Beer shower for Ashleigh Gentle, Jake Birtwhistle as Charlotte McShane earns Games spot
THEY missed gold but Ashleigh Gentle and Jake Birtwhistle have snared a place among the favourites for next year’s Commonwealth Games triathlon - along with a very large beer.
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THEY might have missed the gold medals but Ashleigh Gentle and Jake Birtwhistle have snared a place among the favourites for next year’s Commonwealth Games triathlon — along with an extraordinarily large congratulatory beer.
The Australian pair finished second in the world triathlon series sprint race in Hamburg on Sunday in a major show of form ahead of next year’s Games on the Gold Coast.
Their reward for making the podium - other than prizemoney - was a giant beer handed out by the race organisers and some very sticky beer celebrations.
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“I’ve always really wanted to get on the podium at a WTS Hamburg and enjoy the beer shower,’’ Gentle said.
But the big winner in Hamburg was Charlotte McShane who joins Birtwhistle and Gentle on the Australian team for the Commonwealth Games following her eighth place finish.
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“The swim put me in a good position from the start,’’ McShane said after the race. “ My run wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for which was disappointing but since the Gold Coast WTS in April I’ve been really focusing on this race and securing the second automatic nomination for Commonwealth Games - so I’m very happy.”
Bermuda’s Flora Duffy won the women’s race with the men’s event taken out by Spain’s Mario Mola.
No Australian male other that Birtwhistle managed to finish in the top 10 for an automatic spot at the Commonwealth Games.
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