2017 ITU World Triathlon Championship Series

20 September 2017

Last week saw the final round of the 2017 ITU World Triathlon Series held in the Netherlands’ ‘city of sports’, Rotterdam. The pinnacle of elite triathlon racing, this year’s World Series showcased the fittest, fastest and strongest triathletes competing to be crowned the World Series Champion.

The Australian age groupers were, without-a-doubt, the nation’s driving force behind the impressive medal tally securing seven gold, four silver and three bronze medals. However, Ashleigh Gentle’s impressive performance throughout the competition in the elite women’s category warrants a special mention.

Gentle has undeniably reaffirmed her position on the world stage where her sixth place over the weekend saw her finish as the overall runner up in the prestigious ITU World Triathlon Series. This fantastic result has appointed Gentle as only the second Australian triathlete to claim a podium position since the series replaced the individual world title race.

If the World Series performances are anything to go by, we can certainly expect to witness some exciting triathlon performances at next year’s Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

Here are some of the 2017 ITU World Triathlon Championship Series highlights:

Round 1 – Abu Dhabi

• Gillian Backhouse 6^th

Round 2 – Gold Coast

• Ashleigh Gentle 2^nd
• Luke Willian 6^th

Round 3 – Yokohama

• Ashleigh Gentle 6^th

Round 4 – Leeds

• Gillian Backhouse 7^th
• Ashleigh Gentle 8^th

Round 5 – Hamburg

• Ashleigh Gentle 2^nd

Round 7 – Montreal

• Ashleigh Gentle 1^st

Round 8 – Stockholm

• Ashleigh Gentle 3^rd

Grand Final – Rotterdam

• Katie Kelly 1^st PTVI Women
• Matthew Hauser 1^st Junior Men
• Luke Willian 3^rd Under 23 Men
• Nic Beveridge 4^th PTWC Men
• Ashleigh Gentle 6^th Elite Women (Series runner-up)
• Kira Hedgeland 10^th Junior Women