USA’s Jorgensen, Groff Earn Top-Seven Finishes at ITU Elite Sprint Worlds

Olympic Qualifiers Lead Six U.S. Athletes in Lausanne

USA Triathlon

August 20, 2011 (Lausanne, Switzerland) – 2012 U.S. Olympic qualifiers Gwen Jorgensen and Sarah Groff continued their stellar 2011 seasons by placing sixth and seventh, respectively, Saturday at the ITU Elite Sprint Triathlon World Championships. The event also served as the sixth stop of the ITU World Championship Series.

After earning two straight elite podium finishes, Jorgensen (Milwaukee, Wis.) logged a third straight top 10 by placing sixth in 59 minutes, 2 seconds on the 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike, 5-kilometer run course. Groff (Hanover, N.H.) claimed her fourth consecutive top-seven WCS finish, taking seventh four seconds later in 59:06.

Following Saturday’s event, Groff and Jorgensen stand sixth and eighth, respectively, in the 2011 WCS rankings. With Laura Bennett (Boulder, Colo.) currently ranked ninth, the U.S. is the only nation with three women in the top 10 of the series rankings entering the Grand Final in Beijing on Sept. 10-11.

Chile’s Barbara Riveros Diaz earned the win with a sprint finish to surpass Australia’s Emma Jackson. Both athletes finished in 58:35. The men’s title went to Great Britain’s Jonathan Brownlee in 52:23.

Groff, Jorgensen, Barrett Brandon (Fort Worth, Texas) and Mark Fretta (Portland, Ore.) will represent the U.S. in Sunday’s ITU Team Triathlon World Championships, which will begin at 7:45 a.m. EDT with 37 relay teams representing 30 countries in action. Live coverage of the event will be available via triathlonlive.tv.

Each athlete will complete a super-sprint distance triathlon consisting of a 275m swim, 6k bike and 1.5k run in the relay event before tagging the next teammate.

Lausanne ITU Elite Sprint Triathlon World Championships/

Lausanne Dextro Energy ITU Triathlon World Championship Series

(750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run)

Women

1. Barbara Riveros Diaz (CHI), 58:35
2. Emma Jackson (AUS), 58:35
3. Andrea Hewitt (NZL), 58:37
6. Gwen Jorgensen (Milwaukee, Wis.), 59:02
7. Sarah Groff (Hanover, N.H.), 59:06
52. Lauren Goss (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.), 1:04:49
DSQ Amanda Hahn (Boulder, Colo.)

Men

1. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR), 52:23
2. Javier Gomez (ESP), 52:27
3. Alistair Brownlee (GBR), 52:38
56. Mark Fretta (Portland, Ore.), 55:24
64. Barrett Brandon (Fort Worth, Texas), 57:06