Tanner Signals Beijing with Podium Finish in Germany

7 July 2008, 12:27PM
Femme

New Zealand Olympic triathlon team member Debbie Tanner raced superbly to finish on the podium at the Hamburg round of the ITU World Cup in Germany this morning, behind debutante winner Ricarda Lisk (GER) and Felicity Abram (AUS).

“I’m absolutely thrilled,” said Tanner. “It is great to come and race in an electric atmosphere such as Hamburg with a great crowd, I’m really pleased today. This close to Beijing it is great to have this sort of form, I was not to sure how I would go, nice time to come to race, a week of altitude I wasn’t sure how I would go, usually I come down and race after just 3 or 4 days so yes, this is a great stepping stone for me. The run is different to Beijing but even with the rain it was reasonably humid out there today and we know in Triathlon we have to be ready for everything. You just have to keep going in tough conditions and I got into the flow and it was nice.”

Tanner wasn’t reading too much into the retirement during the run of world number one Vanessa Fernandes.

“She is a tough athlete but it shows she is like anyone and has a good or bad day. It was Ricarda’s day today, just shows that everyone is a real athlete out here and is a chance of winning. Who knows come Beijing, everyone is in different phases and trying to be in their best form you can get big surprises, it is great to see.”

German Olympic team membicarda Lisk proved to be in fine form in her final Beijing tune-up, winning her first career world cup title at today's Hamburg BG Triathlon World Cup. Australian Felicity Abram came across for silver, her third world cup medal of 2008 with Tanner rounding out the podium. Surprisingly, Vanessa Fernandes pulled out early in the run and failed to finish, putting her status as Olympic gold medal favourite in question.

"It's amazing," said Lisk. "I never thought I could have a podium like this, especially this year because it's the Olympic year. But to be on the podium, in first place here in Hamburg is amazing."

Warm water temperature resulted in a non-wetsuit swim in Hamburg, site of last year's world championships. Most of the big names and all three medalists exited the water in the lead group together. Out onto the technical 40-kilometer bike course, the lead pack was made up of 11 women including Fernandes, Lisk, and Tanner, along with Anja Dittmer, Swiss Magali Di marco and Frenchwoman Jessica Harrison, all of whom are Beijing bound. Also in the lead group was Lisa Mensink who needed a top ten result for the Dutch National Olympic Committee to send her to Beijing, despite already earning her country an Olympic spot through ITU's qualification.

What began as a 50-second lead ballooned to more than 2:30 when the women came off the bike. The chase pack included Mensink's teammate Wieke Hoogzaad, also needing a top ten for her ticket to Beijing.

As the leaders began the run leg, all eyes were on Fernandes expecting her to pull away from the field. She ran at the front with Lisk but struggled and soon dropped back to sixth place after three kilometers. Just before the halfway mark, Fernandes retired from the race.

Lisk opened up an 8-second lead on Abram and as she took the bell lap, she was up by 23 seconds. Lisk crossed the line with a time of 1 hour, 57 minutes, and 42 seconds to comfortably win her first world cup title, completing a weekend German sweep. Abram and Tanner took silver and bronze respectively while Ainhoa Murua of Spain and Harrison finished in the top-5 as they continue their preparations for Beijing. Mensink held on for 10th place to fulfill the requirement of her National Olympic Committee to make the Dutch Olympic team.

2008 Hamburg BG Triathlon World Cup
1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run
Elite Women - Official Results
Gold - Lisk, Ricarda (GER) 01:57:42 Click here for audio
Silver - Abram, Felicity (AUS) 01:58:10 Click here for audio
Bronze - Tanner, Debbie (NZL) 01:58:25 Click here for audio
4th - Dittmer, Anja (GER) 01:58:48
5th - Murua, Ainhoa (ESP) 01:58:52
6th - Harrison, Jessica (FRA) 01:58:57
7th - Di marco, Magali (SUI) 01:59:42
8th - Mueller, Kathrin (GER) 02:00:08
9th - Franzmann, Joelle (GER) 02:00:36
10th - Mensink, Lisa (NED) 02:00:36
Click here for official full field results

The race is standard Olympic distance: 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike, 10-kilometer run. Click here for more event information

Up next: The BG Triathlon World Cup series heads to one of the longest running world cups in ITU's history at Tiszaujvaros, Hungary on Sunday 13th July.

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