Top Moment: Moffatt vs Snowsill

Welcome to the second of ITU’s 2009 Top Moments, as each Friday we take a look back and bring you exclusive footage from the many highlights from the past season.

At the end of the series we’ll ask you the viewer to vote on your favourite moment.

Washington DC proved to be a decision race as Emma Moffatt took her first victory of the year, out pacing compatriot and training partner Emma Snowsill to the top step of the podium.

It was the first time Snowsill had been beaten by anyone other than Portugal’s Vanessa Fernandes for a number of seasons and proved to be a turning point in the season for both athletes. Whereas Moffatt went on to a further three Dextro Energy Triathlon – ITU World Championship Series victories in Kitzbühel, Hamburg and Gold Coast, Snowsill lost out to Moffatt at the Hy-Vee ITU Triathlon Elite Cup a week later before pulling out of the rest of the year with a hip injury.

The victory over Snowsill provided Moffatt with the encouragement she needed, finally heading off her main rival having often watched her training partner run away from her in previous competitions. The Beijing Olympic Games bronze medallist was now in pole position and would go unbeaten for the rest of 2009, eventually defeating Sweden’s Lisa Norden at the Grand Final on Gold Coast to win her first ITU Triathlon World Championship.

With Snowsill looking to get back to full fitness for the start of the 2010 season, the two Emma’s will surely be the race favourites at the first race of the Dextro Energy Triathlon – ITU World Championship on home turf in Sydney.

Make sure to check back next Friday for the next instalment of the ITU’s 2009 Top Moments exclusively on triathlon.org.