Amelie Kretz wins silver at triathlon World Cup
Canadian claims 2nd career World Cup medal
Canadian Amelie Kretz took home the silver medal at an ITU triathlon World Cup event in Mooloolaba, Australia on Saturday.
Sidelined for much of last season with injuries, the 21-year old native of Blainville, Que. showed she's ready to compete, finishing with a time of 1:01:46.
"I was feeling strong and confident. My training has been going very well here in Australia," Kretz said,
Honoured to go home with the silver medal today on a classic World Cup race here in Mooloolaba. Thank you for the support!
—@AmelieKretzSpain's Gomez Garrido won gold, with a winning time of 1:01:42 and Australia's Ashleigh Gentle won bronze with a time of 1:02:01.
Kretz came into the event after a win last weekend in a Continental Cup race.
"Winning last week just confirmed my fitness was coming around. I was confident that I could execute a good race. It feels great to get a medal on a classic World Cup course here in Mooloolaba," Kretz said. "The race is always hard here and the field always strong. It's a big World Cup so it feels good to finish with a medal."
Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/RideCannondale">@RideCannondale</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/OakleyCanada">@OakleyCanada</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ASICSCanada">@ASICSCanada</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CascadesDD">@CascadesDD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/baristamtl">@baristamtl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/amanziswimwear">@amanziswimwear</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nineteenwetsuit">@nineteenwetsuit</a> <a href="http://t.co/A3FUWMfwXv">pic.twitter.com/A3FUWMfwXv</a>
—@AmelieKretzKretz came out of the 750-metre swim in second place, beginning the 20 kilometre bike section in a strong position. She began the final leg of the event, a five-kilometre run, in third.
"I controlled the pace for the rest of the run because I didn't want the chase pack to catch us. I knew the girls behind were fast runners," Kretz said. "I think I made a tactical mistake by controlling the pace, but it was a risk I was willing to take today."
This is the second World Cup medal of her career, after winning the gold in Edmonton two years ago.
Fellow Canadian Paula Findlay of Edmonton finished 11th and Sarah-Anne Brault of Quebec City was 13th.
On the men's side, Ontario's Michael Lori was the top Canadian, finishing 17th.