Mooloolaba World Cup Race Report 2020

Event

14.03.20
1pm start Elite Women

Start number

Sprint distance

1lap 750m alternate course ocean swim- beach start. Split transition- Ride 2km from T1 to race course, 4 x 5km lap ride with double hill over Alexandra Headland each lap & technical esplanade. 3x 1.66km lap run-with uphill /downhill each lap!

Weather

Unpredictable weather all week, sun one minute-rain the next! Same on race day. Strong winds up to 35km/hr! SE direction- headwind on return for each lap.

Result

6th

Splits

58:31 – 8:44/ 0:59 / 30:45 / 0:19 / 17:46

It seems unnecessary & almost trivial to be writing a Race Report at the moment among so many bigger issues that present to us with the global pandemic of COVID-19 Corona virus, as nations go into lock down & countries shut their borders.

But I’ll continue to put my race reflections down on paper, because although there are many bigger issues surrounding us all at the moment, including where to find hand sanitizer and toilet paper, racing really matters to me & I think it’s important we continue, where safe & possible, to do what we love each day.

So with social distancing taking full effect this leaves more time to put pen to paper and reflect on what was a great race to kick start the 2020 season & maybe see it through for a while.... as the International Triathlon Union this week made the appropriate call to suspend all races from March 16th until April 31st due to the corona virus health pandemic.

We were very lucky to proceed with Mooloolaba World Cup last Saturday on the Sunshine Coast of Australia. With the global situation changing rapidly, race organisers were guided by the World Health Organisations best practice recommendations as well as National & Queensland state preventative protocol put in place. A call was made to stop all public gatherings over 500 people starting Monday 16th March, with Mooloolaba World Cup triathlon just sneaking in for a race start. I thank the ITU for keeping us informed on the changing situation & for making those difficult & emotional decisions but the right ones, guided by our health & safety at the forefront!!

As athletes we practiced social distancing pre race, which among many other changes made for an unusual vibe pre race, with no briefing, dinner or catching up with other athletes.

And because when it rains it pours, there was a tropical cyclone off the Queensland coast due to hit on Monday the 16th, event organisers were forced to move the swim to the end of the Mooloolaba beach against the protected break wall so we could have a triathlon! This meant the course changed to a split transition. We would swim a 750m triangle down the beach before making our way up the sand to our bikes in transition 1, riding 2km along the back streets of Mooloolaba where we joined the standard bike course for the remaining 4 laps up & over the famous Alexandra headland. Getting off the bikes in the usual transition 2 on the Mooloolaba esplanade where we finished with a 5km run up & down that hill!

The sun came out for race morning & I was stoked to have my Mum, Dad & Brother up to watch the race alongside some close friends. It’s always a blast racing on home soil in front of a fantastic Aussie crowd & this year was no different! I was pumped to get out there & enjoy racing, we didn’t know at that point when we would next get the oppourtunity & we still don’t! I was excited to see where I was at after a solid and consistent off season in my new Melbourne training environment!

A 1pm race start for us Elite Women, just off high tide meant we had a short run into the water with barely a ripple in sight for the ocean swim course. With a full start list and a stellar resume of names in the field it was going to be a great contest to kick off the 2020 season for everyone!!

I got away to a great start, using my surf club background to my advantage where you need to be quick off the start. Taking out the swim towards the first buoy 300m away, I couldn’t feel anyone on my feet until I turned the first buoy & got a glimpse of the string of athletes behind. Head down into the chop, rating up, it felt great to be in my own time & space, quite a luxury these days in World Triathlon. Turning the last buoy for shore I could feel the chop coming head on & had my sight markers lined up. I could feel someone tapping my feet & got the gentle reminder to keep hustling in!!

Exiting the water I saw it was Kirsten Kasper -USA on my tail, we had a small gap followed by a large front group of women chasing hard. With a long run up to T1 I tried to keep the pressure on myself to optimise this time & space, stay relaxed through T1 & get out onto that bike ASAP!

Heading off onto the bike I put my head down & hoped to establish a smaller breakaway group off the front by pushing the pace early & was hoping a few might be there to come with me up the road, but as we hit the main course I turned back to see a big train following, forming our front group of about 20 women. We had the same familiar faces helping push the pace at the front of the ride which was frustrating as had we of worked together pulling turns we could have possibly stayed away from the large second chase pack behind. But it’s no surprise really, when you get a big front group people feel “safe” and start to sit up, look around at everyone else & turning focus to keeping their legs “fresh” for the run.

On lap 3 of 4 on the bike we had the chase group catch us on the bike, bridging that 20 second gap up. Followed by a light shower, just to make things more interesting for the front pack of around 30 women now on that tight course. I knew that transition 2 would be crucial in getting some “free time” up the road onto the run if I could get in and out towards the front. So I purposely positioned myself towards the front on the last lap, put in a late surge up the back side hill of Alexandra headland and chose to keep my feet in my shoes until late so I could power to the line and take the lead through the descend. It paid off and I quickly dismounted with “free” time & space, heading off onto the run, like a woman on a mission.

With flashbacks of Mooloolaba 2018 where I got my first World Cup win on the run by purely just backing myself and going after it, I did the same thing on Saturday and have no regrets. I felt great early on that run & didn’t want to look back to see where everyone else was, I just wanted to run my own race & go after it! I was having a blast!

With 1 lap of 3 through I was passed by the world class British women in Vicky Holland and Georgia Taylor Brown. I did my best to try pick up the pace again as they came past & hang on. As we rounded the half way point up the hill & made the turn I was caught by the 3 chasers in Ash Gentle AUS, Andrea Hewitt NZ & Bravo from Ecuador. This time around I was able to use the downhill to pick up my legs and get on the back of these 3 women, with 1 lap left I was hanging on & could see the gap we had back to the next pack of runners. I would have loved to have stuck to this trio through the last lap to get my chance at a sprint finish for the bronze medal but I started to pay the price for lap 1 & started to drop off down the final stretch.

I finished a very happy 6th place & was able to sneak a cheeky post race hug with my family, nothing better!

I’m proud of my performance, I wanted to just get out there- no self expectations, race hard from the start, have fun & see where I’m at. I did exactly this while executing well on the little things. It’s early season, even back to pre season now with the pause in racing, so I know I’ve still got a lot more to come but this was a great start for myself & my new team with Coach Danielle Stefano & squad Elotik!

Now to patiently wait out for the Corona curve to flatten and racing to resume.

For the meanwhile there is always work to be done and things to improve, from a distance!

Stay safe everyone, look after each other & keep washing your hands!

Emma Jeffcoat18 March 2020