Sigrid Lang - Takes Gold in Slovakia

2005 ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships - Elite Women

Lovely Slovakia was the setting for this year’s World Championships, and the   athletes were greeted by fair weather, and a testing course on the first competition   day of the 2005 ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships. However, due to heavy   snowfall in the previous 24 hours, the competition jury made a decision in the   morning to alter the course to just a 3 lap Run leg, 5 lap Bike leg, and 5 lap   cross-country ski leg.

All the big names started the race. Carina Wasle (AUT) took an early lead and   maintained it through the open 3 laps. Following close behind was Marianne Vlasveld   (NED), and a further 15 seconds back was in third was race favourite Sigrid   Lang (GER), with Sabka Grabmullerova and Jutta Schubert (GER) fourth and fifth.

Though transition 1 (Run to Bike), Vlasveld took the lead, and led out onto   the mountain track, with Sigrid Lang gaining on her as the Bike leg progressed.   Lang then took the lead around halfway, and had built herself a 1 minute lead   by Transition 2. Behind her, the battle for second place was coming down to   three athletes