Videos: Highlights Of WTS Triathlons In Bermuda
Reigning world champion Flora Duffy came in as the favourite and delivered in emphatic fashion, as she raced to victory in the MS Amlin World Triathlon Bermuda held last Saturday, becoming the first woman in WTS history to win a race after being the leader in all three disciplines.
The gold medal earned on home soil was her first WTS win of the season, and she held the lead for the entire race, thrilling the thousands of locals lining the route who had come out in support of the Bermudian triathlon star, with crowds frequently breaking into chants of ‘Flora, Flora, Flora’ as she raced past them.
Women’s elite race highlights:
While the crowd was clearly partisan in favour of our own Flora Duffy, locals cheered on all the competitors as well, with the race seeing over 30 top female triathletes in action, and a dramatic sprint finish for second place, which went to Great Britain’s Vicky Holland after she won in a photo-finish sprint on the line with USA’s Katie Zaferes who took the bronze.
The island also hosted an elite men’s race, with 50 top international male triathletes taking part, and the race saw Norway become the first team in the history of WTS racing to take all three places on the men’s podium.
In only the third WTS elite race of his career, Casper Stornes dominated the field on route to gold, while his fellow Norwegians Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden powered through to collect silver and bronze respectively and complete the clean sweep.
Men’s elite race highlights:
Bermuda will host the event again for the next two years, and the BTA said they aim to build “Bermuda’s profile as a sports tourism destination and media exposure through the television and other editorial coverage.”
The Government grant for the planning and execution of this year’s triathlon was $2.9 million the BTA confirmed, adding that “the grant amount will be lower in each of the next two years, partly because there are start-up costs in year one that will not recur in subsequent years.”
The BTA said, “This is a three-year endeavour for Bermuda, hopefully leading to a Grand Final event in 2021. Fundamentally, the goal is to cover costs and leverage the longer-term value through a healthy return on investment.
“Internally we view this event not as merely an expense but part of an investment that can bring returns for many years to come. Those returns include future travellers, building Bermuda’s profile as a sports tourism destination and media exposure through the television and other editorial coverage.”
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It still gives me chills to watch this! What a day! Go Flora Go!