3049 athletes from across the world descended on Australia’s Gold Coast for the 2009 ITU Triathlon World Championships as the top age group competitors went head to head over both the sprint and standard distances alongside their paratriathlon counterparts.

Full official results are available on the event page

The host nation submitted the largest team with 989 triathletes taking to the course, with Great Britain in second, fielding a massive squad of 408 who made the journey to the other side of the world. The USA took the bronze medal in the participant number, just 16 athletes less than Great Britain with 392. 378 triathletes from neighbouring New Zealand also made the trip.

Some athletes made their way from as far afield as Venezuela, Oman, Norway, Morocco, Liechtenstein, Guatemala, Mauritius and Kazakhstan, ensuring that the strong turnouts from the larger countries were matched with passion and enthusiasm from the smaller triathlon nations.

Australia were the big winners in the standard distance competition taking ten gold medals, ahead of the USA on eight. There were also gold medals heading back to Great Britain, Canada, France and Spain.

 

2009 ITU Triathlon Standard Distance Age Group World Champions:

18-19 Women – Ella Holmes, Australia
18-19 Men – Ryan Bailie, Australia
20-24 Women – Courtney Gilfillan, Australia
20-24 Men – Arnaud Chivot, France
25-29 Women – Carrie Lester, Australia
25-29 Men – Nick Dunn, Great Britain
30-34 Women – Tamsin Lewis, Great Britain
30-34 Men – Troy Drinan, Australia
35-39 Women – Suzanne Chandler, Canada
35-39 Men – JJ Bailey, USA
40-44 Women – Stephanie Kieffer, Canada
40-44 Men – Gregory Cox, Australia
45-49 Women – Loretta Wesley, Australia
45-49 Men – John Meagher, Australia
50-54 Women – Margaret Ritchie, Canada
50-54 Men – Kevin Ferguson, Australia
55-59 Women – Margarita Riera, Spain
55-59 Men – Dean Harper, USA
60-64 Women – Lauren Binder, USA
60-64 Men – Brian Barr, Australia
65-69 Women – Elizabeth Brackett, USA
65-69 Men – David Roadhouse, USA
70-74 Women – Susan Bradley-Cox, USA
70-74 Men – Keith Pearce, Australia
75-79 Women – Madonna Buder, USA
75-79 Men – Roger Brockenbrough, USA

At Sunday’s sprint distance world championships, Australia took home most of the gold medals, accumulating a massive haul of 13. It was an historic event for the newly founded Norfolk Island Triathlon Federation with gold medals from the 50-54 men and 55-59 women races flying back to the remote Pacific island. In the 35-39 category, aquathlon world champion Antonio Mansur ran out the winner, as the Brazilian picked up his second gold medal in five days.

2009 ITU Triathlon Sprint Distance Age Group World Champions:

16-19 Women – Maddie Dillon, New Zealand
16-19 Men – Nicholas Dougall, Australia
20-24 Women - Michelle Duffield, Australia
20-24 Men - Chris Wigell, Australia
25-29 Women - Flavia Fernandes, Brazil
25-29 Men - Andre Venturelli, Brazil
30-34 Women - Christelle Van Niekerk, Australia
30-34 Men - Jai Forster, Australia
35-39 Women - Fiona Petersen, USA
35-39 Men - Antonion Manssur Filho, Brazil
40-44 Women - Christine Wolfson, Australia
40-44 Men - Mick Maroney, Australia
45-49 Women - Catherine Murray, Australia
45-49 Men - Peter Bolton, Australia
50-54 Women - Donna Hickey, Australia
50-54 Men - John Hill, Norfolk Island
55-59 Women - Belinda Soszyn, Norfolk Island
55-59 Men - Kim McDonald, USA
60-64 Women - Jane Mountford, Australia
60-64 Men - Michael Zinn, USA
65-69 Women - Peggy Crome, Great Britain
65-69 Men - Ken Murley, Australia
70-74 Women - Margaret Bomberg, USA
70-74 Men - Donald Ardell, USA
75-79 Women - Molly Hayes, USA
75-79 Men - Thomas Taylor, USA
80-84 Men - Radovan Leovic, Australia

The paratriathletes also enjoyed a successful day of competition as they swam, rode and ran through the packed spectator lined course, inspiring others as well as racing flat out for the hotly contested podium positions.

The USA headed the medal table with a haul of ten, including a magnificent six golds, two silvers and two bronze, with gold medals also flying back to New Zealand, Germany, Great Britain and Hungary, as well as Australia. A total of thirteen different nationalities all stood on the podium making the 2009 ITU Triathlon World Championships the most competitive and far reaching paratriathlon competition in the history of the sport.

2009 ITU Triathlon Paratriathlon World Champions:

Para TRI 1 Men:
1. Bill Chaffey, Australia
2. Charles Moreau, Canada
3. George Gallego, USA

Para TRI 2 Women:
1. Sarah Reinersten, USA

Para TRI 2 Men:
1. Matt Perkins, USA
2. Grant Darby, Canada
3. David Peiffer, France

Para TRI 3 Women:
1. Miriam Jenkins, New Zealand
2. Beth Price, USA

Para TRI 3 Men:
1. Sebastien Averesch, Germany
2. Santos Caballero, Spain

Para TRI 4 Women:
1. Clare Cunningham, Great Britain
2. Edith Dasse, France

Para TRI 4 Men:
1. Peter Boronkay, Hungary
2. Oliver Dreier, Austria
3. Rob Noordzij, Netherlands

Para TRI 5 Women:
1. Megan Fisher, USA
2. Amy Dodson, USA
3. Jean Draper, USA

Para TRI 5 Men:
1. JP Theberg, USA
2. Rivaldo Martins, Brazil
3. Ernst Scheiber. Austria

Para TRI 6 Women:
1. Ivonne Mosquera, USA

Para TRI 6 Men:
1. Aaron Scheidies, USA
2. Rob Matthews, New Zealand
3. Alberto Ceriani, Italy

Classification System:

TRI 1 - Handcycle: Paraplegic, Quadriplegic, Polio, Double Leg Amputee. Must use
handcycle on bike course and racing wheelchair on run.
TRI 2 - Severe leg impairment including above knee amputees. Athlete must ride bicycle and run with above knee prosthesis (or similar prosthesis) or run using crutches.
TRI 3 - Les Autre: This category includes athletes with Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy, double leg amputee runners or paralysis in multiple limbs. Athlete will ride a bicycle and run. Athlete may use braces or prosthesis if required.
TRI 4 - Arm impairment including paralysis, above-elbow amputees and below-elbow amputees, or impairment
in both upper limbs. Athlete may use prosthesis, brace or sling on the bike and/or run.
TRI 5 - Moderate leg impairment including below-knee amputees. Athlete rides bicycle and runs with prosthesis.
TRI 6 - Visual Impairment, legally Blind (20/200 vision with best corrective vision). A handler of the same sex is mandatory throughout the race. Athlete is tethered during the swim. Athlete uses a tandem bicycle and may be tethered during the run.