Bennett Leads U.S. With Fifth-Place Showing in London

LONDON, England – Olympian Laura Bennett’s fifth-place finish paced the American contingent Saturday at the fifth stop of the 2010 Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series at London’s Hyde Park.

Bennett (Boulder, Colo.) covered the Olympic-distance course, which will host the 2012 London Olympic triathlon, in 1 hour, 52 minutes, 34 seconds. The USA Triathlon National Team member got off to a strong start on the swim and led the race into T1 before closing with a 34:39 run split to grab fifth. Saturday’s race marked a second straight top-10 finish for Bennett, who was seventh in Hamburg last week. She moved into 13th in the WCS series rankings following Saturday’s race.

After finishing eighth last weekend, Sarah Groff (Hanover, N.H.) had a second straight strong showing and earned 12th in 1:53:35. Jillian Petersen (St. Louis, Mo.) placed 17th in 1:54:05 to give the Americans three in the top 20.

Alicia Kaye (Maynard, Mass.) was 37th in 1:56:30, and Jenna Shoemaker (Los Angeles, Calif.) took 40th in 1:56:59. Sarah Haskins (Colorado Springs, Colo.) did not finish the race but remains the top American in the WCS series rankings in 12th place.

Canada’s Paula Findlay was the winner in 1:51:48. Click here for more on the event from ITU, including a recap and full results.

Additionally, three of the four U.S. paratriathletes in action Saturday won their respective categories. On the men’s side, J.P. Theberge (Carlsbad, Calif.) was the top finisher in the TRI-5 category in 36:05, while Matt Perkins (Boise, Idaho) was the TRI-2 runner-up in 45:43.

In the women’s race, Megan Fisher (Missoula, Mont.) won the TRI-5 category in 41:52, and Trish Downing (Denver, Colo.) was the top finisher in TRI-1 in 44:53. In all, 40 paratriathletes were in action in London. Click here for full results.

Six U.S. elite men will be in action at 11 a.m. EDT Sunday. A live webcast will be available from ITU at triathlonlive.tv, and NBC Universal Sports will air the race on delay.

The seven-race WCS is a key proving ground for the top American triathletes hoping for a slot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team. In addition to racing for WCS points, athletes are also looking to score points toward securing a spot for their country at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Women’s Results, click here for full results
1. Paula Findlay (CAN), 1:51:48, Prize: $18,000      
2. Nicola Spirig (SUI), 1:51:51, Prize: $13,000    
3. Helen Jenkins (GBR), 1:51:53, Prize: $9,500

United States Finishers
5. Laura Bennett (Boulder, Colo.), 1:52:34, Prize: $5,300
12. Sarah Groff (Hanover, N.H.), 1:53:35, Prize: $1,500
17. Jillian Petersen (St. Louis, Mo.), 1:54:05
37. Alicia Kaye (Maynard, Mass.), 1:56:30
40. Jenna Shoemaker (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1:56:59
Sarah Haskins (Colorado Springs, Colo.) DNF

United States Paratriathlon Finishers
Women’s TRI-1
1. Trish Downing (Denver, Colo.), 44:53
Women’s TRI-5
1. Megan Fisher (Missoula, Mont.), 41:52
Men’s TRI-2
2. Matt Perkins (Boise, Idaho), 45:43
Men’s TRI-5
1. J.P. Theberge (Carlsbad, Calif.), 36:05

About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon – one of the fastest growing sports in the world – as well as duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. USAT sanctions 3,100 races and connects with more than 133,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches, and race directors on the grassroots level, USAT provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Championships, Pan American Games and the Summer Olympic Games.