was working very hard to make the final preparations on the championships. There were a huge number of cars to be moved from the streets in order to have free way for the athletes during the race.

The championships started with the junior women race. There were 50 women on the start line and completed the 750m swim in the harbour of the city. Margit Vanek from Hungary was the first out of the swim, but most of the field made their way to the transition area within a minute. A group of four athletes formed together in the lead during the bike included Daniela Ryf (SUI), Charlotte Bonin (ITA), Rosie Clarke (GBR) and Singe Iversen (DEN). After the second transition Ryf was the fastes in the early meters of the run and she was followed by Bonin and Clarke. They were fast enough to keep the distance from the two runner-ups Juliette Benedicto (FRA) and Zsofia Toth (HUN), therefore the gold went to Ryf, the silver to Bonin and Clarke got the bronze.

The girls checked out from the transition to leave the space for the big field of the boys. They were 80 on the start line from all around Europe. It was crucial for them who will be the first at the first bouy and how they could exit the water and catch a good bike group. On the very technical course a big group of about 25 athletes worked togedher in the lead. There were many attempts to break away, but the group rushed through the second transition together. In the first few hundred meters Oliver Freeman (GBR) and Sebastian Rank (GER) were the fastes, but the team mate of Rank – Jonathan Zipf – caught them after 1km of the run. They were running together for about 500 meters, however, before the finish Freeman put another gear on and left the two Germans behind. Probably the first part of the run was too strong for Zipf, because he came third some seconds behind the silver medalist Rank.

On Sunday the Triathlon weekend will continue with the Junior and Youth team relays.