After launching the international season with an Americas Cup back in February, racing returned to La Guaira at the weekend. The city hosted another Americas Cup with the South American Championships over the Olympic distance also on the line.
Women’s race
Ivana Kuriackova won a bronze medal in La Guaira earlier in the year and was back for more. Her Olympic hopes currently hang by a thread as she is locked in a tight battle with Sinem Francisca Tous Servera (who was racing elsewhere) for the European women’s New Flag slot. To improve her world ranking and beat Tous, Kuriackova realistically had to win another medal.
She got off to a perfect start. Alongside Raquel Solis Guerrero, Kuriackova led the 1500m swim in 20:06. The two women opened up a 12 second lead to their nearest challenger, Rosa Elena Martinez Melchor.
The fast pace set in the water would come to naught however. Over the 40km bike, all eleven women in the field would come back together to form one main pack.
The real action thus came on the run. A pack of four women managed to break clear with Kuriackova and Martinez pushing the pace. Elizabeth Carr, already an African Cup winner this season, and Ana Maria Valentina Torres Gomez hung with the lead pair and kept them on their toes.
The home support tried to lift Martinez and the Venezuelan athlete looked strong. However, Kuriackova proved the quickest at the last. Her 10km time of 38:07 was the fastest of the race by 5 seconds and the Slovakian athlete powered clear to win by 9 seconds, sealing the gold medal and a handful of invaluable world ranking points.
Martinez held off a charging Torres to take the silver medal (and the South American title) while Torres did enough to bear Carr to the bronze medal.
Men’s race
The early stages of the men’s race played out very similarly to the women’s race. Alvaro Campos Solano led the field with a split of 19:52 in the water. Three men followed within 3 seconds but then a small gap opened up to the rest of the field.
Once onto the bike, though, all bar three men in the field of eighteen athletes came back together.
Antonio Bravo Neto and Kauê Willy were two prominent faces to make the front group while Mateo Mendoza Burgos and Gabriel Teran Carvajal were also solidly placed within the pack. Mendoza would go on to claim the fastest bike split of the race in 58:07.
Quick work in T2 then helped Mendoza to escape at the front of the field. Willy and Bravo set after him however the Chilean athlete strode away. Gradually, though, the Brazilian pair managed to reel in Mendoza.
With four laps to cover on the run, the race settled into a more tactical pattern. Yhousman David Perdomo Peña of Venezuela remained a threat although Teran pulled out during the 10km. Eventually, Mendoza and Willy pulled clear and had to settle the gold between themselves.
It came down to a late attack. Although Willy had the fastest run split (33:07), Mendoza managed to hold him off and take the win and South American title by 3 seconds. Bravo then crossed 21 seconds after Willy to take the bronze medal.
View the full results here.
